Design: Set in Stone

THE FLOOR-covering starring in the hottest hotel bars this season is the Vinyl Pebbles floor tile (30.5 x 30.5cm), pounds 84 for nine, from Natalie Woolf Surface Design (01705 466996). Its convincing pebble pattern is similar to Ella Duran's Silence table mats, six for pounds 42 from 0171-375 1466.

Habitat's range of stoneware also includes tablemats, but these are the real thing: slate, in three sizes; pounds 3.95, pounds 6.50 and pounds 15. Habitat also do candle holders made from real volcanic stone (from pounds 2.50 to pounds 6.50). Not stone, however, is the intriguing resin "Rock Light"; pounds 49, pounds 69 and pounds 89. Phone 0845 601 0740 for your nearest Habitat store.

Look out for Maya Lin's fibreglass and cement "Stones" from her The Earth Is (Not) Flat range. They comprise an elliptical coffee table with convex top and elliptical stools with concave seats (Knoll International: 0171- 236 6655).

Reassuringly, the vase pictured (from Ocean Mail Order, 0870 84 84 84 0) is not an optical illusion, but is hewn from naturally weathered granite. It comes in two sizes: (14cm), pounds 24.95, and (25cm) pounds 49.

Exhibiting at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, 35 Windmill Street, London W1 (0171 436 4899) are two artists, Judith Gilmour and George Wyllie, who are both working with stone.