Stone walkways are very popular choices for all sorts of outdoor areas, backyards, and gardens. It’s easy to understand why. Natural stone comes in a wide range of varieties, shades, colours and types, and being natural and stone is a durable and long term solution for your landscape. 

One of the very few hesitations some people have to installing stone walkways is the price of stone. Yes, stone is not the cheapest of the cheap materials for use in either internal or external construction. However, there are plenty of ways to affordably use stone. In this article we’ve listed some of the best and affordable stepping stone walkway ideas.

Natural Stone Walkway Ideas

1. Limestone

Limestone is a fantastic choice for a stone walkway. This natural stone is highly durable, comes in a variety of colours, can be cut to all sizes and different shapes, and even offers a non-slip texture making it excellent for use outside.

Limestone is amongst the cheaper of stone materials as well. So if you’re looking for a type of natural stone that is excellent in terms of both style, functionality and cost effectiveness, limestone is an excellent idea.

2. Mixed Stone

Mixed stone walkways look amazing and don’t have to break the bank! You might think that mixing mis-matched and differently sized stones seems like just a shortcut to save money, but it’s actually an excellent design choice.

The asymmetrical imperfection of a mixed stone path mimics the imperfection of nature and offers the added benefit of allowing you to benefit from the visual aesthetic of different types of stones all at once.

Plus, of course, it is actually an affordable investment for your backyard or garden.

3. Stone Steps

This stone walkway idea is designed for yards with hills or slopes, especially if stairs are required.

Stone steps offer all the same benefits as stone walkways but at a much cheaper price. How? Because you need less stones!

Whether the steps themselves are made out of stone, or you’re simply using lines of smaller stones to demarcate the different levels/steps in the grass or yard, it’s easy to incorporate stone steps that look amazing without hitting the backpocket where it hurts.

4. Stone Over Pebbles

If you prefer to create a path entirely of stones but are concerned about the cost of end-to-end stone, installing a stone walkway of stone over pebbles is an excellent option. Think of this idea as a river walkway of pebbles with interspersed larger and geometrically shaped stones along the way.

This is an affordable idea both because this walkway helps to save on large pavers but also because pebbles are a much cheaper solution to garden paths.

5. Classic Rounded Stone

Another way to use less stone for your walkway without it looking like you’re trying to save money is by using perfectly rounded and smooth stones set with spaces of grass between each. This will create a charming lilypond effect that will look amazing and retain the overall appearance of a stone walkway without the hefty price tag.

6. Square Slabs of Stone

This is a classic: straight edged, square slabs of stone. This stone walkway idea is simple, stunning and affordable.

There are a wide variety of natural stone materials to choose from, such as granite, travertine and semi-precious stone, so you can find the perfect shade, pattern and colour to suit your garden.

7. Stone Edged Gravel Path

Another fantastic and affordable stone walkway idea is a stone-edged gravel path. The walkway itself is made from gravel, an extremely affordable and useful material for use in backyards and gardens, ringed on either side with impeccably placed stone edging.

There’s plenty of opportunity to personalise your walkways–from the choice of stone to the size and placement of the stones–all the while ensuring the focus aesthetically remains on the actual stones even though the majority of the walkway is actually gravel.

8. Paver Path

Pavers are brick-like cuts of stones that are arrayed much like you would regular bricks. Using natural stones in this format is an excellent way to create a durable and highly practical outside stone walkway and can be made as narrow or wide as you choose. Unlike using or relying on large slabs of expensive natural stone, getting stone pavers can be a more cost-effective solution.

9. Mulch And Stone

Similar to gravel and stone, using mulch and stone for your walkway leverages extensive use of a cheaper material but underscored by the wonderful looking and highly practical natural stone. Mulch is an excellent choice for pathways in outdoor areas where you want to retain the garden and organic feel.

Flat stones set throughout the mulch allow for an effective walkway without having to shell out too much for a ton of stones. Easy, affordable and amazing to look at, a mulch and stone walkway is an excellent option.

10. Cobblestone Walkway 

There’s certainly a charming quality to cobblestone pathways.

Stone pavers, cut and rounded to mimic the visual quality of cobblestones, offers the absolute best of both worlds: the classic look of cobblestone with the luxuriousness of natural stone.

Similar to using regular stone pavers, you don’t need to invest too much money to achieve a really amazing effect. 

