The beauty of stone.
Stone is old; it’s completely natural; it has natural beauty; and it lasts a very long time…. (so is environmentally friendly?) In any case, like wood, or leather, or wool, or silk, it is a natural material, and has natural beauty. Whatever you make with it, it will retain that natural appeal. Whether it’s a stone fireplace, some stone stairs, a pair of gate pillars or a grand statue, stone makes something beautiful to behold.
Making a stone fireplace is a pleasure, as is making anything from a natural product. The skills involved have invariably been passed down over hundreds and thousands of years. Stone fireplaces and stone stairs are always add something special to a home.
Stone is practical too! A stone fireplace won’t wear out for many generations, if ever! They will carry the scars of a hard life, and yet that will only make them even more beautiful. Most natural materials take on a wonderful patina as they get older, and stone (and oak) are probably the best materials at doing that. A stone fireplace in an ancient house, stained with the smoke of tens of thousands of roaring fires, is an inspiring thing.
There are stone stairs in equally ancient houses, that show the scars of armour clad knights’ boots and the marks of musket shot; perhaps from the civil war, perhaps from the wars of the roses. Who knows! Truly inspiring things to see.