Natural stone seems ideal for Colorado. Where do you use natural stone, and what advice can you offer for maintaining it?
Add natural stone to ceramic and porcelain tile finishes. Budget-driven renovations that result in more ceramic, porcelain or other man-made finishes can step it up in appearance exponentially with the use of natural stone borders in floors, wainscot trim and liners in showers, and accent pieces in kitchen back- splashes.
A band of natural stone tiles, perhaps turned on an angle or placed rhythmically in a floor, can look like a rug. And it really enhances the perceived value of the space.
Natural stone is good for just about every climate but it’s especially good in Colorado because there’s not a lot of moisture penetration. The stones keep their color very well, especially when they are properly sealed and maintained. We like to use natural stone to add color to a design palette in a home, from yellows and golds all the way to deep greens. It’s also a material that reflects the environment — a contextual recognition of where we are — especially when you use Colorado buff sandstone or something like that.
The biggest design issue is to understand which stone you have. If you have slate or a less porous material, that’s good for counters and floors because it will not absorb water. Granite is similar. But marble and limestone are very porous, so you might not put them on a kitchen or bar top or anyplace where you use heavy-duty cleaning products. If you do use marble on a counter, know how to maintain it, and recognize what its limitations are.
Finally, take the time to seal natural stone once it has been installed in your home. This will eliminate a lot of maintenance headaches in the future. — Jim Dawkins, vice president of interior architecture and hospitality design, Slifer Designs in Edwards
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