How to revive a stone kitchen

Nowadays, when the imagination of designers is limited only by the budget of their project, any room can turn into a dragon's den, a planet of a little prince or a pleasant, warm kitchen made of stone, which will create a unique cosiness and unique atmosphere.

Stone is considered the most environmentally friendly material for construction, second only to wood, therefore, if the designer's concept includes concern for the environment, it is worth paying special attention to it. Another small plus of this material is its durability, which no artificial material can surpass.

In addition, it is worth paying attention to the strength of decorative stone. Unlike a tile or tile, it is much more difficult to break and almost impossible to scratch. Also, stone coating has moisture repellent properties. Caring for a decorative stone is a pleasure, because it can be washed with any detergent without fear of spoiling the coating. Do not forget that the stone is an antistatic, so it will not collect dust on itself and it will be necessary to wipe it much less often.

Speaking about why designers are so fond of using stone, it is worth recalling how wide the choice of sizes, textures, textures and colors of this material is. Usually it does not even need to be changed and additionally processed, you just need to choose the appropriate type in the directory. And just as importantly, it’s quite simple to work with the stone, because you don’t need to create special conditions for it and additionally prepare surfaces.

When working with stone cladding, improper layout and the wrong amount of materials used can ruin the entire design. In fact, stone is a very moody material, if you use it as an element of decor. Most often, when this peculiar material is added to the interior in small particles, it begins to aggressively break out of the general background, constantly attracting attention and annoying ordinary people. If you overdo it with a stone in the kitchen, the designer risks creating an atmosphere of an old, cold and damp castle, devoid of any medieval romance.

The minimum that a stone can bring to the interior of a kitchen is furniture details. Marble and granite countertops began to return to fashion about fifteen years ago, when expensive and high-quality furniture began to appear more and more on the CIS market. Stone interior details are not an expensive pleasure, but their durability and elegance are worth it. A marble countertop will last much longer than a wooden one, and this noble material looks more presentable, combining perfectly with almost any style from baroque to modern.

Masonry near the stove looks very unusual and aesthetically pleasing, creating the image of an old stove from some Victorian estate. Choosing a stone that matches the rest of the kitchen furniture with a hue and texture, you can easily enter it into the overall design plan. In addition, such a cladding in the area of ​​the slab can be very practical: it is much easier to wash a stone from dirt or stains of fat than a tile or, especially, wallpaper.

Also, experimenting with a stone, you can only impose a hood on it, killing two birds with one stone. Firstly, an unaesthetic and bulky hood will instantly turn into something unusual and pleasing to the eye, and secondly, a correctly selected stone will help it to fit correctly into the interior.

The use of stone cladding will be especially effective in kitchen studios or in simple kitchens where the door has been replaced with a wide opening.Using a stone to create an arch vault is a risky step, which, if properly executed, will justify all the investment.

It is important to note that using a stone in narrow arches is irrational, since it will only visually reduce the space, creating discomfort for all households. But, one way or another, this material perfectly emphasizes the contour of the arched opening, highlighting it and turning it into something unusual, fabulous. Here, to create the right atmosphere, it is best to use a relief, rather than a flat, hewn stone.

Particularly spectacular stone arches will look in minimalist, simple kitchens, not piled with excess furniture and additional decor elements. The stone itself is a very "heavy" decoration, which requires special attention to itself and does not tolerate "competitors".

What is the difference between a kitchen apron and a wall made entirely of stone? In principle, nothing if you look at the situation superficially. In fact, there is a huge difference between the two. A kitchen apron covers only the “working” part of the wall, combining with wallpaper or other facing materials, and the walls are formed exclusively from one material (in our case, stone) over the entire area of ​​the kitchen. Stone aprons are a very practical and unusual solution that fits perfectly both in country, minimalism, modern (solid stone slabs), and in luxurious Provence.

The reasons for this popularity of stone kitchen aprons are many, but the main one is the special disadvantage of the area where this facing material will be installed. In this part of the kitchen it is always especially humid, very often water or other liquids can get on the apron. In addition, here the chance of damage to the facing material due to temperature changes or human negligence is much higher, let alone permanent dirt and greasy stains that are almost impossible to remove from many other materials. The stone is distinguished by a special strength and will be able to maintain its original appearance for the longest time, not succumbing to moisture, deformation and easily cleared of dirt.

If the kitchen is spacious enough, and the extra space must be filled without piling rooms, stone cladding may be the best option. Here, the imagination of the artist in choosing the shape and shade of the stone can not be limited by anyone. Warm and convex pieces of this material, combined with light, but not very bright furniture, will help create the image of early summer, cozy and warm, but not yet scorching by its rays. If you resort to the help of flat stones of a cold palette, you should pay attention to the Art Nouveau and high-tech styles that can competently transform cold motifs so that the room does not seem empty and lifeless. Particular attention should be paid to the type of stone laying: horizontal is designed to externally expand the boundaries of the room, and vertical raises the ceilings, but visually makes the room much smaller. By experimenting and working with the stone, you can achieve any, the most original and unexpected image, but, importantly, any of them will remain alive and will inspire an atmosphere of hospitality and coziness.

What most often scares many young designers when working with stone is the unlimited variety of its forms. In fact, the texture of the stone cladding can range from completely flat to angular and protruding.

There are no clear rules for choosing this or that type of stone for facing. It is worth relying only on your feelings, sensations, the design plan drawn up and a few common truths, designed not to show the designer the way, but to remind you of something long forgotten.

Convex stone is much better combined with warm colors, and its main satellite is wood.Scalloped or angular, it is not so important, it goes well with the rustic style and country style, which are distinguished by their unique coziness and soft features. In such an environment, even a rough and, at first glance, cold stone is saturated with warmth and love, ideally fitting into the atmosphere created by the designer.

Working with different shades is one of the main stages in choosing the perfect stone for cladding. Stones, unlike wood, plastic and other materials do not paint, because it makes the paint artificial. The whole charm of this type of facing coatings lies precisely in its naturalness. Warm, sandy shades or cold, steel colors in themselves are much more attractive, and even the most skilled craftsman will not be able to repeat natural patterns.

One of the many unique features of stone cladding is the ability to visually expand the room when using light shades of material. In addition, it is still difficult for mankind to understand why the stones of the yellow-orange, sandy color scheme seem to absorb heat, unlike their cold, gray-blue brothers.

Light stone goes well with both dark furniture and light. For example, the wenge color environment is perfectly combined with a stone of any color and texture, from light gray, almost white coatings to pale brown or bright orange.

When working with cold shades of stone, it is necessary to take into account the fact that it does not at all combine with light furniture. With this kind of color combination, the walls begin to stand out sharply against the general background and put pressure on people in the room. Such an atmosphere will not be cozy enough and comfortable, therefore, such an oversight cannot be allowed.

It is best to use dark stone in large kitchens with dark furniture, where it will play a dominant role, but will not get out of the general concept.
You can talk about a kitchen made of stone for a long time, because this material in itself is unique and has no analogues. Artificial stones, bred by man, do not preserve most of all its useful properties and features. If the design plan and the general concept allows you to add stone cladding to the kitchen, then this, no doubt, should be done immediately.