When it comes to home design, do you consider yourself fairly conservative? Does your dream house look like a cozy cottage or farmhouse? Or do you embrace modern looks with clean straight lines and sharply contrasting building materials? Or do you fall somewhere in the middle, preferring a mixture of modern and classic looks? Whatever your style is, Shouldice Stone has multiple masonry options to help you achieve your goals.
The traditionalist
Nothing exudes a classic home exterior quite like masonry. Stone and brick have been used as building materials for centuries, with many of those centuries-old buildings still standing today.
You can finish your entire home with traditional stone styles, or mix-and-match with other materials to achieve your desired look. Masonry is often paired with wood to add classic accents. For example, framing the entranceway with columns, adding faux wooden timbers or a combination of both, as with this timeless home (see above). The warm, muted masonry on that home is Estate Stone in Hampton.
Stucco is another material that pairs nicely with masonry, as seen in this home, again using Estate Stone. The Kingston shade picks up on colours in the painted wood and stucco, as well as the shingles.
Rounded window surrounds add a stately appearance to any exterior. Keystones at the peak of the door and window surrounds provide another classic, eye-catching element.
Don’t forget to factor in accessories like shutters and exterior lighting. The flickering flames of gas lanterns will make your house the talk of the block.
Finally, consider how to incorporate your hardscaping, such as stone or brick pillars flanking a flagstone driveway, into the overall look.
Mad for modern
Whether you’re building a new house out in the countryside or an in-fill property in an established community, nothing will have you standing out from the crowd like a contemporary design.
For a modern look, you’re going to want clean lines and simple finishes. A polished surface such Shouldice Stone’s Dimensional Stone in Tapestry is the perfect material for this style.
Sharply contrasting tones are often used for a modern look. Picture big windows with black frames paired with white or grey masonry. Another option is to combine two starkly different shades of masonry, as was done with this apartment complex (see below) that contrasted Pearl White Dimensional Stone with darker Colby as accent pieces. Both were in the Tapestry finish.
For a modern look, you’re going to strip away all those ornate elements – so no shutters, window surrounds or keystones. That said, you might want to incorporate some industrial accents such as black or rust-coloured metal panels.
The hybrid approach
Of course, many people prefer a more balanced approach, combining elements of traditional design with contemporary touches. You may choose to balance a stark exterior finish with some ornate light fixtures. Inside, you can soften the look of a boxy, open-concept living space with some chunky, antique furniture. See also, “Tips to balance trendy and traditional home design.”
Explore how Shouldice Stone products have been used in everything from very traditional buildings to ultra-modern structures in our project galleries.
