There’s a moment in every build when the stone tells you what it wants to be. This one began with a gorgeous stone patio overlooking a ski slope, and it ended with four sandstone chairs and a firepit in the Sierra Nevada, not far from Lake Tahoe.

The Build: Listening to the Customer, Then the Stone

Our customers in Truckee had just finished a new quartzite patio with a view down the mountain. After a conversation, they sent location photos so we could see the light, the layout, and the finishes we’d be working with. They knew what they needed:

Low-maintenance furniture that can handle a Lake Tahoe winter
A cozy gathering spot for family and friends around the firepit
A sculpted, unique design for each chair, cohesive as a set
A buff tone that complements the patio: not too dark, not too light, with naturally gorgeous markings

So we headed to the northern Colorado quarries in search of the perfect buff sandstone. The stone had to be a light-to-middle tone buff and have the exact quality and dimensions needed for both the build and the comfort of the person sitting in it.

Beauty and the Beast

Layered sandstone is both beauty and beast. The layers create the markings we love, but those color variations also record changes in the geology. Iron oxide, for example, can create weak spots or unintended breaks. Chiseling takes skill, the right tools, and a few prayers to the stone goddess.

We ask the stone, do you want to be the art on the easel? The back of the chair? The gorgeous armrest someone will sit and admire? The stone answers every time the hammer meets the head of the chisel.

Sometimes the stone breaks in a way we didn’t plan. That’s part of the creative process. A pivot or a trip back to the drawing board usually means something else wants to form, so after a brief pitty party, we then trust the process and often end up better for it. That’s the beauty of being an artist: the medium shapes the outcome, including what the piece wants to be and who it’s for. Sometimes we don’t understand it till we deliver to the customer and see their response. Those moments we struggle with makes sense in the end.

Why Stone Furniture Works So Well in Truckee

Truckee sits at roughly 5,980 feet in the Sierra Nevada, about 12 miles north of Lake Tahoe. Truckee is 200 miles northeast of San Francisco and 40 miles west of Reno. It’s also one of the snowiest towns in the country. The Weather Channel ranked it third-snowiest in the U.S., with an average of 206.6 inches a year, (about 17 feet!) and February is typically the heaviest month. Other sources put the average slightly lower, around 200 inches, depending on where it’s measured. The snow season typically runs from October to May, with no snowfall from June through September. Average winter temperatures run from about 17 to 42°F, and summers from 40 to 79°F.

That’s a hard environment for outdoor furniture. Here’s why stone holds up:

It stays outside year-round. There are no covers to wrestle on and off, and no bringing pieces in for the season.
It doesn’t rust, rot, or fade. Wood needs refinishing and metal can corrode. Stone simply weathers beautifully.
It has serious weight. Mountain wind won’t push it around.
It’s solid through the seasons. With roughly seven months of snow on average, the chairs get used in all of them.
It warms in the sun. Sun-kissed stone is an invitation to sit, even on a cold day.
It ages gracefully. Every season adds character instead of wear.

White Glove Delivery: The Best Part

We offer white glove delivery, and this was our chance to take four stone chairs to Northern California. We drove in the day before and stayed in Kings Beach on the lake. This part of the country is incredible: so green, with a canopy of pine so tall, and pinecones almost the size of our heads.

We got up early and headed to Truckee.

With white glove delivery, we bring the furniture in, set it up, and place it exactly where you want it. Customers can watch, ask questions about the stone, and hear all of our design stories (that part’s optional!).

Stories Around the Firepit

The chairs looked exquisite around the firepit. We love hearing how our furniture holds the stories of family life. We can already hear the campfire laughs, whether everyone’s bundled up on a snow day or gathered under the stars on a clear night in the Sierra Nevada. We can picture six feet of snow melting off sun-kissed chairs, leaving a comfortable, sun-warmed rock to sit on, a fire to chill by, and of course, a swivel