Stone and concrete: solid picks

“STONE is bulletproof — and almost immovable,” Ron Safran says. “You really need to know where you want it placed; it’s not easily rearranged.”

Other considerations: Stone needs to be sealed properly to avoid staining, Jamie Durie says. Stone and cast concrete also conduct heat. “So many people are creating outdoor rooms with built-in concrete benches, that we often recommend teak slats on top to add visual warmth and comfort,” Joseph Batchelor says.

Batchelor also cites ecological considerations. Stone isn’t exactly a renewable resource, so rather than buy recently quarried material, he would prefer to use an old piece, he says, “although buying that ancient stone table that comes from Provence, France, is probably the most expensive way to go.”

Marble may be cool to the touch but cruel to the budget. Some lighter-weight, less expensive substitutes include cast or hand-wrought concrete, now available in more graceful forms.

Another option is reconstituted stone, which is ground-up rock mixed with adhesive. Reconstituted stone can last for decades and was the material of choice for furniture by Michael Taylor, the late California antiques collector and designer. Taylor’s designs include a set of tables shaped like the capitals of ancient columns and the Lion Head chair, which is equipped with castors.

His adobe-style Modernist Jennifer seating collection includes a sofa that weighs half a ton, and even the smallest of these pieces carry an equally hefty price tag. The Jennifer Junior armchair, designed in the late 1970s for the actress Jennifer Jones, costs $6,400.

david.keeps@latimes.com

Times staff writer Lisa Boone contributed to this report.