4 Ways To Elevate Your Home With Natural Stone
When considering ways in which to add a classic yet timeless touch to your décor for your next remodel or renovation, the incorporation of elements of natural stone into your home – be it a new benchtop, splashback, walls, floors, fire surrounds or furniture – opens up a diverse array of opportunities to help create an elegant and inviting vibe.
The elemental and tactile appeal of natural stone – from elegant Italian marble, rustic slate and durable granite to directional travertine, limestone and sandstone – is perfect for introducing warm, natural tones into your living space, which not only adds immediate value but reinforces a luxurious look and feel that will last a lifetime.
The versatility of natural stone lies not only in its durability and offering of unique textures and colours to both indoor and outdoor spaces, but with interest now piquing as to where building materials hail from and how sustainable they are, the good news is that it is one the most eco-friendly building materials, making for an invaluable component of environmentally sustainable design. It is completely recyclable and does not contain any harmful materials or toxins, ensuring your interior haven will be healthy. Its thermal inertia also helps to maintain constant temperatures inside, promoting thermal comfort and energy savings.
While hard-wearing and practical, an important part of the long-term care and maintenance of natural stone is in having the surfaces professionally cleaned in tandem with the support of an effective protective sealant. Formulations such as #JUSTSEALIT protective sealant developed by specialists in stone cleaning and sealing, Prestige Surfaces, is a case in point. The result of intensive, time-honoured processes developed from more than a decade of industry experience, a protective sealant of this class is essential to ensuring natural stone and concrete elements are protected appropriately from wear and tear without affecting the colour, texture or slip rating.
Be it abstract designs for a contemporary feel or more traditional forms, here are some surefire ways to introduce natural stone – and an inimitable elegance – into your home:
Flooring
Granite, marble, travertine, slate, limestone and bluestone are commonly used for the creation of resistant flooring in bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms due to their hardness and durability, and minimum maintenance factor. Their unique textures and colours can help to enhance the total look and an earthy, welcoming feel of a space as an eye-catching focal point. The use of natural stone in flooring strikes an ideal balance between aesthetics and function, the beauty of its unique range of textures adding warmth to spaces while lending them a sense of character and depth. It can also play an effective role in connecting interior and exterior spaces to enhance indoor-outdoor living flow.
Wall Cladding
Natural stone such as slate, quartzite and sandstone are perfect for use as wall cladding by way of interior divisions or feature wall decoration in a living room, kitchen or private study, giving heightened dimension and depth to a space. Its incorporation can also inject a fresh textural layer to a space with the offering of different finishes such as sawed, hammered, chiselled, honed or polished. Durable, non-porous and one of the best natural insulators, these natural stones are also long-lasting and easy to maintain.
Countertops and Backsplashes
Granite – one of the hardest stones in nature – along with marble, slate and quartz are some of the best natural stones for use as kitchen countertops and islands, and backsplashes in that they are hard, non-porous, durable, resistant to heat and easily cleaned, not to mention offering a beautiful array of colours, unique patterns and elegant finishes. All types of stone commonly used for countertops have their pros and cons, and so it is important to weigh up aesthetic considerations with practicality when making your decision. Granite, for example, is more porous and must be sealed to keep stains off; unique-looking slate can vary in terms of its absorbency requiring sealing; while marble has great visual appeal though is a more delicate material for countertops requiring more care and consideration with its use.
Natural Stone Fireplaces
The hearth being the heart of the home, natural stone is one of the most sought-after materials for fireplaces in terms of aesthetic, durability, heat-resistance and adding value. With the ability to achieve a myriad of eye-catching looks that will define your space and seamlessly integrate colour schemes throughout – from high-gloss contemporary to traditional rustic – some of the most popular options are granite, marble, quartzite, limestone, travertine and slate. Perfect for adding a touch of drama to a living space, a stacked-stone floor-to-ceiling fireplace design will draw the eyes upward making an average-sized space feel larger than life and airy. Travertine, which comes in handsome hues of brown, cream and gold, can add an understated and chic yet rustic twist to a fireplace. Even river stones, carefully arranged by a skilled mason, can be used to create a modern yet rustic farmhouse-inspired fireplace, while large sandstone planks can strike the perfect balance between modern and rustic for a slightly less countrified vibe.
To learn more about protecting the natural stone surfaces in your home, visit Prestige Surfaces.
Top image credits:
Project Location: Surrey Hills
Landscaped by Esjay Landscapes + Pools
Photographed by Tim Turner
Furniture supplied by Made By Tait
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