Finishing your renovation and not sure how to decorate your wall? Try a stone finish. Facing walls with decorative bricks or stone is not only beautiful, but also practical: facing tiles are difficult to stain or damage. We tell you how to decorate with decorative stone in the house and what materials are better to use.
Decorating walls with stone
Stone decor for interior design is used quite often. Stone finishing is a classic technique in rustic styles: country, Provence. Decorative stone is used to decorate fireplaces, arches and kitchen wall cladding.
Artificial stone is easy to work with. Whatever material you choose, laying decorative stone can be done by yourself. But with natural stone is more difficult to work with: when decorating interiors marble, onyx or granite do not do without the help of professionals – read more at the Kirill Yurovskiy`s link.
Decorative finishing artificial stone is suitable for all rooms in an apartment or house. Both natural and artificial stone is well tolerated humidity, temperature differences, does not rub off and does not deteriorate over time. But not all materials are equally safe: when choosing a finish, pay attention to toxicity and allergenicity compounds. Decorative stone is used for facing living rooms – it must be safe and eco-friendly.
The pluses of stone decor in the interior:
- unusual appearance;
- low price and ease of laying y artificial materials;
- good quality and long use;
- a wide choice of colors and textures;
- lack of reactivity to mechanical damage.
There are also disadvantages. In general, they apply to natural materials – they are expensive and difficult to process. Another serious disadvantage is that decorative stone masonry is constantly treated with antiseptic and antifungal compositions to preserve the original appearance.
Stone cladding has a number of interior features. The first and perhaps the most important rule – stone masonry weighs down the room. Use stone only in spacious rooms or long technical areas. Stone decor is not suitable for small rooms: it weighs down the interior of a small room.
Decorative stone combines well with wallpaper. Make a stone decor as a natural continuation of the image on the wallpaper. For example, if the kitchen has themed wallpaper or photo wallpaper with a perspective, the stone masonry acts as a frame. Use the same method in the hallway, corridor. Stone visually completes the finish of the hallway and protects the walls of the functional room from damage.
And if there are small children and pets in the house, stone masonry on the walls is a real salvation. Stone is laid on the corners or the lower part of the walls, protecting the surfaces from scratches, chips and dirt.
Consider and organize competent lighting. Dim light from sconces and spotlights will emphasize the unusual texture of the decorative stone. Spot light is ideal for hallways, corridors, and bedrooms. And if the decorative stone masonry is in the living room, choose a large lamp or a chandelier with guiding beams for the main lighting. So the relief of the stone wall becomes more voluminous.
Stone for finishing walls in the apartment: materials
What is better: artificial finishing stone for walls inside the apartment or natural material? Natural stone looks nobler, will last longer, but it is very expensive and hard to work. Natural slabs weigh a lot and are difficult to cut. At the same time, they need to be laid so as to disguise all the seams and joints.
If you want to lay on the wall interior stone, but the budget does not allow to buy granite or slate, use an artificial substitute – imitation brick, porcelain or stone wallpaper. B result is an unusual interior, but with lower costs and easy installation.
Both natural and artificial stone must be constantly treated with antibacterial and antifungal agents. If you forget about the treatment, mold, mildew and fungus will appear on the surface.
Natural
If the stylistic direction and the budget for repairs allow, then use natural decorative stone: the design c marble walls, granite surfaces and panels of onyx turns solid and elegant. Natural stone is almost impossible to damage: it is a strong, durable and beautiful material. Another undoubted advantage is that walls lined with natural stone retain heat better.
Marble
Powerful, strong and durable – all this is about marble. Marble masonry has many colors and options. Marble is warm and moisture-resistant, so it is often used in bathrooms. For a glossy sheen use polished material, and to create a natural effect – natural marble without surface treatment. When laying on the wall requires heat treatment and grinding, which can only be done by a specialist.
Slate
One of the most successful options for finishing work – environmentally friendly and reliable material. You can pick up different colors: green, black, red, gray tones. The use of such a stone is a sign of good taste in the owners of the apartment. A room decorated with slate looks elegant and unusual.
Slate is a simple and environmentally friendly material. Its parts are used in the decor because of its durability and color variety. No additional processing when laying is required.
Granite
Granite is a natural stone with color-changing facets. It beautifully shimmers and changes color in bright natural or artificial light. Before you cover the wall with granite, make sure to strengthen it: heavy slabs deform the surface. Another disadvantage of granite is toxicity. Its radiation background is not high, but it is. Avoid granite masonry in the nursery and kitchen.
Artificial
Artificial materials have solid pluses. They’re inexpensive, they have a diverse range, and they’re easy to work with. Study the photos of interiors and choose the right option.
Quartz
Quartz is not quite an artificial material. It’s 90% natural stone. The minerals are joined together by a synthetic resin – this is the artificial part of quartz. Quartz tiles have excellent functional characteristics: they are strong and durable.
Gypsum
Gypsum is an inexpensive and easy-to-use material. It has many colors, shapes and textures. Gypsum tiles are easy to install on the wall because of their light weight: just choose the desired shape and glue the panel with gypsum glue.
Gypsum panels are made specifically for painting – you can change your tired shade at any time. After laying the gypsum panels on the wall, treat them with varnish or a special composition with glitter. This method is also suitable for small rooms. Run a LED strip around the perimeter of the masonry, and the small room will be more voluminous.
Clinker
Clinker is an imitation of brick. Red clay tiles are treated with high temperatures. Clinker is used for wall masonry in loft interiors. This stone is easy to work with, resistant to mechanical damage, does not react to water, fire and temperature changes.
Porcelain stoneware
Porcelain stoneware is a particularly strong tile. It is made from a mixture of ceramic chips and quartz sand and hardened in high temperatures. Pros – strength, durability, variety of shapes, colors and textures. Minuses – difficult to work relief, heavy weight for the walls, high price.
Porcelain stoneware will decorate the wall in any interior. The surface does not deteriorate and does not deform over time. Visually imitates marble and granite, but the texture is noticeably inferior to natural minerals.
Acrylic
Acrylic stone decor is suitable for any style and room. It is a lightweight, durable and beautiful material. Acrylic does not deteriorate under mechanical, thermal and water exposure.
Flexible stone
Flexible stone is free to bend, so it is used to decorate non-linear and shaped surfaces. It is expensive: it is replaced by a clinker to save money. But only this material has the effect of flexibility.
Concrete
Concrete stone is an inexpensive and easy way to decorate. It is used for wall cladding in loft and minimalist interiors. Produced slabs of sand, additives and plasticizers. Mounted not only on the walls, but also on the floor and ceiling. When laying, do not forget to use additives – so the construction becomes stronger and more durable.
