Pebble beauty

• Use small, natural rocks to add a quirky charm to a home.

Pebbles sound like nature’s stray rocks, useful for nothing except, perhaps, hitting things with. However, when used imaginatively, they add a natural charm to your interior décor.

You can use them to finish and decorate surfaces such as walls and tables, as contrast elements for indoor gardens, or even as part of flower, candle and potpourri arrangements.

Instead of replacing old furniture, pebbles may be used to transform it and give it a new texture and feel. This can be achieved by covering a hard piece of furniture like a table top or a seat using a layer of pebbles held in place by an adhesive or cement and concrete.

If you choose to make the pebble theme part of your fixtures, you can bond them on both small and large spaces of indoor walls and floors using coloured or plain cement depending on the desired effect.

For the artistic personality, a variety of smaller pebbles can be used to create a rare-looking mural. Really, your imagination is your only limit. The natural qualities of pebbles and their variety in colour and texture will guarantee an instant appeal.

Pebbles come in various colours such as white marble, black, brown, blue or even granite. One can also dye them a preferred colour so that they can blend in or contrast with the rest of the décor. They can also be polished or varnished for a contrast against or next to a rough surface.

Here is what you need to consider when thinking about pebbling your home.

Pebble arrangements

Loose pebbles in a vase can be an excellent table-top decorative. Pile them around an artificial flower arrangement to give it an element of the unexpected.

Alternatively, arrange them around a candle. Smaller pebbles can be piled around potted indoor plants and if you have a bonsai garden, pebbles will complete it.

They prevent the growth of weeds while allowing water to get to the plant roots. In addition to being decorative, pebbles used as pot toppers act as mulch as they retain water and also enhance drainage.

Pebble holders

A larger, loose pebble can be a unique candle holder. These single stones may be varnished so that they are more captivating. Have an artisan carve a hole in where you can stick a candle.

Soapstone pebbles can be used as storage for minute pieces of jewellery, and you can use beautiful, colourful pebbles as home-office weights.

The cost factor

Pebbles are naturally sourced. They can be found practically anywhere, but the best places to find them is along river banks, streams, beaches and yards.

You can collect them on your own and personally incorporate them into your interior décor for a cost effective yet beautiful addition to your home.

Pebbles have the best effect if they are used in their real shape and form, so there is no need to change their shapes or colour.