When it comes to creating an eye-catching exterior for your home, brick and stone can be a winning combination. The combination can result in a timeless and cohesive look that enhances your home’s curb appeal.
In this article, we’ll explore different types of stone for your home exterior and share valuable tips about mixing the two aforementioned materials for maximum appeal.
Types of Stone
The first step in achieving the perfect blend of brick and stone is understanding the various types of stone available. Each type of stone has unique characteristics, from color variations to textures.
Knowing these options can help you make an informed decision.
1. Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock with a smooth, often pale appearance. It can range from creamy white to light gray and sometimes includes fossilized imprints.
This type of stone can be used for both traditional and contemporary exteriors, and its soft elegant look complements various architectural styles.
2. Slate
Slate is a fine-grained metamorphic rock that splits into thin, flat sheets. This type of stone typically features a rich color palette, including deep blues, greens, and earthy tones.
Its natural, rustic appearance is well-suited for achieving a warm and inviting exterior. It’s often used for cladding, roofing, and as accent pieces to add character to a home’s facade.
3. Granite
Granite is an igneous rock known for its durability and elegant appearance. It has a speckled, crystalline texture and comes in a wide range of colors, including blacks, grays, pinks, and reds.
This type of stone is frequently used to create a luxurious exterior. You can find it in facing, columns, and as a prominent feature in high-end architectural designs.
4. Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock with a textured surface that often features various colors and patterns, including earthy tones, reds, and browns.
Its wide color range and textures make it versatile for exterior applications like cladding, landscaping, and creating diverse aesthetic effects.
5. Travertine
Travertine is a sedimentary rock with a porous surface and a natural, rustic appearance. It usually comes in soft, warm shades of beige, cream, and ivory.
This type of stone is an ideal choice to achieve a timeless look and is often seen in classical and Mediterranean-style exteriors. It’s often used for wall cladding, patios, and as architectural accents.
6. Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a natural stone with irregular shapes and rustic textures. It typically features earthy colors and a worn appearance.
This type of stone is ideal if you want to achieve a rustic or cottage-style exterior. It can be used for wall cladding, creating stone pathways, and adding a sense of age and history to your home.
7. Quartzite
Quartzite is a metamorphic rock with a granular texture and excellent resistance to weathering. It comes in various colors, including shades of white, gray, and vibrant hues.
This type of stone is an excellent choice for modern and contemporary exteriors and is often used for cladding, outdoor kitchens, and walkways because of its durability and sleek appearance.
8. Basalt
Basalt is an igneous rock with a dark, fine-grained texture. It’s known for its strength, durability, and sleek appearance with its dark gray or black color.
This type of stone is a popular choice for achieving a modern or minimalist exterior design. It’s often used for wall cladding, patios, and as architectural accents.
9. Ledgestone
Ledgestone is known for its layered, horizontal lines and stacked appearance. It has a textured surface and typically comes in various colors.
This type of stone is a popular choice for creating a textured, rustic appearance on exterior walls and fireplaces, and it adds depth and character to facades.
10. Ashlar
Ashlar refers to a style of stone masonry where stones are finely cut and dressed to have smooth, clean surfaces with uniform sizes and shapes.
This type of stone is a great choice to achieve a more formal and elegant exterior appearance. It’s often used for the construction of grand and stately buildings as well as for accentuating specific architectural elements.
11. Serpentine
Serpentine is a metamorphic rock with unique greenish colors and patterns. It often features a smooth, waxy appearance.
This type of stone adds a unique, eye-catching element to your exterior and is often used for accents, decorative elements, and landscaping features.
12. Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock known for its timeless elegance that features a smooth and often veined surface. It comes in various colors, including white, gray, and different shades of pink and green.
While less common for exteriors due to its cost and maintenance requirements, marble is used for accentuating grand and luxurious homes, primarily for detailing, columns, and decorative elements.
Tips
Here are some essential tips to achieve a harmonious fusion of brick and stone:
Create contrast and use complementary colors
Bricks are typically more consistent in shape and arrangement, while stone veneer has a diverse range of shapes and sizes. Instead of attempting to blend these differences or precisely match their colors, it’s best to highlight this contrast.
For instance, pair a darker brick with a lighter stone or vice versa. It’s best to match multicolored bricks or stones with a solid color to prevent an overwhelming exterior appearance.
Similar to using the color wheel for paint matching, be sure to examine the various tones in the primary material that you want to match to create a harmonious blend.
Consider all available mortar color choices
The shade of mortar used between your brick and stone can significantly affect the overall aesthetics of your home.
Light-colored mortar can make the stones and bricks stand out and enhance their individuality. On the other hand, darker mortar can create a more uniform, cohesive look by minimizing contrast.
Choosing the right mortar color is important in achieving your desired aesthetic, so explore the various mortar color options available to find the perfect fit for your project.
Highlight a focal point
Selecting a focal point on your home’s exterior is an excellent way to draw attention to its unique features. This could be the entryway, a beautifully designed chimney, an ornate architectural detail, or any element you want to emphasize.
Using stone to highlight these areas, whether through a unique pattern or color variation, can make your exterior more visually appealing and create a sense of balance in your design.
Choose a stone style that compliments your home
The choice of stone style should harmonize with your home’s architectural style.
If your home follows a traditional design, opting for a classic and refined stone style can create a timeless appearance. Conversely, if you have a modern home, sleek and contemporary stone options can seamlessly blend with the overall aesthetic.
The synergy between your stone style and your home’s architecture gives off a cohesive and balanced overall look.
Consider your surroundings
Flowers and plants can often accentuate the colors of brick or stone. While hardscaping, whether in harmony with or in contrast to the house, can extend your living space, boost your home’s curb appeal, and even potentially increase its value.
When considering additional elements for the exterior, it’s important to avoid using too many different materials and styles as this can result in a disjointed appearance.
Your home’s facade is the first thing people notice. Whether you’re researching online or exploring neighborhoods, take note of elements you appreciate and those you don’t in various home styles.
Get ideas from different architectural styles
Drawing inspiration from various architectural styles can spark creativity and help you achieve a unique and captivating exterior.
You can adapt ideas from different styles to create a one-of-a-kind design. By mixing elements from diverse architectural styles, you can create a home that reflects your personal taste and stands out from the crowd.
Use samples
Before making a final decision on brick and stone materials, getting physical samples is important. Seeing how these materials look together in various lighting conditions, both natural and artificial, allows you to make an informed choice.
If you’re having new brick masonry constructed, several contractors are open to creating a masonry sample for a small fee. This sample can be a useful tool to assess the eventual appearance of the project.
This ensures that the selected brick and stone blend harmoniously and meet your design expectations.
Install the stone over the brick
If your house is mainly made of brick and you want to make it more interesting, you can hire a stonemason to put a layer of stone over the brick that’s still in good shape.
You should also check if your brick needs any repairs before adding the stone. To prevent water damage, the stonemason should use a waterproof layer before sticking the stone on.
This is a simple way to make your house look more exciting without doing big renovations. However, this isn’t applicable to all houses, so you should ask a stonemason to see if it’s possible for your home.
