For as long as humans have existed, stone has played an important role in their lives. In ancient times, stone was central to survival—for tools, for shelter, for protection. Later, it became art—sculptures, statues, and structures. Symbols of beauty and permanence.
In the last few centuries, function and beauty have joined forces in the heart of the modern home: the kitchen. Stone countertops and islands prove that what’s practical can also be transformative.
“Where is the most time you spend in your house?” asks Fabiano Lomba, co-owner of Venezia Marble. “It’s the kitchen, right? That’s where the family eats together, where a mom feeds her children, where people gather to talk and spend time with one another. So to me, it’s a beautiful business to be in.”
Fabiano arrived in the United States from Brazil in 1997 when he was just 15. His older brother, co-owner Adriano Lomba, arrived four months later.
Like many kids in Brazil, Fabiano dreamt of becoming a soccer player to help his family. But when he landed in Connecticut and started at Danbury High School, reality set in. He quit soccer after one year because he had to work.
“I went to school in the morning and I worked in the afternoon—at Dunkin’ Donuts, at landscaping jobs. I was exhausted, but I knew I was in the right place,” he says. “America was more important than soccer.”
Though 13 years apart in age, Fabiano and Adriano have always been close. When they began thinking about long-term careers, the answer seemed obvious: stone.
With one eye on their roots—Brazil is extraordinarily rich in natural stone, home to some of the world’s largest deposits of quartzite and granite—and the other on the discerning clientele of Fairfield County, the brothers founded Venezia Marble in 2001.
Initially, they considered becoming wholesalers, but maintaining a large inventory proved impractical. So they pivoted to fabrication—a decision that would ultimately define the company’s identity. In 2008, they opened in Ridgefield.
“We chose this area because we felt that Ridgefield and the surrounding towns appreciate craftsmanship,” Fabiano explains. “People here recognize the value of having something unique.”
Today, Venezia Marble has 15 employees and operates two locations: the showroom at 197 Ethan Allen Highway and the fabrication workshop and slab yard at 56 West Branchville Road.
It remains a true family business. Fabiano serves as the visionary—sourcing materials, managing client relationships, and guiding growth. Adriano oversees fabrication and installation, ensuring every detail meets his exacting standards.
“If I’m the brain,” Fabiano says, “my brother Adriano is the body. He’s the one who makes everything happen. When clients ask if something can be done, if it can work, Adriano will make it happen.”
Fabiano’s wife, Luana, and Adriano’s wife, Marta, manage finances and billing. Adriano and Marta’s daughter, Kaitlin, works in the showroom assisting clients and representing the next generation of the business.
“I love it… I love it,” Fabiano says, beaming. “I work with my wife, my sister-in-law. My brother is like a father to me, and now I get to work with my niece. It’s so much fun. I hope we continue this for a long time.”
Stepping into the Ridgefield showroom, clients are greeted by hundreds of possibilities: granite, marble, quartzite, soapstone, quartz, porcelain, limestone—in white, green, brown, gray, and black. Each type of stone, each colorway, tells a different story.
For those not fluent in the language of stone, don’t fret. The Venezia team is both deeply knowledgeable and endlessly patient, guiding clients toward the material that best suits their needs, lifestyle, and aesthetic. They shared a few quick distinctions:
Quartz is an engineered stone made from natural quartz mixed with resins and pigments. It offers a consistent appearance with controlled patterns and colors. It’s nonporous, stain-resistant, and low-maintenance—but not as heat-resistant as natural stone.
Quartzite is a natural stone that looks similar to marble but is much harder and more durable. It often has soft, marble-like veining but with the toughness of granite. It’s highly resistant to heat and scratches, making it both beautiful and practical.
Granite is known for its strength and speckled appearance, with wide-ranging color variations that make each slab unique. It’s heat-resistant, scratch-resistant, and great for high-use surfaces like kitchen countertops.
Marble is prized for its timeless beauty. It typically features soft veining on a smooth surface, often in shades of white, gray, black, and cream. Marble is softer and more porous than quartzite and granite, making it more prone to scratching, staining, and etching.
