We all rely on our homes for shelter from the elements and from the bustle of daily life, where a gradual cultivation of our personal spaces can help to make our daily lives more comfortable. Often homeowners develop their space through interior design strategies, where soft furnishings, carpets and wallpapers can all help to make a house a home. But customising your exterior is just as vital. Porticos, fencing and garden ornaments can all help to make your home stand out from the crowd as you add a personal touch to your property.
If you’re considering an elaborate exterior makeover then cast stone is the material for you, where this natural stone replica is incredibly durable and versatile. Read on for a complete exterior design guide, with a look at how you can upgrade your home with the help of cast stone decor.
Cast Stone Explained
Cast stone is a precast concrete material which is designed to imitate natural stone bricks. It is made from a mixture of cement and various aggregates, such as natural sand, crushed stone or gravel.
The texture and colour of the stone can vary according to the materials used in its manufacturing, where it can be made to resemble sandstone, granite and other naturally stone types. Cast stone bricks are formed using moulds, where this produces high quality blocks suitable for a range of outdoor uses.
Benefits Of Choosing Cast Stone
Cast stone is the ideal material for adding a touch of style to your exterior, where its benefits are listed below:
Lightweight - although they resemble natural bricks, cast stone is much lighter, which means that it is easy to deliver and manoeuvre for a range of building projects
Extensive Colour Range - cast stone is available in a wide range of different colours because it can be manufactured using an array of aggregates, meaning the right tones can be chosen to match your exterior
Regular Blocks - cast stone is manufactured to form regular sized blocks, compared to the irregularities and imperfections typically found in natural stone
Easy Duplication - because cast stone is manufactured artificially, the blocks can easily be duplicated using the same or similar moulds, which makes it easy to replace bricks or extend sections of cast stone work
Durability - cast stone can withstand adverse weather conditions much more effectively than natural stone, where it won’t be damaged by repeated freezing and thawing
Low Maintenance - because of its natural longevity, cast stone is typically low maintenance, where it will not decay and deteriorate as quickly as a natural alternative
Low Cost - cast stone is also cheaper per brick than real stone alternatives, making it the ideal choice for extensive decorative projects
Quick To Produce - the process of manufacturing cast stone is typically faster than the process of extracting and cutting natural stone, which contributes to its low cost
Exterior Design Style
If you’ve decided to revamp your exterior, then it can be difficult to know exactly what kind of style to go for. The range of architectural styles on offer are incredibly varied, where some of the most popular styles include:
Art Deco
Abbreviated from the French “Arts Décoratifs”, art deco is a style of visual art and architecture that began in France in the 1910s, and grew in popularity across the US and Europe throughout the 1920s and 30s. Its features typically include symmetry, geometric shapes and metallic colours.
Incorporate a taste of art deco outside your home with sharp edges, fluted window sills, geometric garden planting and striking water features.
Modern
Unlike 21st century contemporary architecture, modern buildings are inspired by the 20th century modernist movement, where styles are inspired by innovations in construction technology. Common features include the use of reinforced concrete, steel and glass.
Add a taste of modern architecture to your exterior with cast stone garden furniture, steel pillars and unadorned large window panes.
Greek Revival
This architectural movement gained popularity in the 18th century, where buildings in northern Europe and the United States began to build under the influence of ancient Greek architectural principles. This style typically incorporates grand stone porticos, pillars and principles of symmetry.
If you’d like your exterior to reflect the Greek revival style, then consider adding a cast stone portico or elaborate entryway to your property.
Victorian
The Victorian era saw the rapid expansion of towns and cities as a result of the Industrial Revolution. As a result many new homes were constructed in a range of styles, including those which incorporate Georgian and gothic influences. Typical features of Victorian properties include red brick chimneys, pitched slate roofs and iron railings.
For a taste of Victorian architecture, think about adding shapely brick turrets or bay window features to your property.
Georgian
The Georgian era spans the 1800s until the death of George IV in 1830, where houses and public buildings at this time were constructed under the influence of classical architectural principles originating from Greece and Rome. Key features of this style include a dependence on symmetry and mathematical order to produce aesthetically pleasing structures.
The Georgian style can be achieved for your exterior by incorporating decorative window headers, embellished entranceways and cast stone pillars.
Eco-Conscious
As we all become more aware of the deteriorating condition of our planet, eco-conscious architecture has seen a rise in popularity. This is an architectural style which aims to promote harmony between human habitation and the natural environment, where this can influence the building materials used as well as construction practices.
You can add eco-conscious features to your exterior by including a wild flower garden, solar panels or a green roof.
Cast Stone Exterior Features
Cast stone is incredibly versatile and durable, meaning it is the ideal material to use for exterior decorative features. These can be manufactured in line with a range of different architectural styles, where some options include:
Porticos & Pillars
For a Georgian or Grecian feel, consider adding a dramatic cast stone portico to your entryway. This can increase the aesthetic appeal of your property whilst also creating a weatherproofed porch area. Decorative posts or pillars can also add some flair to the front of your home.
Window Sills & Heads
Decorative window sills and heads are a great way to augment pre-existing exterior features, where these are available in a wide range of designs. Cast stone window decorations also serve a practical purpose, where they can protect your windows from the elements.
House Signs
A house sign made out of cast stone helps to make your property stand out from the crowd, where it is straightforward to engrave a stone slab with your chosen lettering. These can be manufactured in a range of sizes and styles to suit your architecture.
Garden Features
Cast stone can also be used to decorate your garden space. As a highly durable material, cast stone is the ideal material for water features and garden ornaments. Cast stone coping for your swimming pool also makes for a practical and attractive option.
Fencing
You can also incorporate cast stone into your exterior fencing, where stone pillars can be used to break up sections of iron railings or to border a dramatic entranceway. Cast stone pillars can be used in this way as a reliable security feature as well as for decoration.
Shropshire Brick & Stone: Providing Your Home With Long-Lasting Decorative Features
At Shropshire Brick & Stone, we’re proficient in the manufacturing and installation of cast stone products, where we have the expertise and experience to completely transform your exterior. Our extensive range includes window sills, copings, pier caps, porticos and house signage.
Choose from a wide array of cast stone colours, such as Victorian Red, Portland and Shale, where we can provide acute colour matching to complement your existing architecture. We also offer a comprehensive brick cutting and bonding service, where our team of experts can work to your individual building specifications.
Choose Shropshire Brick & Stone for UK wide free delivery, where we can deliver cast stone to your door according to your requirements. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help, or visit our showcase page for some cast stone inspiration.
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