Stone Walkways And A Whole Lot More!

Stone walkways work amazingly and look amazing, and there are plenty of affordable ways to incorporate stone in your backyard.

The Euro Marble team lives and breathes all things natural stone. We source and supply the best stone available on the market, and even provide comprehensive design and installation services as well. 

Our team of consultants love nothing more than getting stuck into a project and speaking with our customers to find the perfect personal solution for their home.

So, what are you waiting for? Why not contact us today for an obligation and pressure-free chat about what sort of stone walkways you’re after?

The art of decorating a home and interior design doesn’t just include choosing grand pieces of artwork, floor-to-ceiling colour schemes and other big ticket decisions. Even the lowly plinth can be used to stunning and great effect in bringing your preferred aesthetic to life and adding a sense of stylish sophistication to a room.

If you’re not confident about how to use modern plinths and pedestals to elevate your space, we’ve put together some ideas to help get you started. Before we dive into those, however, let’s take the opportunity to clarify some things.

What Is A Plinth?

A plinth, sometimes also referred to as a pedestal, refers to the heavy base or lower slab section of a column. In interior design, these humble sections of a column can be used for fashionable rather than functional purposes. They might support a statue, a vase or an antique artifact. One of the most popular types of plinths is a Calacatta plinth, a sophisticated and elegant statement piece.

Plinths or pedestals come in all sizes, shapes, and levels of thickness. If you’re being particular and technical however, plinths are usually at least 45 centimetres high and, if particularly rounder or smaller than regular pedestals, often referred to as socles.

Why Use A Plinth Or Pedestal To Elevate Your Space?

For thousands of years, literally, people have been using pedestals for decorative purposes. The ancient Greeks would display their gods’ statues on them, and though the decorations we place on top of our plinths may have changed in the proceeding years, the general use of them stylistically has not.

Plinths not only offer an excellent space on which to display an object, but the variety of materials, shapes and sizes of plinths mean they’re a uniquely versatile piece of furnishing that can be used in a number of ways.

Using a plinth in an empty space, unused corner or merely to break up the horizontal line of sight in a room can really breathe some much-needed life and add a jaw-dropping ‘wow’ factor to your home or office.

This under-appreciated item can add dimension, perspective and aesthetics to formal, living and entertaining areas especially where there are awkward spaces or empty corners that could do with something subtle yet effective.

Creatively mixing and matching your plinths within any given room will help you better understand their fashionable function and find the perfect spot in which to use it.

How To Use A Plinth

Mix And Match Different Heights

Pedestals can be aesthetic in and of themselves. A decorative plinth in the style of your home can be a piece of art without anything else adorning its flat top, or it can work as a subtle under-statement for whatever you choose to display on top of it.

Either way, make sure you mix and match with different heights when using a plinth.

If you have a coffee table, hallway table, chest of drawers, couches, lamps or any other piece of furniture, focus on using the plinth/pedestal to help break up monotonously continuous heights and add some variety and depth to the room.

Choose Stone For a Classic, Modern Look

Stone is an exceptionally popular choice of construction material both structurally and for design. Your plinth is no different. Opting for a stone plinth will infuse a classic, natural aesthetic with a modern and sleek visual. There are plenty of natural stones to choose from, so you’re guaranteed to find a stone that best suits your preferences.

Choose Wooden Plinths For A Natural Look

If you’d prefer to opt for an organic look, a wooden plinth can be an exceptional choice. Also available in different shares and styles, there’s more than enough variety of wooden pedestals to complement the rest of your home.

Solid Plinths vs Framed Plinths

Plinths come in different styles regardless of material.

While most are solid blocks of stone or carved wood, framed or multi-legged plinths are particularly popular for small and tight spaces where interior designers want to maximise the feeling of space where possible.

Make sure to consider not just the placement of your pedestal but also the size of the room into which you’re placing it.

Modern Plinth Ideas To Elevate Your Space

Classic Marble

A simple, classic marble plinth is guaranteed to elevate any space. Without risking any overwhelming sense of opulence and luxury, marble pedestals bring a much needed infusion of sophistication into a room.

White, Modern, And Simplistic

If you want to keep your decor minimalist and as modern as can be, don’t go past a plain white, unadorned plinth. It’ll add a sense of lightness to the room without any unnecessary clutter.

