If you’re like this homeowner, there comes a time that you look outside your window and wonder if there’s anything you can do to make your humble abode look a little less humble. Take heart! There’s a plenty you can do with a little imagination and some quality stone placed in just the right spots.

With what our post covers below, you’ll soon be on your way to enhancing your landscape and upgrading your home’s value using anyone of the following natural stones readily available.

Granite for the Outside Pool/Patio Areas

If you’re thinking exterior landscapes, you’ll probably want to add an outside patio area too. Whether for an outside pool area or a surrounding barbeque pit, you should be thinking about durability from the elements or something that withstands those possible stains from a Bloody Mary or ketchup spill. What better stone for counter-tops than pure granite?

Unmatched as the strongest of structural stone materials, its earth-rich colors and coarse grain designs make it a stone of choice for decorative as well as functional purposes. Of course, you could choose cheap ceramic tiles for floor covering; however, chances are they won’t last too long when your kids knock over the grill and crack the tiles.

On the other side of the coin, granite does need some maintenance and is fairly expensive. Furthermore, if the stone wasn’t properly sealed from the beginning, some stones may stain.

Slate for Exterior Walkways/Elegant Garden Areas

If you want to add a touch of class to your exteriors leading to the garden or yard, then weather resistant slate is the way to go for many homeowners and business owners too! Simply having cement or concrete is not, let’s face it, very attractive. If you’re living in areas of varied weather patterns, you’ll soon know that cement can get slippery, moldy and needs regular paint overs.

Not so with slate! With it’s own mother nature scheme of colors such as yellow, brown, dark gray, lavender, pink and every variation imaginable, you’ll soon be the talk of the town or your neighborhood.

More appropriate for enclosed garden patio areas and/or walkways leading up to or from the house, naturally textured layers of this quality stone make an ideal spot for meditation in your newly landscaped garden. Add some slate benches and enclosed walls with columns for semi-privacy, and you’ll be good to go!

Highly resilient and one of the most commonly used stones, slate nevertheless should be installed by only an expert. Slate, as granite, is not an inexpensive item and costs depend many times on the availability and locality of the manufacturer and destination of the stone.

Travertine for Garden Fountains/Walls

If you’re into having a more elegant feel to your exteriors, why not add a fountain? When dealing with travertine stone, nothing gives a more antiqued look. Extremely versatile inside or out for working of tiles and pavements, this stone was primarily used in construction projects in ancient times and so it continues until this day. When beauty is a prime consideration, going travertine may do the trick!

Bearing a reputation for not having longevity, travertine continues to grow in popularity and hasn’t deteriorated any since the Trevi Fountain in Rome was built 300 years ago. Withstanding earthquakes, WWII bombings and even giggling tourists, it durability stands a testimony to its quality.

Cost-wise and compared with either slate or granite, or even marble, travertine doesn’t pan out as being that expensive an option. Generally, marble sells from $4 to $35.00 per square foot; however, travertine sells for about $2.50 per square foot in many supply houses.