I'm having some serious computer problems and I was so anxious about getting my post here (after the fifth time trying) that I forgot about the pictures to show what I am talking about. The back of bench and the base where peoples' legs will be are what is getting the faux stones. The old oak planks used for the seat area will be sanded really smooth and sealed, leaving them natural.

When exterior materials of different coefficients of expansion are rigidly attached to one another, they will eventually fail. Therefore, the attachment detail of veneer materials not only needs to allow water to drain, it must allow the materials to move independently. This is why the original "brick veneer" system had a cavity between the structural wall and a wythe of brick 4" thick and the brick was supported on a ledge and attached to the wall with flexible ties. A stone veneer wall was the same with 4" thick stone. I've designed and built many buildings with this system. Designing a tile-like cladding for a wood framed wall is difficult even in warm, dry climates. Some good systems were described in this thread 5 years ago. I'm not sure why cultured stone would perform worse than natural stone except that it absorbs more moisture, however, the joints do that anyway and in the photos above, the cultured stone doesn't appear to have cracked.

Its sort of a seat retaining wall. There is about a foot grade difference on either side of the wall. It will be about 24 inches high on one side and 36 on the other. During my commute to work I see another project and I noticed that the wall there is gravel and a poured pad. Then they used cinder blocks for internal support, and stone around that. I will wait to see the bid before making any decisions or taking up with the contractor, and I will be looking at references and drive by work completed by the contractor before making a decision. As an FYI, I will have a 4 foot retaining wall and that will be poured down 4 feet, or to ledge and pinned, whatever comes 1st. Molly, some of my more ambitious projects are being bid out. Time is an issue. For example, the landscape project and bluestone terraces I was planning to do are being done by professionals. So is the foundations work I was planning to do. I am forced to take smaller projects with shorter completeion cycles, like new walls in a sitting room and installation of interior leaded glass windows between hallways and room. Just no time and the wife seems to be losing patience with projects that go over a month. I can't blame her. My next project is a Post and Beam constructed open wood shed. I intend to pin the hole thing together like in the old days! I have rough sawn 4x6 lying around from my rennovation. I think this should be a fun project!

"The cost and installation of real stone was about the same as faux stone - not a hard decision to go with real stone." Most people (who have an interest in their homes) would prefer real stone, real metal, real shutters, real wood siding, authentic beautiful materials... It's usually a cost or maintenance consideration. So, what is the advantage to using a faux stone? If it's not a financial or a structural consideration due to weight, why are you considering it? You do have to be careful a structure can handle the weight of real stone, even with a stone tile floor. It's weight also makes it more difficult to move and work with. Cutting would be another issue. These things usually entail higher labor charges. I would think specialized labor and equipment would be involved. Those were things I was told when I was looking at products. Be sure to get the full picture at the outset, not just a material cost comparison, to avoid surprises. Some of the faux stones are more real looking than others. The craftsmanship of the installer will also affect how "real" or good it looks. Then again, some real stone doesn't look so hot either! If what you pick isn't indigenous to the region, it could look off. Or it can be installed without a lot of artisan skill. I've seen some real stones that just look ugly to me. If this is a big box product, beware of quality, and it probably does not look that much like real stone. "but I was actually looking for opinions on the "look." The inspiration picture in the kitchen that you posted (and the others shown) look very heavy and out of place. They don't work well, imo. If you want to bring some stone indoors, maybe a fireplace or fireplace wall would be another option to consider.