Natural stone is the stuff of history, making appearances on the great monuments around the world. Limestone, specifically, is seen on many famous structures, including the Egyptian pyramids and the Empire State Building. Just as it adds to the appeal of these structures, limestone will enhance your home with its numerous qualities. What’s more, its subtle look ensures limestone tile will remain stylish, even as trends come and go. As you look into limestone tiles, check out this guide for selecting products based on style:
Where to use limestone
Think about where you plan to install limestone tile. The space in which it will go can help you choose the best format for the location. With that in mind, here are popular places to use limestone tile:
Floors
Whether in your bathroom, living room or kitchen, limestone tiles make a stunning natural stone flooring option. Its warm hues brighten any space, inviting you to enter.
Walls
Apply limestone tiles to your walls to add character and luxury to your home. Backsplashes, shower surrounds and fireplace surrounds can all benefit from the natural grace of limestone wall tile or mosaics.
Patios or pathways
Create a relaxing outdoor space by using limestone pavers. Their texture and color will feel at home in your garden – they are natural stone, after all.
Limestone color options
A sedimentary rock that often features fossilized patterns, limestone offers its own unique look. Generally, most limestone is pale, but darker shades do exist, depending on their composition – clay, sand and other organic materials present in limestone can impact the stone’s neutral coloring. Whichever tone you choose, limestone will perfectly compliment just about any other color, so you never have to worry that your style choice clashes with other finishes in your home. Here are some of the most common colors of limestone:
Beige
Beige or tan limestone offers more warmth than stark white options. These tones easily pair with just about any decor.
Ivory
Another off-white shade, ivory has a creamy look sure to brighten your room.
White
Like your spaces to feel clean and fresh? Then white limestone is the tile for you. It instantly adds light to rooms and gives these spaces that new, refreshing feel.
Gray
For a bolder statement, check out gray limestone. It will fit in with any contemporary space, whether it’s your kitchen, foyer, fireplace or bathroom.
While these are general shades of limestone, each tile will vary in appearance, texture and grain. Natural stone is subject to the conditions in which it formed, so one tile may be darker than the next.
Adding texture with limestone
Many homeowners choose limestone because it often has fossilized patterns. Small shell fragments and other fossilized debris are part of limestone’s make up. While you can’t guarantee your limestone will have such character, you can choose the grain and finish of your stone tiles.
Grain
Grain refers to how rough or smooth the stone is, and limestone spans from fine to coarse. The spot on the spectrum you choose ultimately comes down to preference.
Edge
Limestone tiles come in both straight and chiseled edges, letting you further customize the look of your space. Straight edge feels modern and sleek, while chiseled appears rustic and homey.
Pattern
If you purchase limestone tiles, you can select sets that either have uniform or varying sizes, allowing you to create different patterns in your home. Even with uniform pieces, you can align rectangle formats to create a subway-tile look.
Of course, you can always cut limestone tiles to make a pattern of your own design. Just make sure you have the proper tools to do so and know how to safely use them.
As you can see, limestone provides you with numerous style and placement options to really put a personal mark on your home’s design.