Limestone Plinth

Limestone or travertine plinths are excellent choices for people wanting an earthy tone. These wonderfully varied natural stones make for art pieces in and of themselves as plinths.

Greek Column

A classic Greek-style pedestal column oozes sophistication and class. If you’ve got a bust or statue to display, we recommend going down the Greek route.

Metal Frame Pedestal

Industrial-design enthusiasts simply have to go for the simple metal pedestal. Modern art and sculptures simply shine on an understanded metal plinth.

Three-Legged Wooden Plinth

Almost stool-like in aesthetic, there’s nothing cheap about a chic wooden sculpture plinth. They’re especially good for supporting plants and other organic decorations.

Sleek Black Column

A bold, black plinth makes for an elegantly sleek addition to your home. Perhaps counter-intuitively, a sleek black pedestal will do wonders in elevating the entirety of any chosen room.

Rounded Bamboo Frame

If you want to take the wooden plinth idea one step further, go for a rounded bamboo framed plinth. Instantly iconic in its design and endlessly versatile in its ability to complement a variety of other styles, there’s simply so much you can do with this simple plinth.

Multi-sided Marble Column

Love the idea of a marble plinth but want to add a little bit of something extra? Multi-sided (think hexagonal prisms) marble columns add visual depth to any space. Decorated with something on top or left bare, these stunning plinths add classical symmetry without risking monotony to your home.

Contact Euro Marble Today To Learn More

If you’d like to chat about more plinth-related ideas to elevate your space or you have a question about what sorts of natural stone and marble slabs we have available for you, make sure to contact our team today. We’re always ready to help you bring your dream design to life!

An accent wall offers home designers the perfect opportunity to experiment with new materials, different colours and bold visual statements. For some people, the thought of incorporating bright colour to a monochrome interior is too much to handle. For others, they might want to try to mix and match different design styles without the commitment.

Either way you can add a splash of flair and different styling to your home by making the most of an accent wall.

What is an accent wall?

Sometimes called a feature wall, an accent wall refers to one wall in a room that is different to all the others. It might differ in terms of colour, shade, material or patterns. 

Why use an accent wall?

The real benefit is that it allows you to experiment with different designs without having to commit the entirety of your home’s interior to the style. Nonetheless a thoughtful and considered accent wall can really glam up your home in more ways than one.

Accent Wall Design Ideas

To help get your mental design cogs whirring and twirling we’ve listed a number of wonderful accent wall design ideas for you to consider.

Patterned Wallpaper

There’s no end to the types of wallpaper out there. Stripes, patterns, floral designs – you name it, it exists. Using a patterned wallpaper on your accent wall will help you add a bit of depth and sophistication to a living area or bedroom without risking overwhelming the space with too much business. 

Natural Stone

Is there anything more glorious and magnificent than a wall of natural stone? Whether you love the royal sophistication of marble wall, the rich complexity of granite or the earthy tones of limestone, a natural stone accent wall is an effective, not to mention affordable, way to infuse natural stone in your house.

Bright and Bold Colour

We know, we know. You love the idea of adding some bright yellow paint to a wall to make the entire room light up. You’re intrigued by the thought of a deep red colour scheme or a nature-inducing green shaded design style.

The great part of accent walls is that you can incorporate some bright and bold colours and shades without turning your entire house red, blue or green! Keeping colour to one wall of a room ensures you won’t suddenly feel overwhelmed by the addition of colour. 

Keep It Low-Key

Incorporating an accent wall doesn’t have to mean floor to ceiling changes. There are plenty of low-key accent wall ideas that will still transform a space. You could paint the trims of your wall, doors or windows to break up the style and infuse a bit of colour.

If your wall has moldings or casings you could paint those as well. Small additions of colour to a wall can make the entire area pop and truly come to life.

Add A Mirror

Mirrors are well known devices used by interior designers to make a room feel much bigger. The reflections in a mirror can open up the space tremendously. If you want to turn a bland wall of your home into an accent wall why not go all out with a glamorously detailed or ornately framed mirror?

It will make the room seem larger and your home will suddenly seem classier and more sophisticated in its ornamental design aesthetic as well. 

Neon Signage

A neon-lit sign might not make sense for all interior applications but if you love the singular visual of a neon lit sign it’s a great way to break up an otherwise monotonous wall. What can you pair it with?

