Natural stone potent and pleasing

Lew French is a stonemason and author of “Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French” (Gibbs Smith, Publisher; $29.95). Here, he answers questions about selecting stonework for fireplaces.

Question: What unique qualities does custom stonework bring to a living environment?

Answer: There is a natural power to stone. Stone is basically the oldest thing on Earth. There’s something about stone that you can’t really describe. All over the world, stone has been used in really mystical ways. We don’t know the meaning behind how stone was used at Stonehenge, but we know that there’s this energy or power that we feel in the presence of stone.

I prefer stonework that doesn’t alter the stone. The majority of stonework today lacks a respect for the stone. That’s why, in my opinion, most stonework today doesn’t really work. Instead of using individual pieces in ways that showcase their innate qualities and that allow them to complement one another, stone is usually cracked, sawed and shaped to fit into some predetermined pattern.

I try not to alter the stone pieces I work with because I think stone is most potent when it’s left in its natural state.

What advice do you have for homeowners interested in adding custom stonework to the interior of their home?

Interiors tend to go in cycles. Something becomes hot, is used for X amount of years and then drops out. Then it comes back later on. Stonework has been around for a very long time, but it’s also gone through some cycles in terms of its popularity in recent years.

I’ve been doing stonework for 30 years and the reason I keep doing it is because I feel that when it’s done well, it really has an impact. When you’re considering what kind of stonework fireplace you want for your home, I’d encourage you to think not about what’s currently popular in terms of stonework, but about the lasting impact of your fireplace.

Most stonework that you see is nice, it’s pleasing when you first encounter it. But how long-lasting is that impact? Every time you walk into the room, does it still have that same presence?

A lot of stonework that I see doesn’t have a lasting impact. You might notice it the first time you walk into the room, but pretty soon it just blends into the rest of the home.

For me, good stonework is stonework that draws your eye every time you come into the room. It’s always this impressive thing when you see it. And achieving that is all about how you work with the materials, how you use the materials to their best advantage so that you’re creating and maintaining a balance. So that there’s a harmony to the patterns you create and the finished work.

If stonework is introduced into your house and the person who is actually doing the work isn’t sensitive to the characteristics that make the stone unique, then you can end up with a fireplace that just fades into the background. If the sense of scale or balance is off, then the results can be almost disastrous. You could end up with a fireplace with such a strong, dominant presence that it overwhelms the space.

That’s why it’s important to work with a stonemason who has a sense of design, of balance and of color. I’ve seen some fireplaces built with the dirtiest, ugliest stone I can imagine. I don’t understand why anyone would choose to introduce that material.