Slate can make any room look modern when used correctly. One of the most original ways to give your client’s home a contemporary feel is to use slate flooring in the kitchen, living room or even the bathroom. Although slate has a rustic feel, color combinations and unique designs can give it a high-end edge.
But slate flooring isn’t the only way that slate can transform your client’s house. We’ve compiled a list of 10 modern, original ways to use slate to revitalize your renovation projects.
Slate Flooring
Slate flooring is an effective way to upscale your client’s home. It’s available in a variety of beautiful natural colors that can be used together to create contemporary designs. If your client is looking for different textured floors, natural cleft face with gauged back slate flooring will give your client different feels underneath their feet.
With slate flooring, you can achieve whatever look your client desires. Whether they’re looking for grey & black sophistication or the modern rustic feel of bronze & red, there’s a slate tile for everyone.
Feature Wall
Feature walls, or accent walls, have become a booming modern trend. Because slate works well with stone cladding it’s often a popular material when it comes to creating sophisticated feature walls. Pieces of cut slate can be variegated to create natural looking walls with different colors and textures.
Because slate’s coloring is natural, the wall will still stand out as an art piece while not overwhelming the rest of the room. It can even be decorated with photographs or other items to make the room more personal.
Sloped Roof
Slate is a common roofing material but you can still use it to give a house a unique look. Instead of building a gable roof, slanting one side of the roof is more modern in appearance. Using one solid color will keep the house’s sophisticated atmosphere which you might not get if you use different colors like you would with slate flooring. You can even consider curving the roof to give it an extra contemporary feel.
Fireplace Hearth
A natural stone fireplace can make a room feel homely while it still remains modern. Slate can be used to create both smooth and textured hearths and because it’s fire resistant, it’s safer to use than many other construction materials.
If you have slate flooring, a slate fireplace might make the room feel too busy. You can avoid this by building a textured fireplace and pairing it with honed slate flooring in contrasting colors. This will give the room more balance.
Walk in Pool
Slate is weather resistant and waterproof which means it can also be used outdoors. You can use slate flooring to create a luxurious walk-in pool. Natural cleft face and back slate flooring is textured enough to prevent your clients from slipping as they wade into their pool.
Not only does it look beautiful, but your client’s pool can have a more natural feel. You can create a jungle feature in the midst of your client’s modern comfort.
Kitchen Backsplash
Another way to take advantage of slate’s water resistance is by designing a modern kitchen backsplash with slate tiles. Various slate colors can be used to reflect other natural stones used in the kitchen such as marble or granite. Because slate is waterproof, the client will be assured that their walls are protected.
If the backsplash is the only example of slate in the room, this can create a stunning stone feature that doesn’t detract from the beauty of stone countertops or floors.
Chalkboard Wall
Are you feeling adventurous? You can create a chalkboard wall for your client by covering an entire wall in solid black slate. It’s more expensive than chalkboard paint but slate is easier to clean and is long lasting. It’s a fun way to create a sophisticated feature for families with children.
The best part is that the black pairs well with the variegated colors of slate flooring so you can use both ideas in the same room to create a modern design. Not only is it trendy, but it’s practical as well.
House Number
If you have any tiles left over from your polished slate flooring job, why not consider making a modern house number for your client? All you need to do is cut the tile to an appropriate size and paint the house number on the slate in acrylic white paint. A little bit of varnish can protect the paint from weather damage.
Once you hang it up outside, your clients will have a charming house number plate that matches the aesthetic of their house. It’s a stylish way for your clients to impress their guests.
Exterior Wall
Who said that slate walls could only be used inside? Creating strips of slate tiles around the exterior of the house looks modern and also gives it more character. Not only does it look stylish, but the slate protects your walls as well, giving them more longevity.
Household Accessories
If your client only wants to incorporate slate on a small scale, you can always decorate the interior with modern slate design pieces. This can include slate cutting boards or trays in the kitchen as well as lamps or pencil holders in the study.
Black slate has a modern appearance when used in unique ways so this is where you can embrace your creativity and bring contemporary touches into your client’s home.
Conclusion
Construction is filled with contemporary designs so creating one that’s remarkable requires a bit of creativity. Slate flooring is one way that you can upscale your client’s home. The variety of colors and textures means that no two designs will ever be the same.
Any of these original building ideas can be used to create contemporary homes. All you need is a bit of slate & some imagination and you can leave your clients breathless so that they’ll boast about your skills for years to come.
So, which of these uses of slate convinced you to incorporate this material in your next modern building project?