A textured, grey-shaded wall will look absolutely stunning as a backdrop to a bright and coloured neon sign.

Rough Stones

You don’t have to go the seamless stone slab route if you love natural stone. Hefty sized and roughly cut rectangular blocks can make for an awesome looking accent wall. Full of texture and depth, it’ll cause jaws to drop every time. 

Exposed Brick

Rustic-looking, an exposed brick wall is increasingly in popularity. Evoking emotions of homeliness and comfort, this is one accent wall design idea that will certainly transform your home. 

Incorporating Wood

There are many shades and types of wood, and an equal number of ways and patterns to incorporate it. Wooden planks, both light and dark toned, can be used quite effectively as a  feature wall. Grooved  or paneled wood for example, much like exposed brick and rough-cut stones, brings a change of colour and texture.

Black Bedroom Accent Wall

A black accent wall? Sound too much? Don’t worry!

A black, bold wall in a well lit bedroom can actually make the space seem opulent and appealing.

Particularly when paired with light or white bedding and linen. If you’re not sold on the plain black aesthetic, try a paneled accent wall to break up the plain darkness and you can even incorporate a line of LED strip lights. 

Royal Purple Bedroom Accent Wall

Staying in the bedroom for a moment, purple has long been a colour associated with nobility and royalty. If you want your bedroom to be oozing with luxury you could incorporate a deep purple accent wall.

Tiles and Patterns

Subway tiles, beehive designs, herringbone, pinwheel, grid, staggered brick…

The types of patterns you can use on a feature wall are never ending! Particularly good for bare bathrooms that need a bit of a spruce up, a tiled and patterned wall can bring a previously plain room to life.

Neutral Accent Wall

Okay, okay – you want an accent wall but don’t want to go big or bold (yet). A subtle, neutral coloured accent wall is a great option. It adds a sense of sophistication and depth to your room without risking a bold or bright colour, or material. 

Want more accent wall ideas?

Euro Marble may be the leading supplier and experts on all things natural stone, but we also boast an unrivalled knowledge of and experience with accent walls of all types.

Our friendly team are always happy to have a casual chat about what options you have when deciding how to feature an accent wall in your home. So don’t wait, get in touch with us today.

The bathroom is one room of the house you’re most likely to frequent every day no matter what and the sink (or sinks) in that bathroom is an essential component. Along with a toilet, shower, bathtub and at least minimal cabinetry, the sink and adjoining vanity can make for a cluttered feel.

If you’re a modern minimalist and looking to infuse minimalist design aesthetics into your bathroom, a floating bathroom vanity is one of the growing design trends you should be looking at.

What is a floating vanity unit?

A bathroom vanity unit refers to the style of sink that is incorporated within or placed below or on top of a vanity. For understandable reasons, the cabinetry part of the vanity needs to be of significant size to store all the bathroom products you need every day.

A floating vanity is one that is attached, sink and all, directly to the wall without any support structure underneath or base connecting it to the floor or other parts of the bathroom. Some floating vanity units sacrifice storage space but there are plenty of versions that include cupboards, drawers and even counter space. 

For modern minimalists, a floating vanity in a bathroom is an appealing choice as it maximises sleek wall space, reduces clutter and makes for a bold visual statement. 

If you’re thinking of installing a floating bathroom vanity, here are some ideas and design styles you can consider.

Floating Bathroom Vanity Ideas

Wood Vanity and White Walls

Many minimalist interior designs incorporate a focus on white or off-white colour palettes. If you love that clean, light look of an almost entirely white bathroom, a floating vanity will slot right in. You can, however, add a pop of colour by incorporating natural wood in your floating vanity.

This will act as a ‘feature installation’ in an otherwise all-white room. 

Grey and Wood Colour Scheme

Love the thought of a rich, blonde wooden colour added to your bathroom vanity but not sure about all white everywhere else? Gunmetal grey cabinets and cupboards make for an alternate matching colour scheme to wood without sacrificing the minimalist design style. 

Bold Black and Wooden Counters

One last pairing with wood that still manages to hit the mark for the modern minimalist is a black set of floating vanity cabinets topped with a thick dark wooden counter.

Particularly good for someone needing a lot of cabinet or cupboard space, a black colour scheme can blend nicely into a dark or patterned bathroom wall choice without making the room feel too busy. 

