How to decorate with exposed walls and bricks by housetohome
New home decorating trend: exposed stone and brick. The designers Aidan Mortimer, Hugh Petter, Director and Nicky Dobree explain how to make the most of original features in your home.
What are your favourite types of stone for a project?
AM English stone is fantastically varied in colour, texture and finish, from beautiful honeyed Bath stones and clean, white Portland to Cotswold stones in rustic oranges, browns and pale creamy tones. Looking further afield, Coral stone from the Dominican Republic is stunning with an amazing texture that it owes to the sedimentary coral it contains.
HP For the external walls of a house it is hard to beat English sandstone or limestone – their warm, soft colours seem to come alive in our low, golden sun. Both work well for either ashlar (dressed stone masonry) and rubble stone walls. The good news is that with growing demand, a number of quarries have re-opened.
ND I love to expose stonework in period properties – it’s a great way to create drama as well as uniting internal and external spaces. I often use naturally hewn slate on exposed walls or in a fireplace. As well as being tactile, slate is hardwearing, non porous and reasonably stain resistant. It can be laid in slabs, tiles and random cuts and has either a smooth or rippled finish.
What practicalities should you consider with stone?
AM Too often, stone is selected for its looks rather than long-term durability. Choose stone according to its use. If, for example, the stone is for external walling or copings, consider its weathering properties to determine suitability. With flooring, take into account the texture and hardness of a stone, especially on busy thoroughfares.
HP Whenever you use stone, understand how it will perform in context, for example, how absorbent of water, how prone to frost damage and how absorbent of red wine it is? Joints in stonework generally look best when they are as small as possible. It is also important that the scale of the blocks you choose is in relation to the scale and complexity of the design
ND Make sure that softer sedimentary stone, such as limestone, has been well sealed before installation, otherwise it will stain. Also, be aware that high- gloss stones will highlight dust and finger prints and can be very slippery if used on the floor, so you may want to consider a honed or a matt finish. It’s also important to think about the stone’s thickness when planning floor levels.
How would you incorporate brickwork into a decorating scheme?
AM Too often, stone is selected for its looks rather than long-term durability. Choose stone according to its use. If, for example, the stone is for external walling or copings, consider its weathering properties to determine suitability. With flooring, take into account the texture and hardness of a stone, especially on busy thoroughfares.
HP Whenever you use stone, understand how it will perform in context, for example, how absorbent of water, how prone to frost damage and how absorbent of red wine it is? Joints in stonework generally look best when they are as small as possible. It is also important that the scale of the blocks you choose is in relation to the scale and complexity of the design
ND Make sure that softer sedimentary stone, such as limestone, has been well sealed before installation, otherwise it will stain. Also, be aware that high- gloss stones will highlight dust and finger prints and can be very slippery if used on the floor, so you may want to consider a honed or a matt finish. It’s also important to think about the stone’s thickness when planning floor levels.
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