Lucera Hillstone, White Washed | Eldorado Stone
During a home renovation, you may have decided you want an exterior or interior focal point somewhere in the space. It could be the wall that houses a fireplace or that will be home to a gallery of art. It could even be the backdrop for beautiful cabinetry, as in a kitchen or bathroom. Regardless of why you want to create a focal point, there’s no better way to do it than by building a stone veneer accent wall. In this article, we explain what an accent wall is and the steps for building one wrapped in stone veneer in your residential or commercial setting.
What Is an Accent Wall?
An accent wall is a wall in a room that features a unique paint colour or veneer like stone, so that it looks different from all the others. Its purpose is to draw the eye of whomever walks into the room, so that their vision slides past all the other, more normal walls to hone in on and admire the one that stands out.
There are many reasons to create an accent wall instead of simply using artwork or furniture to create a focal point. One reason is accent walls create the illusion that a room is bigger than it actually is. They’re also a great opportunity to add a pop of colour or an interesting texture to the room.
Sanibel CoastalReef | Eldorado Stone
Beach Pebble Ledgecut33 | Eldorado Stone
Black River Stacked Stone | Eldorado Stone
How To Build a Stone Veneer Accent Wall
Here are the steps to build a stone veneer accent wall.
Step 1: Preparing the Build
The first step is preparation. You must determine which wall you want to make the focal point, create a design, and gather materials for an accent wall frame.
When creating a design for the frame, be sure to incorporate empty spaces for power outlets, light switches, hooks for artwork, etc. It’s important to make these spaces about 1 to 2 ½ inches wider on all sides of the openings, depending on how thick the stone veneer is, to account for stone veneer corners, which are sharp 90-degree angles. Leave 1 to 2 ½ inches of empty space around all sides of the frame, as well.
For materials, you can use 2×4 or 2×6 lengths of wood and plywood sheathing from your local home improvement store. The wood doesn’t have to be pretty, since it will be covered by stone veneer. You also need tools to measure and cut the wood to size and nail them together.
Nantucket Stacked Stone | Eldorado Stone
Step 2: Remodeling
The second step is the remodeling process. During this phase, build the frame and attach it to the wall you want to be the accent. Find the studs in the wall beforehand so you know where to screw in the frame.
Once the frame is built, face it with plywood sheathing to create a proper surface on which to apply the stone veneer.
Step 3: Choosing and Installing Stone Veneer
The final step is choosing and installing stone veneer. You also need to pick out a grout, as this is what you will use to fill the joints between individual stone.
Stone veneer and grout come in all kinds of different colours and textures. It’s important to pick the right combination, since this is not a step that is easy to redo once it’s complete. And because this accent wall is the focal point of the room, you want it to be aesthetically pleasing and set the tone for the rest of the interior design.
Below are examples of the same stone profile. One is stacked dry (left) and the other is grouted (right).
Casa Blanca RoughCut | Eldorado Stone
Stone Veneer Accent Wall Inspiration
Seeing how other accent walls stand out with stone veneer may inspire your own building project. In our Residential Gallery, you will find no shortage of designs with different combinations of stone veneer colours and textures.
Grand Banks Limestone| Eldorado Stone
Complete Your Accent Wall With Stone Veneer From I-XL
Building an accent wall creates a focal point and lends elevated taste to any room. The key to constructing one is to follow these three steps: preparation, remodeling, and choosing and installing the right stone veneer to complement the space.
Get in touch with us and let us help you bring your accent wall to life.
