Decoration of the hallway or corridor with decorative stone
Decorative stone is widely used in interior decoration. This type of decoration gained particular popularity in the use of auxiliary facilities, such as hallways and corridors. The main advantages of using artificial stone, in addition to undeniable aesthetic qualities, is high wear resistance and ease of care. It is in the halls - rooms with a high level of pollution, the use of decorative stone as a full or partial finish is appropriate. Of course, decorating a hallway or a corridor following it with artificial stone is not a cheap pleasure, but it is a successful investment in long-term repairs and comfortable maintenance of cleanliness and order of auxiliary rooms with the least effort. The use of decorative stone for finishing all surfaces of the hallway or corridor is rare and advisable only in spacious and well-lit rooms, which is extremely rare, especially in the framework of standard apartment plans. But the metered use of this type of decoration to highlight certain interior elements is able not only to protect surfaces from dust, dirt and moisture, but also to give the image of the premises a touch of luxury and elegance.
Advantages of decorative stone as an entrance or corridor finish
The advantages of using decorative stone as a decoration for auxiliary premises include the following:
- high wear resistance;
- excellent performance - the finish is not afraid of exposure to dust, dirt and moisture, quietly tolerates the use of cleaning products;
- excellent antibacterial and dirt-repellent properties allow materials to maintain their pristine appearance for a long time;
- a wide range of colors and textures, as well as variations in the shapes and sizes of the finishing material, can satisfy the needs of designers and their customers;
- decorative stone is successfully integrated into almost any style of interior design;
- the material goes well with other types of finishes - from ordinary wallpaper to the use of decorative panels and decorative plaster;
- Compared to natural stone, artificial material has a lower weight, is easily attached to surfaces made of various materials - from concrete to wood;
- the rather high cost of finishing material is offset by the possibility of self-assembly and saving on the services of professionals.
Variations in the design of auxiliary rooms
The technology for the production of decorative stone allows you to create the most diverse products in shape, color and texture. That is why the owner of a small apartment or a spacious private house will be able to find his own version of finishing auxiliary facilities. The versatility of the finishing material allows you to create original combinations of surfaces, their color and texture. Most often, the hallway is a small room with no windows (at least, this is what most of the additional rooms in apartment buildings look like). That is why the use of decorative stone for finishing all surfaces is not recommended. So that your small space does not turn into a "stone bag", it is necessary to dose the use of artificial stone.
Most often, decorative material is used to decorate the following interior elements:
- window and doorways (if any);
- angles open for viewing;
- areas around key elements of the interior or furniture (mirrors, furniture ensembles);
- niches, hollows and arches;
- the design of the so-called contact zones (by analogy with the apron of the kitchen space) - a segment above the baseboard, any zone of interaction of surfaces with dirt and moisture from the sole, places with a high level of pollution;
- segments reserved for the storage of outerwear and shoes, in which exposure to dirt and moisture is possible (hangers, shoe racks, various racks and open shelves).
Decorative stone is easy to lay on almost any surface, even embossed. As a basis, concrete, wood, brick, plastered planes can be used. The only and very important condition is that the base must be thoroughly prepared for applying the finishing material, achieving maximum adhesion.
Options for color, shape, size and texture of artificial stone
When choosing a decorative stone for facing the hallway or corridor, or rather, their parts, it will be necessary to determine not only the color palette of the material, but also its texture, size and shape of the elements. It's no secret that an artificial stone of light colors will contribute to a visual increase in space, and dark shades will aggravate the image of a room without windows. That is why it is recommended to use artificial stone in fairly spacious and well-lit rooms, and then not for finishing all surfaces, but for highlighting especially significant segments of space.
Depending on the selected manufacturing method, the following types of artificial stone are distinguished:
- rubble - an analogy with boulders or pebbles;
- chipped - imitation of raw rock;
- sawn - the stone has a clear geometry, but at the same time its front surface is not polished;
- mosaic - as a rule, all elements are sorted by size or color scheme and together represent an organic composition;
- brick - an imitation of brick masonry of various modifications;
- tiled - imitation of polished masonry (marble, granite, etc.);
- improvised or fancy - an imitation of stone that is not found in nature, complex in color or texture.
Within the small space of the hallway or corridor, you should not use several options for artificial stone. Most often, designers prefer one type or combine two types of finishing material imitating masonry that are close in shades or texture. In the case of small spaces without sources of natural light, the ideal choice is a decorative stone in bright colors with small protrusions relative to the base. To add variety to the color palette and the image of the room as a whole, it will be enough to combine artificial stone with another type of surface finish of the hallway or corridor.
When choosing a decorative stone for the hallway, corridor or space near the stairs, it is necessary to take into account the color temperature of the products and their image when using artificial lighting. Only the spaces of private houses can “boast” with the presence of windows, and that is not always the case, in apartments it is important to act in direct connection with the choice of a lighting system. Try to avoid frontal lighting in areas with decorative stone trim. Such illumination will negate the entire relief of the masonry. It is better to abandon the central chandelier in favor of several lamps that are built into the ceiling and wall sconces, evenly distributed throughout the hallway, corridor or any other auxiliary room.
Using a decorative stone of one shade, but of different sizes, you can create original, attractive compositions. At the same time, fine-grained material is best used in active zones, and for larger elements, leave the decoration of the spaces around the doorways, visible corners and skirting. By varying the size of the finishing elements, it is possible to veneer even geometrically difficult areas — niches, arches, and various depressions.
Artificial stone as flooring for the hallway and other additional rooms
Different types of tiles imitating natural stone as a flooring for a hallway are a successful investment in a long-term project that will not present problems for the owners in terms of operation and cleaning of the room. Reliable, practical and durable coating with a high level of wear resistance, excellent antibacterial properties and at the same time having an attractive appearance - what else is needed for an auxiliary room?
Of course, lining the floors with tiles imitating stone will cost the owners more than installing a laminate or linoleum. The cost of the work also needs to be taken into account (in contrast to the laminate and linoleum, which can be laid independently without much effort, certain skills are necessary for installing the tile). But the appearance and technological qualities of the floor covering formed using tiles made of artificial stone are at the highest level.
For small halls, floor tiles imitating a particular breed of marble will be an excellent choice. Bright surfaces with veins will give even the most ordinary interior a touch of luxury and nobility. Such a floor covering is easy to combine with decorative inserts and whole compositions of elements presented in different colors.
If you need to visually increase the height of the hallway or corridor, then, along with light wall decoration, it is best to use floor tiles in dark shades. Imitation of granite, graphite and other dark rocks will be a decoration of the room, made in both traditional and modern style of decoration of living spaces.