Creative Faux Panels

We take all of the comments and suggestions we receive to heart. That being said, we’re happy to bring you a much-requested new style of artificial stone panels called Fieldstone.

Fieldstone (also known as Flagstone) is characterized by its artsy, mosaic style. One very distinct feature of Fieldstone is that it comes to you in pieces made from 4 different molds, resulting in a less uniform and a more randomized, natural look. Flat stones of varying shapes and sizes are arranged organically, like natural puzzle pieces, creating a lovely, old New England feel, indoors or out.

Another important note about Fieldstone is that it is the only one of its style on the market that’s made of polyurethane – not concrete. So you’ll have no problem installing it yourself, no mason needed!

And as usual, we have tons of color options to choose from. Use Desert Sky’s mix of dusty reds and beiges to add warmth to your dining room, or the deeper grays and steels of the Smoke style to build a new fireplace.

As with the rest of our faux wall paneling and siding, you can install these all by yourself—or with a friend—without a mason. And the Fieldstone panels interlock both vertically and horizontally, just like a real tongue-and-groove installation. Check out more details and installation tips here.

Comment below with how you think Fieldstone will work to meet your decorating or remodeling needs, or post a review to help other readers make a choice. We want to hear from you – we really DO listen!

Entrance with Nailon Stone in Glacier White

There are two towns in the area where I live that are about six miles away from each other, yet virtually a universe apart when it comes to their building aesthetic. One of them is your classic New England village, with stately old whaling captain houses – lots of white wood and black shutters. The other is well…not. The majority of the town is covered in little summer cottages and restaurants that are every bright color you could imagine, usually in the pink and purple families. We’re not talking understated lavenders and roses here…

Exterior with Glacier White Nailon Stone

So shocking magenta or violet may not be your cup of tea, but the average white wood house isn’t really your bag either. You might want to consider the look of white brick or stone. White looks good with everything, no matter what your landscaping or surrounding areas look like, yet the texture can give your house that little something extra. And what a more perfect time to spiffy up your home’s exterior than spring?

Luckily faux panels are super-easy to clean, and if after awhile you feel like a change, they easily can be painted. You just might want to avoid that can of Pepto-Bismol pink.

Colonial White Nailon Brick

Craig W. from Florida completed renovations to his home prior to selling and sent in this photo of the house’s completed exterior with Nailon Desert Buff  faux stone siding. Craig’s finished result is an excellent example of a house with terrific curb appeal – attractive, tidy and ready to make a great first impression to prospective buyers.

 In addition to the fresh look of the installed paneling, you’ll notice a few elements of the front exterior of the home that would draw in potential buyers.

• The front door looks new and bright, with an interesting window detail in the middle to catch the eye.

• There is a nice mailbox with surrounding vegetation with the house number clearly visible.

• The bushes and flowers in the front garden are neat, well kept and symmetrical.

• The white stones bordering the flower bed and the walkway nicely set off the green grass.

• The white lattice on the right side is a nice visual touch while also hiding the gutter.

• Wind chimes hung by the door can create a nice welcoming sound for visitors – you should make your house appeal to all the senses after all!

Growing up in southern Connecticut, I lived in a charming old colonial built by a local blacksmith in the late 1700’s. As children do, I completely took for granted the two brick fireplaces, one in the formal living room and the other in the dining room, with the latter’s back end exposed through the kitchen wall. All that lovely old brick…

Now as an adult I live in a modern house built in the 1980’s that does indeed have a fireplace, but the only thing that surrounds it is a bunch of flat, ugly black metal. Not so inspiring. So how can I reclaim a little bit of that pre-Revolutionary New England charm without breaking my piggy bank? Fireplaces can act as the centerpiece of your home – I really want an inviting place for family and guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company.

Fireplace Before Photo

A recent customer, Bill Nalli from Moravia, New York, sent in these photos from his project using the Regency Stacked Stone faux panels. He’s surrounded a plain black fireplace just like mine with the panels, reinvigorating his entire sitting/television room. He wrote in that he installed the panels all by himself and had fun doing it!

Fireplace After Photo

Whether I go with a more traditional brick panel or try out the stacked stone, Mr. Nalli has given me hope that I can turn my own blah fireplace into something beautiful my kids can remember fondly when they’re grown up – and I won’t have to spend their college funds to get it.

Adding on to your house gives you more storage and living space while improving the value of your home. Anyone who has undertaken this kind of project knows that making the addition’s exterior blend with the rest of the house is super important. Otherwise you’ll end up with a patchwork monstrosity that will have your friends calling Ty Pennington and his crew for an Extreme Makeover rescue. Don’t be a DIY disaster!

Things to consider before you begin your addition:

• The materials on your current home’s exterior may no longer be available or prove too costly, especially on older homes. You may need to get creative on finding a similar-looking alternative.

• Your home’s current siding has most likely taken a beating over the years from various types of weather and climate. Keep this in mind when you’re selecting a color for the addition. Nice and bright probably won’t mesh well.

• There may be sections of the addition that are trickier to side than others. Be certain when choosing your materials that it can be relatively easy to install in ALL areas.

A good example of this conundrum is our customer’s addition to his existing brick building. According to Paul Reeves from Bethel, OH, installing real brick or rock in the space above the roof of the addition would have been logistically difficult. I would agree that schlepping heavy bricks or rock up a ladder and installing them above that sloped roof top would be precarious at best, not to mention costly.

Before

Luckily Paul was able to find a solution with forty-two of our Random Rock Potomac faux panels. Take a look at the final result photos below. We think they look great!

After - Close Up View

After - Full View