Beautiful stones: the rocky landscape of interior design

After the “greening” of our interiors, let’s move on to something solid. The stones come out of the landscape to come and decorate the interiors. The most beautiful images of interior architecture give pride of place to exposed stones: a wall in the living room in facing stone, a bathroom in terrazzo or a coffee table in travertine, the rocks amaze us. Focus on the components of this trend which is going crescendo.

The stone in the architectural image

The noble connotation of stones in interior design comes from its high cost. This reflects a significant amount of work related to the material. The first step in this process is cutting the rock; then comes the cutting, polishing and finishing. In the interior design industry, stones are usually worked to contribute to their beauty. This is why stone represents a quality material in the collective mind.

The natural stones used in the interior decoration industry are mainly composed of granite, marble, agate, limestone or even quartz. Facing stone, terrazzo or even travertine, favored by decorators and interior designers, are made from these materials. Who are these new arrivals?

Versatile: facing stone

The facing stone comes from a manufacturing process based on sandstone, slate, marble or hard stone. Originally, facing stone was not intended for decoration. Rather, it supported other more valued stones or was relegated to finishes.

Today facing stone has its place in interior decoration. The facing stone can be declined in total look contrasting with the furniture or dressing a single wall of the room such as the living room or extending over the splashback of a kitchen. Its color can vary from dark gray to copper tones, so it lends itself easily to various decoration projects according to the desired style. Close to natural stone to the naked eye, for a lower cost, facing stone has become a preferred wall covering.

Colorama: the terraces

Also called granito, terrazzo is a mixture of stone aggregates and agglomerated marble in cement which produces a speckled, yet smooth effect. One might think that this is a recent invention, but we find the terrace, as its name suggests, since Antiquity in the region of Verona in Italy.

Its strong personality makes it the ideal covering to give character to a room. Often seen on kitchen worktops or in a bathroom, terrazzo exists in a very colorful version, in softer tones, in black on white or even in shades of gray. In small spaces, terrazzo makes it possible to isolate an element as the island of a small kitchen or to brighten up a bathroom.

Chameleon: quartz

Mineral stone composed of silica that we no longer present, quartz, to which we lend multiple beneficial virtues, has invaded our interiors influenced by the evolution of the image of interior architecture. Craftsmen appreciate the ease of cutting this material, which makes it possible to make the finer parts and manipulations necessary for bespoke decoration work. Its very adaptable nature is often exploited by designers to create effects of transparency, depth or light.

In practice, when fully crafted, it is a mixture of minerals wrapped in resin. Quartz can be used to imitate granite or other harder-to-reach stones, in a wider range of hues. It also offers good sealing and is not afraid of water and scratches, which gives it good resistance to wear.

Old: travertine

Did you know that the Colosseum was built largely of travertine? This testifies well to the degree of resistance of this stone used by the Romans to build their buildings still admired to this day. From a limestone thickening, travertine withstands high temperatures thanks to the very hard calcite that composes it. It is resistant to both water and heat, making it a perfect ally for living spaces!

On the aesthetic side, travertine offers an interesting coloring for interior decoration: it is white on the outside, with orange and brown tones on the inside. This tint is created by the iron oxide contained in the limestone. Its surface has small bumps that give a look that is both natural and chic. Travertine perfectly complements the image of interior architecture with accents that are both raw and elegant.

Glam: black marble

Here is the dark equivalent of light marble, synonymous with glamor and luxurious decoration. Better known in the landscape of interior decoration, black marble instantly dresses up a room. Current, it is found in black on white themes or in combination with softer tones such as powder pink. It blends perfectly with the trend towards minimalism where we will favor qualitative surfaces rather than accessories. The black marble brings the hidden without being excessively noticed.

As you see, the beautiful stone is only a question of exterior. The choices for dressing your interior have expanded considerably to reflect a trend that is both natural and mineral inspired. They also betray a desire to live in something solid after these uncertain times.