In some ways, I am thankful that our home has taken 2.5 years to come to fruition. I have learned a lot about myself in the past couple of years, specifically, I have really come into my own design style. I am no longer afraid to branch out and try some unorthodox (for past Lanna) methods. I am not afraid to do things differently than the trends are highlighting.

This being said: I originally envisioned living in a white-painted brick home. When we were working with our architect, almost every inspiration photo I sent her was white brick, with wooden accents, and a black roof. I was convinced that I needed a crisp, white modern farmhouse that looked like all those beautiful ones I have admired in magazines and on Pinterest. Until I saw one in person. Then another. And another. I was a little blinded by the number of white brick homes I began to see everywhere. They felt like copy-and-paste versions of a trend that will fade in a couple of years and then what happens when everyone wants natural red brick again?

Click HERE to see what inspired my exterior.

Don’t get me wrong here: if you love white-painted brick exteriors, that is amazing, and I encourage you to explore that with your own home if that is what you wish. I still think they are beautiful. But, for me, seeing the same white brick all over every home made me want to do something…different.

So I started thinking about what I wanted our home to be for us. I want to come home every day and feel in awe that I am blessed to live here.

So I started thinking about what I wanted our home to be for us.

Enchanted, Dazzled, Delight…Captivated. Captivated and embraced by the feelings that home encompasses. Many of these feelings have been stirred ironically when I have been furthest from home and exploring places around the world. I have been captivated by European buildings that have stood for hundreds of years, wearing every scar and wrinkle with pride. I have been delighted as I have walked through old downtown shops full of stories. Oh-if buildings could speak, what would they say?

At first, I didn’t know how to achieve this feeling on the exterior of my home, but I knew I wanted every aspect of my home to reflect those feelings of enchantment that have brought me tranquility down to my core. I wanted to blend that old-world feel of comfort with modern design. So I began searching. I needed to keep a rock/brick design element because our foundation had already been poured with brick ledges. I immediately thought of Austin stone to give me texture, but too much yellow reflection in the sunlight. So my search refined slowly from white homes to gray stone.

And then I found Horizon Stone, a company out of Chattanooga, TN that manufactures thin stone veneer (it’s actually made of cement and coated to look like beautiful stone!)

Click HERE to view our exact stone selection

When I clicked on their site and started exploring more I read: “…blending the best of old-world stone structures and modern technology, we affordably offer the timeless look of stone with the modern convenience of custom manufacturing.” There it was. Old world. Modern. A perfect match in my books. And affordable?? I order a sample of their 19th Century Stone in Hermitage.

I also ordered some other stone veneer samples to compare because I was nervous this product would surely not live up to its more affordable cost (from the stone yard we purchased from it was $6.50/sq ft, and this was comparable to what we would have paid to have brick installed, then painted!) Let me tell you, none of the other stone veneers I ordered could hold a flame to the color and texture that was on the Horizon Stone sample board.

So we ordered it.

The delivery sat on our job site for 6 months before we finally got to the stage where our masons could install it. But let me tell you that when they were able to install I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Enchanted, Dazzled, Delighted, Captivated. And the masons even took the time to teach and show me how to lay the patterns and install the stone veneer myself, so while they definitely did 98% of the work, I can feel proud knowing that I had a hand in laying the stone of our forever home.

What’s even more exciting is the fact that we ordered too much stone! So we were able to also install it on our retaining wall, and even have enough to face the fronts of some add-ons we have planned down the road (Like a new barn and a workshop!) I cannot wait to continue to use this stone veneer as a way to tie our property together and to feel like we have brought a piece of history here, all while making our own.

FAQ’s

What is the difference between manufactured and natural stone?

Natural stone is made by nature and is quarried and cut into various shapes for different uses. Manufactured stone (also known as a stone veneer or cultured stone) is made of a cement mixture that is poured into molds and colored to look like real stone.

How much per sq ft did your exterior cost?

Prices may vary depending on the stone yard, your location, and cost inflation-but when we purchased ours it was $6.50 per sq ft.

What stone did you use?

Horizon Stone 19th Century in Hermitage

Are you going to use Horizon Stone again?

Yes! We have several additional structures planned (a workshop and a new barn) for our little homestead and I plan to use this stone veneer to tie all the buildings together!

I cannot wait to show you all more photos of our exterior as we get landscaping finalized! It’s going to be good. You can always stay up to date with the most recent updates on my Instagram: @TheRoostingPlace

Talk soon.

xx, Lanna