Dark and Light Contrasts

If you love white and bright rooms with a focus on minimalism but still appreciate the boldness of a darker anchoring of colour there are a few ways in which you can achieve an effective dark and light contrast.

One that we love is to use a sleek grey floating bathroom vanity complete with black drawer or cupboard handles and topped with a white sink with matching black tapware.

Elegant yet striking, this is one design any minimalist will love!

Rectangles and Waterfalls

Often fans of minimalist styles also love sharp lines and angles, with square cabinets and sinks. Few designs look as modern and visually pleasing as a square or rectangular floating vanity – rectangular sink included!

While traditionally sinks are curved and rounded, a sharp edged sink will transform your bathroom. Pair that with a waterfall style tap (maybe even one concealed behind the bottom of your square mirror) and you’ll have a super modern and breathtaking floating vanity. 

Curling Shelf

Not all floating vanity units need to include an incorporated cupboard and drawers. A curling shelf–made out of rich wood or a natural stone like marble–starts out of one corner of the room and runs the length of your vanity counter wall before dropping waterfall-like and then curling underneath.

This provides both top countertop space and a lower shelf for extra towels and soaps below. Super minimalist as it adds the least amount of extra material to your bathroom wall, it’s also ripe with potential for mixing and matching different sleek, minimalist styles and colours. 

Wall to Wall Shelf

Depending on the size of your bathroom you might want to consider a floating wall to wall shelf. Just like it sounds, this vanity is a simple stone or wooden bench that spans across the entire wall of your bathroom.

No cupboards below, optional open shelving above and you’re set with the ultimate in minimalist design. Couple this with a large frameless mirror on top, a free standing bowl-sink and even a chrome towel rail mounted below, and you’ve got a practical and stunning floating bathroom vanity. 

Large Vessel Sink

It might not be the most practical design but there’s nothing like the singular visual effect of a large vessel sink sitting on top of a free floating vanity unit. Big and bold yet simple in its style, there’s a lot to be said for this over-the-top style of sink. 

Glass Basin

While we’re on the topic of fantastic sink ideas, a see-through glass basin–rectangular of course–makes for an excellent adornment for a floating bathroom vanity. We recommend parking it with a dark wood counter or vanity unit rather than light colours. Whether or not you’d like to add an LED lighting strip to really bring the vanity to life however is up to you. 

Natural Stone

A natural stone floating vanity is an excellent way to maintain minimalism while infusing a depth and complexity within the vanity itself.

Whether you opt for a sink that’s incorporated within the vanity itself, choose a stone block sink without attached cabinetry or go for a classical looking vanity that’s simply made from natural stone, there are plenty of options for using stone in your floating vanity unit. 

For more natural stone vanities, click below:

• Travertine vanities
• Quartzite vanities
• Marble vanities
• Onyx vanities

Contact Us For More Floating Vanity Ideas

There you have it: floating vanity unit ideas for the modern minimalist.

Of course, there are any number of floating bathroom vanity designs and ideas and the Euro Marble team would love to help you find the perfect style to suit your home. Why not get in touch with us today? We’ll happily help you in a friendly, pressure-free way. 

Designing any aspect of your home, including an outdoor BBQ kitchen, is a balancing act between what you love now and what you or a potential buyer is going to love in the future. That’s why you can’t go wrong by going with a timeless design.

Outdoor kitchen areas are an extraordinarily versatile part of the house. Outdoor dining is basically synonymous with entertaining, socialising, family fun and BBQs. There are many different ideas out there for timeless outdoor BBQ kitchen designs, but we’ve curated the 14 top ideas to help inspire you. 

Colour Scheme Ideas

Which colour schemes offer a truly timeless quality to your outdoor BBQ kitchen?

Go For Grey

Grey is a surprisingly varied colour palette for use in interior or exterior home design, especially when using natural stones.

If you’re looking to incorporate a modern, minimalist feel to your outdoor BBQ and kitchen area without risking it dating in the future, a sleek and grey colour scheme offers the best of both worlds. Plus, grey blends in with just about any type of house styling, so it’s a smart choice no matter what sort of home you live in.

Bold In Black

Like grey, black is one of those design colours that is simply timeless.

