Bring natural stone flooring into your home

Natural stone is a unique type of flooring that can give your home extra elegance and style. 

It fits in all design styles; modern, traditional or rustic. 

Christine Tendo, an interior designer with Divine Landscapes prefers stone for its timeless qualities. 

She says, natural stone has a distinctive beauty. It also adds unique tones, textures and patterns to any space. Most importantly, stone is durable, and readily available, slate being one of them. It can be found in local quarries.

However, some stone is machine-cut to achieve uniform shapes for particular floor designs. A stone floor is also low maintenance and easy to clean. 

You can consider granite, marble, quartz and limestone if you are not working with a tight budget. All those are stone types and they vary in patterns, texture and hues, making them dynamic décor pieces as well. 

Tendo says, it is rare to find similar pieces of stone. They all come differently and this makes them good pieces. 

“The flooring should be installed by an expert to avoid shoddy work,” she advises.

 Stone in the living room

Andrew Mpenja, another interior designer says stone is the most sustainable building material because it is natural, environment-friendly and locally processed. It is, therefore, a good choice to incorporate into your home. 

“The right stone floor will elevate home beauty and personality,” he says. 

Mpenja adds that this flooring works in most rooms and exterior spaces of the home. 

For example, in a living room, a stone floor exudes luxury. If your lounge has an open-plan design that flows to the dining area, consider stone flooring. 

Accentuate it with a matching area rug to complete the patterns. However, avoid busy designs that will compete with stone.

Spruce up the kitchen

Mpenja says since natural stone is sturdy and durable, it is suitable for the kitchen, which is considered a high-traffic area. 

Remember, stone is not slippery like ceramic and cement, making it a safe option for children and family members with mobility issues.

Aside from that, natural stone flooring will provide both style and functionality in this space. You will not have to worry about changing the floor every now and then because it is durable. 

Tendo says, granite is a popular choice, often used for countertops. But you can also mix stone with hardwood in the kitchen. In other words, use hardwood for the cabinets. 

Also for the small sections of the floor use wood and stone such as marble to create sophistication and elegance. 

Bedrooms and corridors

Imagine waking up every morning to an all-natural room! A stone floor will give you exactly that if only you can balance it well. Mpenja is of the view that one blends the flooring with soft touches throughout the room. 

“Stone is no doubt a hard material so it should be softened with lighter paint colours,” he advises. 

You can also tone it down with wood panels, area rugs, lights, furniture and upholstery. The rugs will shield your feet on cold days and nights and the lights will warm up the room. 

Elsewhere, stone works for corridors as well. Use it in pieces to create designs or cover the whole space with stone. 

The same applies to staircases, bathrooms, the balcony, verandas, patios and outdoor seating areas like gazebos.