How To Style Your Fireplace With Stone Cladding When considering ways to bring visual interest to an unused space in your home, your first thought may not be an indoor or outdoor fireplace. As Perth is known for its warm and sunny weather, it’s not a feature that is commonly included in our home designs. While we do enjoy hot summers, we still get our fair share of wintry days and cold nights over the course of the year, making a fireplace a unique and practical feature that could add value and sophistication to your home. To integrate your fireplace with your existing design and make a real statement in your home, you need to style the surrounding walls space. Stone cladding is a versatile material that is ideal for all sorts of wall features and can be used to create a beautiful fireplace design. Key factors you need to consider when styling your fireplace with stone cladding Type Of Fireplace The type of fireplace you select will have an impact on the overall aesthetic of the design, so it’s important to choose a unit that will provide the right look. If you would like to create a rustic or classic country style, then you may be better off with a wood fireplace. For a more contemporary look, you may consider electric or gas options. You will also need to decide whether you select a built in or freestanding unit. The built-in option can be adapted to a wide range of styles and could be inserted into either a structural or feature wall to create varying effects. Depending on your preference, the built-in style could project from the wall with a traditional hearth and mantel, or it could sit within the wall for a more sleek and minimalist result. Your other alternative is to choose a freestanding unit, which will allow you the opportunity to apply stacked stone cladding on the wall behind the fireplace to create a textured background. Veneers or Natural Stone Once you know the type of fireplace that will best suit your requirements, you will need to choose between using stone veneers and natural stone cladding. It’s easiest to differentiate each type of cladding by thinking of natural stone as the ‘real brand’ and veneers as the imitation. The former will provide an authentic, high-quality look that takes full advantage of the unique colours and textures of natural stone, while the imitation brand will strive to look as similar as possible. Stone veneers are more cost-effective than natural stone, but they are not as long-lasting, and the surface of each tile does not have the same level of intricate detail. If your decision will be limited by your budget, veneers could be a great option for you, however, if you have more flexibility in your finances, you should definitely look into natural stone cladding. Veneer Range by Remastone | Colour Amber Natural Range by Remastone | Colour Black Quartz Stone Style & Design No matter whether you opt for a natural or artificial solution, you will have many shapes and layouts to choose from. If you want to achieve a modern and elegant look, you can get cladding styles with narrow, rectangular-shaped stones that are stacked in neat, uniform rows. If you’re looking for more of a homey, cottage style, you can use cladding with an organic pattern that’s made from stones in odd shapes and sizes. For those who have selected the built-in option, you can also use stacked stone cladding to create a keystone border or archway around the top and sides of your unit. A keystone design is a great way to add depth and detail to your fireplace by providing a focal point that will draw the eye. Colour Selection Stone cladding is available in a variety of warm and natural tones that will complement any home or landscape. You could use the colouring of your cladding to contrast against your existing décor or you could use it to seamlessly blend your fireplace with the theme of your space. For dramatic impact, you could use dark and luxurious colours, or for a more subdued look, you could try stone cladding in creamy browns, taupes and mahoganies. If you would like to brighten up an area and give the impression of more space, you could also go for an ivory or other lighter shade of natural stone. Hearth & Mantel After you’ve settled on the key details of your stacked stone fireplace, it’s time to think about the finishing touches. With built-in units, you have the option to use cladding or another material to add a decorative hearth or mantel. A hearth is a small platform that will extend out onto the floor, giving the appearance of a traditional, masonry fireplace with chimney and all. While not essential, a hearth can complete a fireplace design and provide a space to position various knick-knacks and décor. Similarly, a mantel can also finish off your fireplace by creating a shelf that stylishly frames the top of the unit, creating further opportunities to add ornaments, photo frames and other accessories to your design. Once you have decided how you will style your fireplace, you can get all of your stone cladding supplies at Remastone. If you would like some guidance on how to use stone cladding to create the most effective look for your home, our friendly staff are always happy to help. Contact us or visit our showroom today!