Calacatta Gold is, arguably, the most luxurious marble. Quarried from the Apuan Mountains in Italy’s Carrara region—the same quarries Michelangelo sourced from—these slabs are among the most sought-after in the world because of their spectacular veining and rarity. Demand far exceeds supply, which drives prices to hundreds of dollars per square foot.
But demand for another stone, Taj Mahal quartzite, has recently surged to historic highs. Quarried exclusively in the Uruoca district of Ceará, Brazil, Taj Mahal features a creamy white or warm beige base with delicate veins of gray, gold, or taupe. It resembles marble, but its superior performance makes it less fussy—earning it a reputation as the perfect blend of beauty and practicality.
We learned all of this—and much more—when we sat down with Venezia. Yet what stood out most wasn’t their thorough knowledge of materials or their awareness of industry trends. It was their warmth, care, and commitment to service. Fabiano, Adriano, Luana, Marta, Kaitlin, and the rest of their team are approachable, passionate, and genuinely invested in every client who walks through the door. Their showroom is elegant but welcoming—comfortable, the way you’d want your own kitchen to feel.
Clients begin by browsing materials and colorways before heading to the slab yard to see and feel each stone in person. Once a slab is selected, the Venezia team visits the client’s home to take measurements which they use to create a custom template.
“We use Luan to make the template,” Adriano explains. “It’s a very thin wood. We place the template on top of the slab so clients can visualize how their countertops will look.”
“It's very custom and collaborative,” Fabiano adds. “It's art. We get input from the client, but we put our own spin on it too. Once everything’s approved, the client will know exactly how it’s going to look. There are no surprises.”
The fabrication workshop is always humming with activity—though “humming” might be an understatement. Power tools roar—18-inch diamond-blade saws, wet saws, circular saws, angle grinders—as each slab is shaped according to the custom template. The craftsmen work with remarkable precision, transforming raw stone into functional works of art.
From the time the stone is selected until it is installed, the process takes five business days. Venezia will confirm logistics with clients the day before and typically completes installation within half a day. Every step is handled in-house—nothing is subcontracted.
Beyond installation, Venezia offers ongoing care for staining, scratching, and etching, especially for more delicate stones (we’re looking at you, marble).
“Some people dream of having marble countertops, but they’re nervous about maintenance,” Fabiano says. “We try to make it easy. We apply a sealer and check on it every six months. If there’s a stain, we’ll help remove it. For us, it’s not just about making a sale—we want clients for life.”
Venezia is adept at crafting far more than countertops: fireplaces, hearths, bathroom vanities, shower walls (no grout lines!), bars, and tabletops. Each project is treated with the same philosophy of intention, quality, and collaboration.
People choose Venezia Marble not just because they want something functional and beautiful. Rather, they know the service will be exceptional. With stellar reviews across every platform and recognition as one of Connecticut’s top fabricators, Venezia has built its reputation on craftsmanship, integrity, and care. Most recently, the company was honored as the 2025 recipient of [insert award name here], a testament to its commitment to excellence.
In an era of mass production and online shopping, there’s something invaluable about walking through Venezia’s showroom or slab yard—running your hand across the stone, watching light dance across striations that tell a story millions of years in the making. Choosing the piece that will become the heart of your home isn’t something you can do through a computer screen.
A neutral countertop from a big-box store may be practical, but a slab of Taj Mahal quartzite—hand-selected, cut to precise measurements, and installed with care by the Venezia team—is something else entirely. It’s not just a surface; it’s a statement.
At Venezia, the focus isn’t only on melding function and beauty in the heart of people’s homes. It’s about pairing craftsmanship and customer care in a way that makes every client feel like family—from the moment they step inside to the moment they sit at their gleaming new kitchen island.
Fabiano knows this. He sees it every day.
“A lot of husbands tell me, ‘Thank you for making my wife happy,’” he laughs. “And honestly, I think that’s the heart of it. People spend so much time in their kitchens—they want it to be beautiful.”
Venezia Marble turns nature’s oldest material into something deeply personal, built to last, and made to be loved.
Visit veneziamarble.com to learn more and follow along on social media @veneziamarble.