Natural stone is a stunning addition to the interior or exterior of any house. It can take many forms, from a marbled facade to display to the neighbourhood to a wonderfully intimate snug fireplace, and it works just as well as an ornament as it does a fixture.
Stone works all over the house, in the bathroom as a fixture or as tiling, outside as a garden wall or paving, and even as a decorative element to a wall. Endeavour Homes collected a few examples here, but it’s just a teaser. There’s a lot of potential for stone in the house.
1. As a feature wall
Stone provides a majestic backdrop that carries the eye; it’s all you need in a feature wall. The beauty of natural stone is in its variance — marbled or opal-like veins running through it can provide a great gradient for a space, but you have the option of jolting sparkling blue lines of colour too.
2. As a fireplace
The height of snug living is the fireplace. Cozying up to a cobblestone installation on a cold winter night is a romantic bliss fit for a king. If you’ve got an existing fireplace, the same effect can be made by adding a rock veneer over the existing framework. All of the opulence for a fraction of the actual installation cost!
3. As tiling
Travertine tiles come in a huge variety of styles and textures, and go hand in hand with keeping the house cool during the Aussie summer. It’s a little less common if you head down south, but most places in Queensland, NT, or WA will have stone tiling around most of the house inviting enough to lie down upon on a 40+ degree day. Even if you’re a little further south, you’re still going to need something to cover the kitchen (unless you like pasta sauce carpets?).
If you have a pool, this doubles down as a poolside tile surface. The absolute last thing you want on a hot day is to be forced to hot-step on burning surfaces after stepping out from a dip, and stone keeps cool in the sun and shade alike.
4. As a facade
If you’re trying to give off a good first impression, there’s not a whole lot more front-facing than a veneer for the house. This one is a little more built into the architecture than our other suggestions, so it’s not exactly the easiest one to accommodate in an afternoon, but styles ranging from smooth sandstone to flagstone wall give enough styling to match any house.
5. As flagstone floors
Flagstone operates in conjunction with wood to produce a rustic, lodge-like effect. Stepping into a place lined with flagstone and reclaimed wood is like walking into a cozy gardeners cottage, hidden away from the rest of the world.
6. As a benchtop
You can double up your work surface and your ornaments with a textured tabletop. Natural stone slabs make a welcome addition to any kitchen, and the right piece can draw the eye just as well as a canvas or feature wall. A dignified black travertine slab suits a modern minimalist design, an opulent marble\limestone slab is dignified, and a textured gradient is a masterpiece in itself.
7. As a bench
If you’re lucky enough have a garden that you can sit and relax in, a stone bench allows a quaint little spot for some flower-side repose, whether it be a polished black piece for a minimalist zen garden or a rocky perch for an english garden stroll.
8. As outdoor stools
If you’re more of a fan of the outdoor picnic than the garden path, fixed outdoor seating allows you to have a table and chairs that withstand the elements. Instead of constantly re-covering and setting chairs from inside, consider an installed stone piece. You won’t have to spend as much time setting up, and all you’ll have to do after it rains is give it a quick sweep with a towel.
9. As a garden path
There’s two avenues you can go down when constructing a garden path from natural stone.
Firstly, the elegant stroll of perfectly ordered and placed, geometric squares. Suiting a garden tour for a designed area. Secondly, the ever-popular wild look; flat slabs hewn roughly from the rock to allow a more natural view. A garden that showcase nature rather than constraints it.
10. And finally: the sink
A surprisingly awesome looking idea is to swap out a metallic or ceramic kitchen or bathroom sink for a cool stone basin. It’s not like it won’t hold water, and it looks great paired with other natural elements (see above shells, but stone paving, plant life, or a small rock feature wall work too).
