Dreamer Stone House | PENG& PARTNERS

PENG & PARTNERS collaborated with DREAMER STONE, a natural stone brand, to challenge the established perception of marble, exploring its potential for storytelling in a contemporary spatial context. The result is Dreamer Stone House—an immersive, artistic environment where marble moves beyond static display to become a medium that orchestrates spatial mood, rhythm, and narrative.

PART 01

Design Concept

Where Rational Order Meets Eastern Poetry 

The design concept emerges from the brand’s evolving perception of marble—from a material once primarily associated with luxury to one with a deep relevance to spatial aesthetics and experiential resonance.

Inspired by this evolution, lead designer Wang Peng articulated a clear design proposition: how might a stone showroom be envisioned as an immersive gallery? The answer, in his view, lies in shifting from product-centered display to spatial narrative.

Accordingly, the Dreamer Stone House is conceived not as a conventional showroom, but as an experiential environment that invites perception and engagement. Beyond its physical form, the space operates as a perceptible framework of brand values. Through an integrated system of aesthetics, materials, craftsmanship, and service, it delivers a genuine “what you see is what you get” experience. On a broader level, the project reflects a shift from material-centered display toward brand expression through aesthetic experience.

“The design centers on the spatial experience itself, where marble acts as the expressive soul. Through touch, observation, and immersion, visitors intuitively understand the material’s texture and craftsmanship—where product and space seamlessly merge,” explains Wang Peng.

Drawing on his cross-cultural background, Peng adopts a dual design approach: structuring the space with Milanese rationality while tempering its atmosphere with Eastern subtlety. In this interplay, marble transforms from a displayed object into a vessel for emotion and spatial storytelling.

PART 02

Spatial Narrative

From Symbol to Medium: Marble as an Aesthetic Language 

The spatial journey begins at a ceremonial entrance. A monumental bronze door opens into a corridor of rhythmic sequences, setting the tone for the experience ahead—order, ritual, and immersion.

Symmetry and axiality are not mere formal gestures but a deliberate strategy for shaping spatial order and identity. This approach draws on Gio Ponti’s modernist clarity while also subtly echoing the Eastern sense of ceremonial order.

From the elevator to the central hall, visitors traverse a series of interconnected spaces. Symmetrical door openings, geometrically patterned ceilings, and rhythmic corridors create a layered sense of progression, offering new perspectives at every step and guiding visitors from urban bustle into a calm, immersive environment.

The space is anchored by a Milanese axial logic. Deep door openings and translucent glass introduce an Eastern sensibility of “separation without disconnection,” establishing visual continuity and layered spatial perception. The material scheme references Gio Ponti’s sensitivity to material interplay, with wood veneers and warm lighting softening marble’s coolness. Meticulous craftsmanship harmonizes Milanese precision with Eastern restraint, with natural light revealing the textures, lending the space a subtle sense of breath and rhythm. 

Faced with the brand’s vast stone collection, the designer adopted a curatorial approach, prioritizing stones that embody rational Eastern aesthetics, align with the space’s functions, and harmonize with copper, wood, and glass. Stones with restrained textures and refined surfaces were chosen, while those with overly intricate patterns or vivid colors—even if rare—were intentionally excluded. 

Meticulous craftsmanship unlocks the expressive potential of each type of stone. In the art corridor, green marble appears as continuous wall panels and fragmented floor inlays, establishing a visual rhythm of cohesion and variation. In the meeting rooms, gray stone features both natural split-face textures and polished surfaces, revealing a dual character—rugged yet refined. 

The kitchen island, crafted from Brazilian meteor stone with natural split-face surfaces, posed a challenge. Its uneven textures and high porosity risked structural imbalance, as well as staining and efflorescence from daily use. Through precise leveling, six-sided protective treatment, and thoughtful lighting, the stone is liberated from a purely decorative role, becoming a durable, tactile centerpiece where craftsmanship, functionality, and aesthetics converge.

PART 03

Forward-Looking Vision

Stone in the Contemporary Design Context 

As engineered sintered stone and large ceramic panels gain market momentum with cost advantages and realistic textures, natural stone faces a new challenge: not a matter of being replaced, but of reasserting its role and distinctive value.

In the contemporary design context, natural and engineered stones are complementary. The value of natural marble lies in its unique textures and one-of-a-kind aesthetic, shaped over millions of years of geological formation. Far from being overshadowed, natural marble is now elevated from mere material to a medium for spatial narrative, aesthetic expression, and immersive experience.

Guided by Gio Ponti’s rationalist clarity, natural stone in this space moves beyond heaviness and monumentality, revealing elegance, lightness, strength, and tranquility. This transformation is realized through minimalist design, the play of light, and the integration of function with aesthetics.

By reducing visual weight through minimalist design, amplifying the material’s expression through light, and harmonizing function with aesthetics, the inherent power of stone is revealed—embodying a spirit attuned to the contemporary era.

Dreamer Stone House is more than a showroom—it is both a statement and an experiment. It demonstrates marble’s potential as a medium for spatial storytelling and explores the fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics. Here, rationality and poetry converge, shaping a forward-looking vision for how stone will evolve in contemporary design.

Chief Designer: Wang Peng

Project Director: Li Yuan

Art Director: Lv Qing

Furnishings Consulting: P Projects

Construction: Maili Digital Technology (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd.

Photos: Jack Qin, Zuxi Huang, Si Yu