Ribera is Grespania's take on sandstone, and it keeps things restrained. The porcelain has a fine grain, soft clouding and a gentle surface relief that you notice more in low light, or under your hand, than as a pattern. It suits rooms that should feel calm and warm rather than showy, and it never needs the sealing or careful cleaning that real sandstone asks for.
Choosing a colour mostly comes down to how much warmth you want. Blanco is a soft off-white with faint grey veining, Marfil a warm ivory with ochre streaks, and Moka a deeper greige sand that hides everyday mess.
How big should you go? Each colour comes in five sizes: 30 x 60cm, 60 x 60cm, 80 x 80cm, 60 x 120cm and 120 x 120cm, all in 10mm rectified porcelain. The larger formats cut down on grout lines across open-plan floors, while the smaller ones are easier to plan around a compact bathroom. Every size has a natural matt finish for walls and indoor floors, and an R11 anti-slip finish for shower floors, wet rooms, patios and poolsides.
For the garden, all three colours also come as a 20mm outdoor tile, 60 x 60cm with R11 grip, such as the Ribera Marfil Outdoor Tile. It can be laid on a mortar bed or on pedestals, so the same stone look runs from the kitchen floor out to the terrace.
To give one wall some texture, the Cuellar decor adds bands of fine raised lines, some set in a herringbone, on a 60 x 120cm tile in each Ribera colour.
Want a sandstone look in a soft grey as well? Take a look at Grespania Arles, which comes in Blanco, Arena and Gris. Ribera is also made as Coverlam large-format porcelain slabs, with mosaics, steps and skirting in the range too. They aren't listed here, but TABO orders directly from Grespania, so we can order them in for you. You'll find everything in the Grespania series catalogues.
Grespania is on display at our Milton Keynes showroom at Waterside Park, Old Wolverton Road, MK12 5NL. Some designs are held in stock, and anything not listed online can be ordered. For advice or a quote, call our sales team on 01908 311104.
