Tag Archives: stone

At this time of year, the vegetation’s green colour is at its best: tender, pure, intense, bright. As we see this brand new greenery pop through our windows, we wonder why we haven’t spread it indoors. Today is the day we stop wondering and we just do it.

Green is soothing, a quality much appreciated in a child’s bedroom. Green is purifying, which makes it an ideal colour for the bathroom and the kitchen; but, especially the bathroom where blue and white, combined with the green, create a natural and fresh look. Green also evokes health, spring freshness and good living.

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If the fenestration is abundant, that’s even better because the natural sunlight will give the green more radiance. If you add mouldings, stone and parquet flooring to this decor, you will create the most natural design.[……]

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It’s wrong to say that aesthetics and durability don’t go hand in hand. On the contrary! A green kitchen exudes warmth and cheerfulness, otherwise difficult to obtain. Here is an example.

Imagine a large floor made of natural linoleum, ceramic, wood, concrete or natural stone, like slate or terracotta. Just above are the cabinets made of solid wood, bamboo or wheat board panels. And plenty of natural sunlight is streaming through the windows.

Did you wince when reading the words linoleum and bamboo? You see, times have changed. Today’s linoleum is sold in many different colours and contemporary designs and bamboo comes in many various shades. Take some time to shop around.

The sink is in natural stone or stainless steel. The base of the kitchen island is made of wood, while the countertops of ceramic, waxed concrete, stainless steel or any other material imitating stone. On the wall, copper pans are hanging.

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Note that all the surfaces in the kitchen are made of durable, hygienic and easy to maintain materials. Three of the criteria that largely exemplify a green kitchen.[……]

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If you decide to open the inside of your home to natural stone, you have opted for a durable, chic material that requires little maintenance.

Stone works in numerous places in all rooms: interior and exterior walls floors, walls and retaining walls, staircase, wine cellar, work surface in the kitchen, vanity top in the bathroom.

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A stone floor is the most solid and durable there is. To make it more ecological, use lime mortar during installation. The most widely-used stones are slate, granite, limestone, marble and quartz, as paving stones or slabs. They allow for all sorts of possibilities in terms of finishes depending on the desired look: sponging, sanding, polishing.

For exterior paving, don’t forget to establish a minimum 1.5% slope to facilitate rainwater drainage.[……]

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Who has never caressed a polished stone? Who has never put their hand on a stone wall? For smoothness, for roughness. In decoration, the massive and solid side of stone imposes respect, while adding a certain visual appeal. The elegance of natural stone gives it a great deal of character.

Welcome stone into your home. By keeping its irregular shape, you invite nature to participate in a decorative renewal. Since stone is a synonym for rustic, a stone fireplace with wood beams provides a country charm. Adding a number of green plants to a stone wall, and even a few candles, provides you with a very peaceful atmosphere.

Everyone knows the harmony of the stone-wood-brick trio. However, the contrast of a stone wall with glass partitions is quite striking. This is a much sought-after look in contemporary style. Decorative impact guaranteed.[……]

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Do you not like concrete? It’s grey, cold, ugly, uniform, old fashioned. You don’t even like the word “concrete”. But concrete has come a long way in the last few years! The proof: there is concrete that generates light because of the luminous fibre optics it contains. Want to hear more?

There is translucent concrete which allows the natural light to shine through, self-cleaning and depolluting concrete, concrete that sparkles, concrete that reproduces photos, concrete that changes colour. All of this could be flooding the market soon.

Good old traditional concrete is easy to maintain, resistant, waterproof, solid. Originally reserved for industrial buildings and architecture, concrete has become a popular decorative material in the last few years.

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Concrete is not a noble material, but it highlights natural materials like wood, stone and slate. As a floor covering, it fits easily with any of these materials to ensure variety when it comes to flooring. It has even been used to complement terra cotta tiles. [……]

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The cold sets in. The good old fireplace will soon find our feet, our hands, our faces and our best smiles. It will offer us warmth and the crackling of its logs as soon as we get close enough. The fireplace is very practical, but it can also be very beautiful if you take the time to refit it with a nice exterior when you’re doing renovations, decoration or construction work.

A fireplace can be a column of rough and massive stones or, on the contrary, a column with a finely sculpted mantel that evokes Greek or Roman esthetics, to the great pleasure of owners with a classical taste.

A fireplace can be monumental in size and its relief or built in for greater discretion. The contemporary look is ideal for a built-in fireplace, because it spreads softness and simplicity. This makes the contemporary look perfect for a suspended fireplace. Most fireplaces are made of metal. They are so slender that they appear to be mobile.[……]

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