It’s equally as sleek and modern as using grey but brings a boldness with it that’s sure to leave a lasting impression on guests and visitors.

Depending on your personal preferences, black can be used minimally in just the cabinet handles, BBQ area, wall panels or accompanying chairs and table, or it can be used liberally and infuse a characteristic mood into your outdoor kitchen.

White Walls

There’s a reason why white remains a popular colour scheme inside the home and out: it’s simple, understated and easy to complement with other design choices such as chrome outdoor kitchen benches or wooden pergolas and counters.

For a timeless feel, we recommend using white panels for your surrounding wall, outdoor table or even the kitchen cabinetry. This will add an increased sense of airiness and lightness to what is sure to be a hive of activity during the warm, summer months. 

Red Bricks

Red might stick out amongst the white, black and grey designs above but when used in the form of red bricks it can give your outdoor kitchen a truly timeless classic feel. Red bricks bring a connotation of family living and evokes warm comfort through its semi-rustic feel. All of which will only serve to make your outdoor kitchen and BBQ area that much more appealing.

Design Ideas

There are a million and one outdoor kitchen ideas and designs, but which ones hit that timeless brief we’re after?

Modern And Minimalist

Without going over the top with modern styling, a sleek and minimalist outdoor kitchen made from concrete or natural stone can’t go wrong. Sharp angles and edges coupled with a shiny BBQ grill, outdoor fridge glass, firepit centrepiece and metallic sink/tapware will give your outdoor kitchen a truly sophisticated aesthetic that won’t date.

Country Kitchen

Which part of the house seems more suited to evoking the feelings of country living than an outdoor BBQ kitchen? Think brick columns, wooden slats, string lights and earthy tones and colours, and you’ve got yourself a perfect country style outdoor area for living and entertaining. 

Southern-inspired Sophistication

Infusing your outdoor BBQ and kitchen area with a charming ambience is a great idea.

Whether you prefer to pair your kitchen area with stone or wooden floors or ceiling, a few classic wicker chairs, antique outdoor furniture and even an iron table will bring your kitchen to life with a sophistication inspired by southern aesthetics.

Rustic Look

Some people might not think there’s much of a difference between country, southern and rustic, but the devil is truly in the details.

The rustic outdoor kitchen and BBQ look includes rough stone walls, bare wooden flooring, and a pergola of stripped wood. Add to that a wall of reed slats, rustic chairs and outdoor couches and you’ve got a welcoming yet rustic vibe that transcends time.

Second-life Pallets

If you love the aesthetic and general message of recycling and repurposing materials, pallets are a fantastic way to go. Breathing a second life into pallets for use in your outdoor kitchen’s roof and walls is a cost effective, practical and delightful way of bringing character to your entertaining area.

Marble And Oak

Call us biased, but you don’t get anything better than marble. This elegant and sophisticated natural stone perfectly matches with stainless steel outdoor kitchen appliances and a stained oak outdoor kitchen bench, ceiling or walls. Sophisticated, timeless and beautiful – what’s not to love?

Feature Kitchens

As far as outdoor kitchen designs go, what sort of options are truly timeless?

Hideaway Outdoor Kitchen

Perfect for the practical and minimalist amongst you, a hideaway outdoor BBQ and kitchen area makes for a wonderful space when in use without sacrificing the clear and spacious aesthetic of a backyard area when not in use. Plus, there’s the added benefit of keeping your BBQ and other appliances protected and out of harm’s way when they’re not needed. 

Covered Pergola

A freestanding covered pergola or patio area will never look dated. Open on all sides it’s the perfect way to capture the practicalities of an outdoor BBQ and kitchen without losing the essence of what cooking and dining outside means.

There’s plenty of opportunity to incorporate other design styles too – one of the many benefits to a covered pergola kitchen.

House Extension

Timeless in its classical design and simplicity, an outdoor BBQ area and kitchen that seems to flow outwards from the house is a great option. There are plenty of practical benefits from the increase in proximity, but there’s also plenty of design opportunity by incorporating glass windows, walls and extra kitchen features.

Contact The Euro Marble Team Today

Whether you’re feeling inspired by our ideas above or still are unsure about where to start and what to choose, the Euro Marble team is always happy to lend a helping hand.

So, give us a call on (02) 8585 2999 and let’s talk all things timeless outdoor BBQ and kitchens today!