7 Examples of Natural Stone Mosaic Borders for Any Room in Your Home
A room without a border is like a masterpiece without a frame. I like to think of natural stone mosaic borders in living spaces as the final embellishment that really frames a room into a beautiful masterpiece. For the luxury homeowner trying to make a grand impression, a border behind the marble countertops in kitchens and bathrooms give the room that extra bit of elegance that differentiates it from the ordinary. Natural stone mosaic borders also have an organic feel to them that is natural while distinctive and high-end. If you’re wondering how to include this design element in your next home remodel, here’s a list of seven natural stone borders to instantly beautify your home:
1. Scroll Borders
A wide range of colors and designs are possible when you cut natural stone into small mosaic pieces to use in borders. This type of technique using natural stone mosaic borders is what make ancient buildings jaw-droppingly beautiful, and they continue to enchant people even today. In the past, the mosaic pieces that were made of stone were for designs created for architectural projects, with glass and terracotta tiles used in ceiling mosaics that wouldn’t be trampled upon. Colored limestone may have even been substituted for marble when it was scarce or hard to get in the ancient world. Now, any luxury homeowner has the ability to use stone options using this ancient technique for borders in their own private bath, like this Tunisian Cassandra Scroll border.
Stone Mosaic Border - View Details>>
2. Carrara Marble Stone Molding
This marble is highly sought after for its subtle blue-gray veins that come from only one place on the planet - Carrara, Italy. It was used for sculptures in the ancient world. In the modern world, it can be used to create herringbone patterns that are accentuated by the delicate feathery marbling. However, it can also be used in the same design to create a three-dimensional sculpted border that instantly makes the kitchen backsplash stand out.
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3. Hone Slate Tile Borders
Slate has really come into its own with the way it is minimal, sharp, edgy in character. It is the perfect choice for a Zen-style minimalist bathroom that seeks that understated clean, edgy, elegance. Slate used in the bathroom as a border can be used as large slabs, as in this hone slate design, or it can be cut into more slender pieces and put together in a pattern that has a more mosaic feel.
Slate Mosaic Borders - View Details>>
4. Calacatta and Black Marble Borders
Many luxury homes have grand entryways that need a little something to give them that “grand” air. Marble is a good choice for a high-traffic area, and Calacatta marble can be used with black marble to create a traditional checkerboard pattern. The pattern not only creates instant drama, as if changing into a black-and-white tuxedo, but when the black board pieces are set along a diagonal, it also tends to visually open what otherwise can be cramped-looking spaces. Then, to frame it all, use a black marble border for the final touch.
Checkerboard Tile - View Details>>
5. Barroque Etched Stone Borders
New laser techniques have allowed stonemasons to etch the hardest of stones into delicate, precise, works of art. In etched stone you will see black and white patterns with scrolled filigree or floral designs. Used in a backsplash border in a bathroom, it makes a one-of-a-kind statement. If using it for the entire backsplash is too much, consider only using it as a thin border to provide a framing effect to your countertop.
Arabesque Tile - View Details>>
6. Bordo Antico Etched Stone Borders
New techniques like laser-etching don’t have to have to be only for modern designs. They can be used to invoke nostalgic prior times by the careful use of etching with traditional designs that are subtle instead of dramatic. Give the stone an antique, weathered, look and include the delicate scrolled etching, and you might even think you’ve landed back in a Tuscan villa of past times, but with all the modern conveniences of today's kitchens.
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7. Limestone with Pinwheel Mosaic Borders
Remember those little limestone-colored pieces they used in Greek and Roman public buildings? Well, limestone has never really gone out of style. It continues to be a popular choice for modern kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas. It even makes a great choice around a pool. Here, in this design, you can see the use of limestone as mosaic pinwheels that are highlighted with larger pieces of limestone too to create a floor and a matching border in a contemporary bathroom design.
Limestone Mosaics - View Details>>