Natural stone is a great feature that helps connect your home to the site and I like your selection. However too many times I have seen stone used incorrectly and it looks cheap and nasty. If you are going to the added expense of applying a stone finish then don't shortchange yourself and regret not doing it properly every time you walk past it or are there enjoying your fireplace.

A couple of rules to go by with stone.

1. If you are going to make a feature of something the clad the entire feature not half of it, otherwise it will look like you ran out of money - how embarrassing!

2. Always think in 3D. Natural stone is a 3D material and should be applied to all exposed surface not just one. I have seen columns clad only on the street face and it looks so cheap. Trust me - don't go there. Paint it a feature colour and save up to do the job properly if need be, after all you deserve the best.

3. When applying the stone wrap it around the corner. DO NOT finish one face with a raw edge and start the next face - again it looks so fake. There are three basic ways that you can treat an external corner so it looks real.

(i) Mitre the corners so with half or 1/3 rd 2/3rds tiles or stone. You the start the second face with the balance of the sheet that when mitred to the first sheet looks as one solid piece of stone.

(ii) Finish the stone hard up against another element that will conceal the raw edge.

(iii) Select a stone that comes with a specially cut corner tile. These are usually natural stone that have been had the back specially cut out to form an "L" for the corner. ECO OUTDOORS offer a selection of stone walling with the corner stone. It may not be cheap but it sure looks good and saves you sitting in front of your fire saying "I wish we had spent the extra and done it properly. Trust me it will eat away at you for years to come.