President Kristin Cali Schloemer (left) and Sales and Design Specialist Shannon Steele (right) tour the Calia warehouse showcasing a fabulous array of stone slabs.
Bringing a fresh, new vibe to the specialty stone business is all in a day’s work for Kristin Cali Schloemer, owner and president of Calia Stone Boutique. Offering a dazzling variety of quartzite, marble, onyx and more, the company is “proud to offer the most beautiful natural stones this Earth has to offer.” Established in 2018, their showroom in Chicago’s River North Design District is joined by a warehouse in Elk Grove Village which houses row after row of dramatic stone slabs to be used for countertops, backsplashes, flooring and more. A growing presence on social media includes fun TikTok videos and compelling Instagram photography, all showcasing their product lines in an inventive light.
Gwen Donovan: How were you inspired to start Calia Stone Boutique?
Kristin Cali Schloemer: I decided to take a chance on Calia when I kept seeing these incredible spaces with natural stone cladding an entire space in colors that you would only dream about. To think it’s all from capitalize Earth. I knew there was a need for a more specialized process in the natural stone world that for centuries hasn’t changed; Calia brings a fresh new take on an “old as stone” mentality in the industry.
Summer Thornton Design uses Calacatta Viola marble to make a bold statement in this lavish bath. Photo by Costa Christ Media.
GD: With your huge stone inventory, how do you help your clients make design decisions?
KCS: We lean heavily on the design community to tell us how to curate our collection of over 350 colors in stock. But there is no longer the thought of settling for what’s in stock; if we have the time and are able to source material from any part of the world to accommodate your project, we can do it.
GD: Has your social media presence grown your business and helped you connect with clients?
KCS: Significantly! The power of social media helps our brand reach a national audience. The ability for us to accommodate a designer in California who is assisting a client in Colorado, then ship material out of Chicago, has been a complete game-changer in letting us push the boundaries for finding the perfect materials to elevate a space.
A dazzling wet bar designed by Amy Storm & Company is clad in Ocean Storm marble. Photo by John Stoffer.
GD: What are some new design trends in natural stone?
KCS: Less is more when it comes to thickness in materials! We are a firm believer in stocking all 2cm materials. This gives us the ability to have the most elite collection and accommodate full walls, fireplaces, etc. From a designer perspective, the creativity in edge profiles is making a huge impact on the aesthetic of spaces.
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