How to Incorporate Natural Stone Into Your Home’s Design
“Sure, natural stone is a nice feature. But how can I incorporate natural stone into my home’s design without breaking the budget?” It may be that you have asked yourself that very question a time or two. Or, you might be wondering how you could answer that question if you are a fabricator. In this article we will consider some simple ways that natural stone can be worked into and existing home without gutting the house and doing a TV show-like renovation project.
Why Natural Stone?
One of the biggest reasons for choosing natural stone in your home design is that it has the potential to increase the value of your home. This might not be new information to you. In fact, there are many articles online that effectively lay out the reasons why natural stone adds value to a home. We found one article by simply doing a search online for why natural stone increases your home’s value and found this article talking specifically about granite. However, the principle applies also to other stone types. But after learning this, some think that they cannot have natural stone surfaces because they cannot afford gut the house and replace it with all new materials. The good news is you don’t have to. Let’s look at some simple ways to incorporate natural stone into a home via small remodeling projects.
Bathroom Tiling
One project that can be small enough to fit most budgets is bathroom tile. Incorporating natural stone into a bathroom or bathrooms can be fairly straightforward. And you may be surprised at the amount of tile you find that is made from natural stone. There are a number natural stone tile types available.
The combination of a small room size paired with the diverse options means there is a pretty good chance that one could either perform this project oneself or hire someone to do the work on a modest budget.
Vanity Counterop
Another project that fits the criteria of being small enough to complete on a small budget is that of a bathroom vanity. Again, bathrooms are small and doing an install of a single vanity top can be a simple way to incorporate some natural stone into your home without having to go on a show like The Property Brothers to have the whole house remodeled.
One type of stone that some find is beneficial for bathroom vanities is marble. The elegant look and the delicate characteristics make this natural stone the choice for some. However, be sure you familiarize yourself with marble so that you can care for it properly. In fact it might be wise to research marble care and maintenance so you know what to expect.
Kitchen Back Splashes
There are other smaller sized projects available for incorporating natural stone into your home and increasing appeal. One such project is right in the hub of family activity; the kitchen. A natural stone back splash for the kitchen is not a large project and it could be completed in a one or two day window based on the experience of the installer and how long the workday is. But what kinds of natural stone materials are preferable for use as a back splash material?
Travertine tiles are one example of a natural stone material that can be turned into a beautiful kitchen back splash. Tiling patterns and ornamentation also can “step up” the appearance of the back splash.
Kitchen Countertops
If your looking to add something even more striking and your budget can take it, you may decide to take on something a bit bigger but more noticeable too. Kitchen countertops from natural stone are little bit larger in scope, cost, and time. however, the wow-factor is bigger too. Since the cost is higher, it might be beneficial to hire a professional to take on this project though since a mistake could be costly.
There are many natural stone materials that can be use for kitchen countertops including:
Again, it is always a course of wisdom to do your research on any natural or engineered stone that you are contemplating using. Doing so will ensure that you are not surprised by a characteristic or trait that you did not anticipate.
So there you have them. Some practical ways that you can incorporate value-boosting natural stone into your home without breaking the bank. You can choose one or more of these projects and transform your home or the home of your client if you are a fabricator or installer a little at a time.