Ancient walls of medieval houses and castles,Chaotic landscapes with a pile of boulders, palaces and religious buildings made of stone always attract a person's gaze. Interior decor made of this natural material amazes with a variety of colors and textures, captivating with artistic perfection born in the depths of rocks. In comparison with the textures of natural stone, clear angles and lines of modern interiors seem boring. Designers realize our craving for natural stone by using artificial stone in the interior. The popularity of such finishes has led to the invention of a new material that is devoid of the shortcomings of natural stone, but at the same time accurately reproduces the color, texture and shape of rocks, not missing even traces of time on the surface. Decorative stone in the interior is used for wall cladding. At the same time, its resemblance to sandstone or limestone, sawn sheet or split stones is amazing. In addition, there are no restrictions regarding the required texture or color. Artificial stone is made from cement with the addition of various fillers - pumice, perlite, expanded clay or mixtures. To obtain the desired color, various pigments are added to them. The undeniable advantage of this material is its light weight, which is sometimes four times less than that of natural stone. A slightly rough and smooth reverse surface makes it easy to lay this material. Facing bricks are made using the same technology. "Old" bricks, as if made of rare clay, create the impression that they bear the stamp of bygone eras, and look more stylish in the interior than decorative stone.
Possibilities of using decorative stone
If you are a lover of exotic things and dream, for example,place your small pool in a stone cave with stalactites and stalagmites, or in the evenings you want to enjoy relaxing in the winter garden under the murmur of a small waterfall running along a fancy stone slide, then you can fulfill any of your wishes by ordering the necessary products in special workshops. Creative workshops engaged in the production of artificial stone and decorative concrete perform sculptural works by hand. Individually processed surfaces acquire maximum uniqueness and realism. Technological and decorative properties of artificial stone make it possible to create real miracles in the interior. For example, a dark basement can be turned into a cozy billiard room, and an ordinary kitchen can be made into a zucchini in old Prague. Everything depends on your desires and possibilities. The combination of artificial decorative stone, picturesquely decorated walls and living plants will give the winter garden a genuine tropical flavor. The landscape can be created using a pile of decorative stone and a weeping rock, the stream of which will complement the picture among the greenery of flowers. The ceiling can be covered with luminescent paint, and with the onset of darkness it will begin to shimmer and glow, creating the illusion of a southern sky. An electric fireplace can be faced with artificial stone. Elements of decorative stone with their uneven surface and irregular shape resemble, for example, natural sandstone. Since the fireplace is electric, its chimney and portal are not exposed to strong heating. This allows you to freely use artificial stone for finishing the fireplace. In the representative area of the fireplace in the living room, decorative stone creates both a solemn and cozy atmosphere. There is an opinion that natural stone can only be used in a luxurious interior. But this is not true. It is appropriate in almost any home. The main thing is that it is correctly selected and fully corresponds to the architectural style of this room. The nobility of the stone sets a unique tone for the entire interior, which is sometimes quite difficult to follow. But it is necessary. Stone is used in the interior not only for finishing the floor, walls, columns, stairs and fireplaces. Other interior details are also made from it – baseboards, window sills, door frames. Furniture is also decorated with it – coffee tables, bar counters, kitchen and bathroom countertops, stools. Artificial stone is also used in purely decorative elements – mosaic panels, Florentine mosaic, fossili-style decorations. All this fits perfectly not only into the entourage of a classic interior, but also a modern one.
Using decorative stone in different styles
It is well known that decorative stonegoes well with other materials – wood, glass and steel. In a classic interior, floor or wall coverings made of artificial stone will perfectly harmonize with wooden furnishings. In this case, you need to pay attention to the color scheme of the upholstered furniture. The geometric pattern of its upholstery should match the mosaic pattern of the walls or floor. In the living room, in addition, the chandelier should match the stone cladding. Embossed white plaster looks good in combination with stone on the walls. But this is not necessary. Tapestries and wallpaper are also acceptable. Do not forget that when covering the floor with dark “stone”, it is better to choose light and light enough furniture so that the interior does not become “heavy”. You can also use artificial stone in the decor of stairs. You can use decorative stone in a country interior. Here, roughly processed embossed stone next to wood and leather of natural shades will look most logical. High-tech and minimalism require restraint in the color scheme. The main materials of the high-tech style – steel and glass – are in no way inferior to stone in their nobility.
Stone in interior design of kitchen
Artificial stone is combined with othersmaterials and in furniture design. There are well-known projects of designer kitchens, where doors faced with the most valuable marble are adjacent to composite Corian, from which the countertops are made. Recently, it has become popular to use stone as countertops, which rest on bright laminated or varnished bases. This does not cause disharmony in perception and looks very impressive. Sometimes in the kitchen and bathroom, shelves are also faced with stone. For these purposes, the same stone is used as for the walls, to create a sense of integrity. But you can also play with contrast. Then a combination of dark and light shades, as well as different textures, will be much more appropriate. A stone floor also looks good in the kitchen. Light furniture and dark flooring are appropriate in any area of the interior, and not just in the kitchen.
Stone in the living room and bedroom
Using decorative stone in the living room andbedroom has no special restrictions. Any stone is suitable for wall and floor cladding and for decorating furniture: limestone, slate, marble, granite. Stone has always attracted with its unique beauty created by nature itself. Sandstone, which has absorbed the warmth of sunny days, granite - from strict black and gray to blood-red and sky-blue, light-bearing multi-colored marble - all this splendor is repeated today by artificial decorative stone.
