Great Ideas for Interior Decorating with Stone Veneer

Decorating with stone veneer can create a very elegant and sophisticated look for your home, that can increase the value of your home, without costing a fortune. Before we get into looking at stone veneer applications we are going to take a look at the several types of veneer and what you can expect with them. Stone veneer comes in two basic types, manufactured and natural thin veneers.

Manufactured stone is basically made out of cement, mixed with some natural stone components and dyes to recreate the look of natural stone. Manufactured stone is available in just about any color or style that you could desire including products which are made to mimic fieldstone, limestone, granite, river rock, and sandstone.

Natural stone veneers are just that - made from real stone. The cost on natural stone veneers is slightly higher than what you will find for manufactured stone, yet you can luck out on occasion and find some products, which are priced comparably to the manufactured stock. While you don't have to worry about the product mimicking any stone - because it is in fact real stone - there can be some issue with consistency. Since this isn't a manufactured product there is more variability in material then you will find with the other option, and it can be a little more tricky to install. Of course when you are finished with this - you will have, in fact, real stone.

No matter what type of veneer you chose to purchase it is all sold by the square foot. Don't forget to include money in your budget for labor, unless you are planning on installing the material yourself.

A great idea, and a very popular one, is to install stone veneer around a fireplace enclosure. While you cant use the veneer stone inside the firebox, it should be fine to give the appearance that you have a full stone fireplace. One other great consideration about using stone veneer around a fireplace enclosure is that you don't have the tremendous weight load that you would have if you had a real traditional stone fire place.

Another place to consider using stone veneer as a facing for piers or arches in a room. If done correctly, this can give the impression that a room is actually constructed out of stone, or at least has some stone supporting architectural features.

Another great place to consider installing stone veneer is in kitchens. You can use the veneer as a backsplash for a sink or kitchen wall. You can also have it installed under a kitchen island. It can give a very custom look, and can help to increase the value of your home, since kitchen investments are one of the best things you can do to increase the value of your home.

Stone veneers also work great as general accent walls in other living areas of your home. For example you can create a whole stone accent wall in your living room. This can help give a unique warm character to any room.