Natural materials, such as marble and travertine, are a firm favourite for interior design. They make a home elegant and classic, and serve as a solid base to furnishings and personal touches. However the majority of natural stone is a large investment and requires a certain amount of upkeep to maintain their look.
Luckily there are plenty of similar and realistic alternatives to be found in the tile world that are cost-effective and easy to maintain. Natural-look materials have an undeniably comforting quality, adding an essence of the outside that offers both function and aesthetics. Typical uses include a stone-look tiled flooring or a marble worktop, but there are many different ways natural-look materials can be used subtly within the home, providing comfort while still delivering style.
Pebble-effect mosaic splash back
A classic splash back can be made into one’s own meditative spa with a natural looking pebble-effect mosaic. Varied hues and curved irregular shapes offer a real air of calm while functioning as any good splash back should.
Wood-effect shower
Wood seems like a no-go for a bathroom, let alone inside the shower, but wood-effect tiles offer the aesthetics of timber with the properties of tile, ensuring that one doesn’t have to compromise on a desirable and extremely charming shower.
Marble-effect skirting
Skirting boards are often an after-thought, a standard frame in wood. But they can be an excellent place to add a subtle personal touch. A marble-effect skirting isn’t a dramatic escape from the norm, just a clever way of adding an element of intrigue with a classical feel.
Our tip? Take a marble style tile and cut the two ends into long strips, around 10 cm wide. Use these as a skirting as be sure to keep the 'good' edge of the tile as the exposed skirting edge.
Slate-look steps
Adding a natural-look stone to a set of steps enables one to fully celebrate the uniqueness of a surface, such as a rusty slate-effect, without, for example, overwhelming a space with such a dark material.
Textured natural stone-look architraves
Another part of the home which has the ability to be as subtle or decorative as one likes, without overpowering a space. For something a little special, a textured natural stone look-a-like - such as Olympia White, shown below - could be just the delightful addition you’re looking for.
