Decorative stone in the interior: everything you need to know

Using a decorative stone for exterior and interior decoration you can create a very cozy atmosphere in the living room. Interior designers have long appreciated all the strengths of using stone. Today, natural and artificial facing stone is widely used as a decorative element, and it has almost no equal alternative.

Kinds

There are 2 types of decorative facing stone: natural and artificial. The most famous natural species: marble and granite, dolomite and shell rock, limestone and travertine, sandstone and slate.

Natural stone is a symbol of reliability and stability. This decorative material fully reflects the luxury and richness of natural textures and shades. Granite / marble can transform any room, bringing “rich elegance”, whether it is a living room in a country cottage or a kitchen in a modest Khrushchev.

However, there are a number of certain nuances that make the "almost" ideal finishing material inaccessible to so many people:

• extremely high price;
• transportation complexity;
• heavy weight (additional measures are needed to strengthen the walls or foundation);
• professional installation.

Modern manufacturers approached the resolution of these aspects creatively, opening a new page in the decorative decoration of the interior - artificial decorative stone. The composition of such material is quite simple:

• quartz sand;
• plasticizers;
• pumice, granite / marble chips, expanded clay granules, ceramic dust;
• coloring pigments.

Today you can choose absolutely any embodiment of a decorative stone for every taste and budget, for example:

• concrete or plaster;
• from ceramics or acrylic;
• from polyester or conglomerate.

In addition, the market offers a flexible decorative stone, as well as "liquid" in the form of spraying.

The advantages of artificial stone

First of all, the price is much lower than natural. Moreover, a stone made artificially many times lighter, which reduces the load on the facing structure. Artificial decorative stone rightfully leads among the finishing materials. Advantages such as:

• ease of installation;
• a huge selection of textures and colors that mimic natural minerals;
• the coating can be restored (i.e. repaired);
• the strength of most products is higher than that of natural stone;
• environmental friendliness.

Interior Application

There are no strict restrictions and recommendations on the use of decorative stone - it depends directly on the imagination, as well as the design idea. Chipped, torn, layered forms perfectly highlight the elements of any interior. Features of the technology make it possible to use this facing material for exterior and interior use:

• floors, walls, ceiling;
• decorative inserts;
• niches, arches, apertures, zoning partitions;
• fireplaces, columns, shielded surfaces, etc. etc.

Heavier options for decorative stone are mainly used for the outer cladding of the basement, corners, part of the facade. Lightweight collections are ideal for interior decoration.

Finishing decorative stone - refers to rare materials that do not set a clear framework for use in the interior. Be it a small corner in the fireplace area or a full wall finish.