Stone has become a fashionable trend in housing

Stone elements are not a cheap thing. Nevertheless, they have become a fashion trend. What makes natural stone so enticing? Where can it be found? And in what forms?

Today, people appreciate much more the characteristics and value of stone as a material. Its durability, resilience, easy maintenance, timelessness, but also its elegance that makes it highlight certain element practically forever. Furthermore, higher investment at the beginning is definitely worth the money. Otherwise, you would have to pay for a different material at the same place again over the time (probably more times). 

Natural stone affects us in several ways – we perceive its colour, texture, temperature, reflection of light… Anyway, the adjective “natural” is not a coincidence. Stone reminds us of nature even when it is completely smoothed out and impregnated. Every piece is also an absolute original. In the same way, every piece of natural wood is an original.

If you choose and use stone properly, in harmony and concord with the rest of the interior equipment, it will induce an atmosphere of resting, calm, relaxation, and stability. Especially in combination with house plants it will create the impression of being surrounded by nature.

Stone is categorized as what is called pure material, such as wood, glass, metal etc. It is a great material for modern interiors. But it will not get lost in rustic or other interiors as well. Its durability is practically unlimited. For example, stone kitchen countertops can be used for cutting, you can place hot objects on them, they work just fine with water or actually liquid of any kind.

It is also true that you can work with stone so generously that even stone partitions can be made of it. For example, the famous onyx wall from the architect Mies van der Rohe was brought to the Tugendhat villa in Brno from Morocco. It is partially translucent. During the sunset it glows with red colours. The translucence of onyx is used till today. The use of onyx in the interior can elevate the whole space to a luxurious level.

The right choice of stone is absolutely crucial. The most durable material is granite. It is used for the most burdened places (stairs, paving, kitchen boards etc.) It is suitable for exteriors as well as for interiors. It can be used for indoor and outdoor windowsills, or for outdoor and indoor paving and cladding. It has also the best temperature characteristics. That is why sauna cladding and grilling stone slabs are made of granite.   

It is not a well-known fact that there are hundreds of different patterns and textures of granite. That makes granite a very variable and charming material which can compete even with marble, which often has just a slightly finer pattern. However, marble is much less durable, which is limitation to its use. It can be used for wall-cladding, bathroom walls or indoor windowsills, but never in the exterior.

The stone working must be chosen according to a particular interior and its equipment! A roughly chiselled stone will be much more appropriate in an old country house than will polished marble. On the other hand, in modern interiors and representative spaces it will be the other way around.

You can find an inexhaustible number of patterns in the nature, because they all come from different parts of the world. There are even several granite quarries and types of granite in the Czech Republic. The most interesting stone is imported from areas such as India, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, South America, and Africa. 

Source: www.ceskestavby.cz