Stonework

I've always admired the use of natural materials like wood, brick, and stone in construction and decoration. When done well it gives an impression of beauty and solidity.

The first house that my parents bought, which we lived in until I was eight, had part stone and part brick exterior cladding with a tumbling rock garden in the front (which my mother spent many hours tending).

My grandfather's house had black slate tile on the kitchen floor.

My parents' current house has stone cladding all across the front, a stone front path, and a driveway made up of interlocking pavers.

I remember having a conversation with Dad while the house was still under consideration, in which he wasn't certain about the driveway.  "Paving stone can be troublesome," he said.  "The stones can heave and break over time, and they're awfully expensive to replace because you can never match them."

After seventeen years, there hasn't been one problem with the pavers.  The stone still looks as good as it was when the house was purchased.  That just goes to show how well it was installed.

If I'm ever so fortunate as to own a house, some of the criteria on my bucket list are: a stone outdoor patio, a rock garden, and a stone-surround fireplace.