10 Ways To Soften a Room With Stone Surfaces
There are tons of plus points to using stone in your home. For example, granite worktops don’t decrease in value, they’re easy to clean, they can handle heat and pressure and they always have a unique one-of a kind look. However, if you don’t accessorise stone properly in the home, your interiors can tend to look a bit ‘cold’. This article will give you some great tips about how this can be avoided and how you can accessorise stone perfectly, so that it is an asset to any room.
1. Warm colours
A lot of people opt for keeping their walls white. However, if you have heavy use of stone in your interiors, then the rooms can end up looking a little cold. Warming colours such as rustic red, burnt orange and mocha brown can add depth to any room and will compliment stone perfectly.
2. Lighting
Stark overhead lighting can often end up being quite harsh to a room, which isn’t great when you are already using hard surfaces. Why not try some ambient light that has come from low-wattage lamps. You could use an array of lamps to get a nice wave of warm lighting, creating a lovely atmosphere. If not, try installing a dimmer switch to lights, so you can tone down the lighting if needed.
3. Flowers/Plants
There is nothing better to brighten up a room than some beautiful fresh flowers or pot plants. These can be used in any room and go great with granite worktops, as they stick to the natural theme.
4. Social Seating
The best way to make a room feel warm and cosy is to make sure that people feel comfortable in your home. A big part of this is the seating plan. For example you should make sure – in a kitchen or living room – that chairs or sofas are grouped together to allow family and guests to easily speak to each other. You may also want to place seating around a central item, such as a fireplace or grand coffee table.
5. Throws and Pillows
If you are using stone in your living room, then you will definitely want to add some soft touches elsewhere in the room. Throws and pillows do this immediately by adding warmth in an instant. The throw will also help to keep you cosy throughout the winter months!
6. Photographs
If there is one thing that will add instant warmth to a room, it is definitely pictures, either of loved ones or of your favourite places. There are tons or different frames to try that would suit all different rooms. For example, you may want to try a family photo over the mantelpiece in your living room and a beach scene for your bathroom.
7. Curtains/Draperies
Blinds are definitely convenient to use in the home, however they can sometimes have quite a harsh appearance. Curtains and draperies will add a touch of softness with their gentle edges and will make any room feel instantly more comfortable.
8. Rugs
Many people use granite worktops with hard floors in a living room or with tiles in a bathroom, especially if they like surfaces that can easily be cleaned. Although this is practical, it can also be quite cold, in atmosphere and temperature. Adding a rug will make the space instantly more inviting and softer on the feet!
9. Vintage and one-off items
One of the best ways to make sure that interiors are welcoming is to make them original and personal to you. Buying one-off or vintage items can help to reflect your personality and make it stand out so that guests get a real sense of who you are the minute they walk in the door.
10. Books
Books are a guaranteed way to make any room feel more welcoming and relaxed. Why not fill shelves with your favourite titles, as well as books you want to read in future and even your favourite photography choices? These will be a great talking point for when guests visit and will provide you with entertainment on a rainy afternoon. Magazines on a coffee table will also do the same trick and will guarantee that your room is never described as cold.
So there you have it, ten easy tips to make sure that you can use as much stone as you want and still have a soft, cosy room.
