How To Use Natural Stone In Home Decor
A timeless material that exudes elegance, stone is one of the easiest surfaces to maintain in a household. It’s hassle-free, doesn’t need to be painted regularly or covered to maintain its glory, making it a homemaker’s favourite substance. Stone also has natural thermal properties that help to retain the natural temperature within the room, keeping it at a somewhat stable level of warmth or coolness. So, now that you’re convinced that this magical material should be in your home, let’s look at how you can incorporate it!
Flooring
Stone is naturally an extremely hard, durable material, making it extremely appropriate to lay on floors in living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Specific stones such as slate, limestone, granite and travertine are the most commonly used stones within homes, given their availability in different textures and shades, ease of maintenance and aesthetic appeal. It brings a homely, earthly vibe to the space, and allows for unique variations in design by means of inlay work whereby multiple stones with similar properties can be combined to create a floorwork you love.
Wall Cladding
Variants such as sandstone that have a lot of texture and a distinctive identity can be used to clad pillars, small wall panels or even large expanses. These substances add a fresh, vibrant take to a space, making it more personalised to the mood the residents wish to set in their home. Wall cladding with stone can also be used as a great way to demarcate two areas such as the kitchen and living room, which can often appear to be merged with open kitchen designs. Pro tip: some stones are more porous than others, so make sure you do your research to prevent having an extremely porous stone cladding a wall in your abode!
Storage
Using stone to create open storage or cover up closed storage spaces is a brilliant hack, as it is not only simple to maintain, but also adds an artistic feel to the expanse. So yes, while making entire drawers out of stone could be impractical given the weight of the substance, one can surely use it to cover the front end of drawers and cupboards and to create floating shelves, benches, and permanent storage fixtures.
Decoratives
Among other clever ways to use natural stone in home decor, using it to add decoratives is the simplest, most lucrative one. Whether it be in sculptures, door handles, lamp bases, containers for washroom essentials or planters, stone is used to create a plethora of home accessories. If you prefer to not have whole side tables made of stone, even an intricate inlay work with stone can accentuate your living room design.
Countertops
Granite has been the go-to material for kitchen countertops since decades, owing to its heat-safe and durable properties. Quartzite is another superior stone that can be used as the top of dining tables or center tables. There are numerous other variants that are usable for this purpose, but some require higher maintenance than others. Take your pick, but only after you’ve had a close look at the options!
Gearing into a generational shift where people are choosing to socialise outside of their homes in open spaces, at restaurants, bars etc, maintaining a home has become even less seamless than it may have been a few years ago. The time and energy-consuming processes of cleaning, repairing and maintaining regularly are a worry youngsters want to bid goodbye to. A saviour of such situations, stone is the perfect alternative for all the delicate, dainty materials you typically may have used. After eons it seems, we’re walking our way right back to the stone age!
