Even though it may seem obvious, it’s unlikely that we know how important both the colour and decor living on our walls enhances a room's overall appeal. If you’ve been thinking about change and are looking to renew your home decor, then we’d suggest getting creative and trying something innovative.

If you’re searching for a material that exudes warmth and rustic flair while remaining classic, natural stone is the way to go. This material will never go out of style and is an excellent way to revive your home decor.

Real stones are still a popular option but imitation products are increasingly convincing and offer a much better price point. In this article, we’re going to discuss the characteristics of natural stone as well as the various imitations available on the market.

Natural stone as a wall covering material

Working with natural stone

Photo: Pxhere

For architects, builders and homeowners like yourself, there is a reason why natural stone remains popular. Much like brick, natural stone is a great material for both interior as well as exterior wall cladding. Installed on one or two walls, stone suits most spaces, be it a dining room, bedroom or living room. This material can add a lot of elegance to a room's decor.

Many different shapes, colours and textures exist, so it’s possible to find a stone that fits your individual needs. Depending on your style, you can further opt for a smooth and geometric finish or you may choose to go for an uneven look, characterized by its irregular shapes.

Natural stone has the advantage of being authentic and as a result, very durable. Of course, due to the natural singularity of each stone, the accomplished look will be unique. However, starting at $12 per square foot, this will not be a reasonable price point for the modest homeowner. As mentioned, it’s not easy to install unless you’ve been trained to work with this material. 

If you use natural stone, it’s recommended that you hire a professional bricklayer to complete the project. Lastly, since natural stone is very heavy, it can be quite difficult to handle. As a result, you may have to solidify or add further bracing methods to the wall you’re working on.

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What is decorative stone?

As we mentioned in our introduction, natural stone can be costly and in some special cases will require an expensive installation process. Luckily, if you love the look of stone but can’t afford the natural option, faux stone is an excellent alternative. 

In recent years, plenty has changed in the manufacturing of faux stone. For a much lower price point, it’s easy to find materials that are made to look like stone though constructed with materials such as concrete, veneer as well as polyurethane.

In most cases, decorative stone on the market will be a combination of anything from concrete, aggregates and iron oxide pigments. The highest quality faux stone features pigment that has been applied by colourists working by hand, offering each piece a cared-for and unique look. 

As with real stone, most will not come in a uniform colour. Another huge benefit of working with stone veneer is that it’s much lighter than natural stone, coming in at 1/3 of the weight.  As a result, it’s much easier to install.

As with real stone, thousands of shapes, textures and colours are available. If you do choose a faux stone, the lifespan of these materials is quite long, and sometimes this means a minimum of 50 years. As we’ve mentioned a few times, they’re much less expensive than natural stone, starting at an average of $7 per square foot. 

However, decorative stone is significantly less durable than real stone, so if you do choose to work with this material, it’s important to be fairly gentle. Additionally, the finish is smoother than with natural stones, making it appear less realistic.

Exterior or interior 

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Incorporating natural or faux stone into either your exterior or interior will come down to your style and decor choices. Working with stone on your exterior will help to connect you with the surrounding nature. 

For this reason, we’d recommend choosing a texture and colour of stone that matches your region's natural resources while also being in line with your taste. Cladding can be used to enhance the exterior of a home, but both natural and faux stone can also be used to build stone pillars or as accent pieces on a porch or deck.

When it comes to working in your home’s interior, stone can be used around a fireplace, as a kitchen backsplash or as an accent wall. The bathroom is another great place to explore the possibilities of stone, transforming a boring bathroom into a more luxurious one.