Masonry Indoors
You might never guess, but this zen-like bathroom is located in a farmhouse in Australia. Clearly it was designed for someone with a modern sensibility who appreciates a connection to the outdoors: If not for the two facing walls, you might think you’re looking at an outdoor bathing setup with the masonry wall and loose river stones underfoot. Leaving the stones loose was a clever gesture of authenticity.
I, for one, would love to see brick and stone walls become more popular in kitchens, where they feel so natural. Humans have been cooking ever since we discovered fire, and though the ingredients we use and our means of procuring them have radically changed over the span of human existence, cooking at home still seems to connect us with the past in a way that few other domestic activities can. Keeping the kitchen as rustic as possible enhances that deep connection and may encourage us to slow down and savor the experience of cooking as much as the food itself. And anyway, we’ve been using stone on our counters for quite some time now: Why not our kitchen walls, too?
A California family commissioned a stonemason to infuse their home with Tuscan flair after travels to Italy ignited a passion for the rich, warm stonework common to the region. Orchard Cypress Ridge stone by Eldorado Stonewas chosen for the entryway shown, as well as the home’s pizza oven and fireplace. Using the same stone throughout allows for a pleasing continuity from room to room.
The word “rustic” has become one of those design buzzwords that’s hard to avoid simply because the defining look is so popular. Not everybody who loves rustic style takes rusticity to its furthermost limits, though. Here, Locati Architects has created a space that is so rich in natural stone and wood elements, it needs no other material, color, or texture to adorn it.
While not everybody is lucky enough to call an English lighthouse home, those who do live in a historic structure ought to peel back the layers of plaster and drywall to see what gorgeous bones of stone could be hiding underneath. A wall like this can add more to a home than roomfuls of collected antiques because it’s a relic that shows the history of your very own home. Patches of mortar tell the story of old repairs, and little nicks and divots testify to a strong home that has served its many masters dutifully, like a cherished old hound.
This contemporary Vancouver sun-room boasts strong materiality thanks to the plethora of stone and coordinating warm woods. I love that the lighting scheme treats the wall as a thing of beauty instead of merely a functional surface. Installing those lights couldn’t have been easy, but the ambient light that reflects off the textured stone must be radiant, and justified.
It is easy to imagine that this room could have been a conversion from living space to bedroom, and that where the bed nests now may once have been a fireplace. Whether or not that is true doesn’t discount the fact that this bedroom was made for dreaming. The stone surround has the same sheltering effect as a canopy, and the rest of the decor capitalizes upon the stone’s warm tones.
Another cooler, more modern way to bring stone into the bedroom is to place it as an accent wall behind the bed. A setup like this can either be built out, like a fireplace surround, or a tiling professional can simply tile the existing wall as he would in a bathroom or kitchen. Enjoy a stone wall as a tactile alternative to wallpaper.
It is hard to understate the psychological impact of using stone inside the home. It’s presence represents solidity and inspires our confidence in the structure’s ability to shelter us, which in turn allows us to relax, even if only subconsciously. This tendency to suggest strength makes stone a standout choice for columns. Even if the column’s core is made of some other material, the sight of the stone is no less comforting.
Masonry, as an ages-old craft, can easily be associated with traditional decor, but that’s not entirely fair. Traditional stonecraft can be combined with streamlined, modern applications to form a cohesive blend of new and old-world. Here, a conscious decision was made not to clad the fireplace surround in conventional brick; instead, large sheets of “Cisco Grove” stone by Ssierra Stone Supply set off a modern firebox while the brick treatment off to the side references the historical significance of the hearth, but as a separate focal point.
If you want to make an entire room feel as cozy as the prime spot by the fire, extend your cladding material beyond the confines of the hearth to the entire wall and the next one adjacent. The whitewashing of the stone and wood floors here is essential to keeping the room feeling light, bright, and modern. The large linear beams of cut stone directly above the fire and the entry imply strength and substance above and beyond the scope of standard stone tiling.
Q