Artificial stone in the hallway interior - application tips

How to use artificial stone in the interior of the hallway?

Today, the hallway is given no less attention than the rest of the rooms. And this is no accident, because acquaintance with the apartment begins with the hallway. It can be called a kind of hallmark of the home. Designers offer a lot of design options for the hallway, and in the construction markets you can find finishing materials for every taste: paint, decorative plaster, wallpaper, panels. One of the most interesting options is a decorative artificial stone in the hallway interior.

Virtues

Artificial stone began to be used in interior design about 20 years ago. This material is a concrete or gypsum with the addition of certain impurities that provide high performance.

Among the advantages of artificial stone:

• Easy handling and styling. Artificial stone is easy to give any desired shape, and it can be laid using glue and cement mortar. In addition, the smooth surface, unlike the porous structure of natural stone, facilitates care.
• Artificial stone weighs almost three times less than its natural counterpart, which greatly facilitates transportation and installation.
• Fire resistance
• Durability. With proper care, the service life of artificial stone is at least 15 years.
• Artificial stone will cost significantly cheaper than its natural counterpart.

Varieties

Artificial stone today is divided into two main types depending on the base material: gypsum or colored concrete. Visually, these two groups of stone do not practically differ, however, concrete is noticeably heavier than plaster. In addition, concrete-based stones are more expensive. The reason is that gypsum is afraid of water, therefore, an artificial stone based on it is characterized by low moisture resistance. But if necessary, the gypsum stone can be treated with a special waterproof impregnation.

Features of use

Artificial stone harmoniously fits into almost any style thanks to a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors. It adjoins well with various options for finishing the floor, whether it is ceramic tile, parquet or laminate.

Tip: if the hallway is small, do not use a stone of dark shades, as it visually reduces the area even more. In this case, it is worth choosing a material to match the overall color of the interior.

It will be interesting to look at the walls of the hallway a combination of artificial stone and other material - paint, decorative plaster or wallpaper. You can put a stone only a few sections in the form of spots with irregular outlines. Another option - edging a doorway or mirror. It should be borne in mind that the stone is more active material than wallpaper, plaster or paint.

Photo: Combination of floor tiles with decorative stone on the walls.

Often they use not the stone itself, but only its imitation. For example, wallpaper or ceramic tiles with a pattern imitating stone texture.

Artificial stone in the interior of the hallway, as well as natural, perfectly combined with plants. The main thing is to choose those species that do not require an abundance of sunlight, because in the hallway it is often not enough. You can simply draw the plants on the wall or use interior stickers that are even suitable for wallpaper.

If we talk about lighting, the use of artificial stone in the decoration also implies proper positioning of the lamps. It is better to abandon the massive chandelier in favor of point light bulbs. This will allow you to evenly light the entire hallway and create bright accents if necessary. For example, you can separately highlight areas of the wall, lined with artificial stone on the background of wallpaper, which will emphasize the characteristic texture of this material.

Photo: proper placement of lamps in the interior of the hall, decorated with decorative stone

Photo: the harmonious combination of plants with artificial stone

DIY DIY

Laying an artificial stone on your own without the involvement of specialists is no more difficult than putting wallpaper on your own. On the Internet you can find a detailed description of the process, including with a photo for better perception of information.

1. First of all, it is necessary to calculate how much stone will be needed for wall decoration, whether the entire surface will be covered or only certain areas.
2. The second step is to prepare the walls for laying stone. To this end, the surface is leveled and puttied to obtain perfect smoothness. It is possible to prime the walls additionally.
3.  If the stone is supposed to be laid out in the form of spots, a picture or to frame some elements with it, it is necessary to put a marking with a pencil.
4. Finally, you can begin to lay the stone by laying in the bottom-up direction. Gypsum artificial stone will hold perfectly on liquid nails, glue for tiles will be suitable for heavier concrete.
5. The final stage is grouting at the end of laying and covering the stone with a special varnish.

Decorative stone allows you to create in the hallway a unique exquisite image. According to its characteristics, it is not inferior to the natural, while having a lower cost. And if the budget is quite limited, you can easily pick up wallpaper with a pattern "under the stone."

We advise you to read: actual finishing materials for the bathroom 2016 (photo)