Set in the rolling countryside of Aberdeen, this exceptional new-build home is a stunning example of how Norstone’s natural stone cladding systems can elevate modern architecture. Designed with a confident mix of clean white render and richly textured Charcoal XLV Rock Panels™, the property radiates a sense of strength, permanence, and refined elegance — a hallmark of Norstone’s premium cladding collections.

The project demonstrates a perfect marriage between natural materials and contemporary design. The homeowners sought a solution that would deliver both impact and authenticity — a finish that feels timeless yet distinctly modern. The result is a residence that captures the essence of understated luxury through the use of Norstone’s finest stone cladding panels.

The home’s front façade features generous sections of Norstone Charcoal XLV Rock Panel™, a large-format version of Norstone’s renowned Rock Panel system. Favoured by architects and designers for its bold, blocky structure and substantial depth, the XLV range creates a striking three-dimensional surface texture that draws the eye and enhances architectural lines.

The panels have been expertly installed across the main external elevations and continue seamlessly around external corners using Norstone’s precision-engineered corner units, ensuring a professional, continuous finish. The darker Charcoal tone introduces depth and contrast against the lighter render, adding visual interest while grounding the building naturally in its landscape.

The tactile stone texture not only enhances the aesthetic but also brings long-lasting durability — ideal for the often-challenging Scottish climate. Norstone’s commitment to quality and consistency ensures that each panel, hand-assembled from select pieces of natural stone, contributes to a cohesive, high-end finish.

Complementing the XLV stone cladding panels, the project incorporates Norstone’s latest innovation — Charcoal Stone Cladding Reveals. These finishing elements are designed to provide a refined edge solution around architectural openings such as doors and windows.

In this project, the Charcoal Reveals frame the entrance doorway and form striking vertical separators between cladded and rendered sections, running from ground to roofline. This clever use of the reveals not only achieves a neat and precise junction but also contributes a sense of structural rhythm and architectural balance to the façade.

Manufactured to the same high standards as Norstone’s Rock Panel systems, these stone cladding reveals are bush-hammered on the leading and facing edges, creating a complementary texture that harmonises beautifully with the XLV panels. The result is a flawless, professional finish that exemplifies Norstone’s attention to detail.

The combination of Charcoal XLV Rock Panels, Charcoal Reveals, and white render strikes a perfect balance between natural ruggedness and modern simplicity. The façade appears both bold and timeless, its layered composition giving the home an architectural presence that feels organic yet meticulously designed.

This approach — integrating stone cladding panels with render or timber — is increasingly favoured in contemporary UK homebuilding, offering texture, depth, and natural character while maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic. The Aberdeen home is a prime example of how this design philosophy can transform a property into a statement of sophistication.

This Aberdeen residence showcases how Norstone products can completely redefine the appearance of a property — creating an exterior that is both welcoming and architecturally impressive. Whether used across full façades, feature walls, or as accent detailing, Norstone’s Charcoal cladding delivers impact through texture, tone, and craftsmanship.

For those seeking luxury stone veneers, stacked stone tiles, or architectural stone cladding panels, Norstone offers an unmatched range of options — all precision-cut, modular, and designed for easy installation. With solutions suited to both residential and commercial environments, Norstone continues to set the standard for excellence in natural stone design.

At Norstone, every stone tells a story of craftsmanship, quality, and design excellence.
From concept to completion, Norstone provides architects and homeowners with the materials needed to achieve truly outstanding results.

Get expert guidance by calling Jack on 07843 054 505, request a quote or order a sample today.

At Norstone, we are proud to see how our stone cladding products are used to elevate homes and landscapes across the UK. A recent project in Kent showcases the versatility and beauty of our cladding systems, with two distinct applications creating a truly striking result.

This private family residence is a large, modern property finished mainly in white render, surrounded by landscaped gardens. The homeowners wanted to add natural texture and architectural detail that would both complement and enhance their home’s design. By selecting two Norstone cladding ranges – Aksent™ Platinum Lavastone panels and Slimline (SL) Rock Panel™ Charcoal cladding – they achieved a bold, contemporary aesthetic that transforms both the house frontage and the garden setting.

While the house itself is enhanced by Aksent™, the landscaped gardens make use of another Norstone product: the Slimline Rock Panel™ system in Charcoal.

The homeowners created a substantial stone cladding garden wall that frames the transition between two levels of the garden. Alongside wide stone steps, the cladding defines the boundary between the upper and lower areas, creating both a functional retaining wall and a stunning architectural feature.

The natural splitface texture of the Charcoal SL panels contrasts beautifully with the sleek white render of the stair walls, producing a modern, layered look that ties together hard landscaping, greenery and architecture.

Norstone’s Slimline Rock Panel™ collection is designed to provide the same quality and craftsmanship as our flagship XLS panels, but with a lighter, thinner profile and a more accessible price point. Originally developed for commercial projects, the SL range has become increasingly popular with homeowners thanks to its flexibility and affordability.

Advantages of the SL range include:

• Slim Profile: At just 15–30mm thick and around 48–55 kg/m², SL panels reduce structural weight.
  
• Economical: Lower material usage means significant cost savings without compromising on quality.
• Handmade Craftsmanship: Each panel is assembled from 15–18 carefully selected stone strips, ensuring unique texture and natural variation.
  
• Reduced Waste: Thanks to the modular panel system and interlocking design, installation waste is typically under 10%.
• Versatility: Perfect for external walls, boundary walls, landscaping and garden features.

In this Kent project, the Charcoal colourway was the ideal choice to provide a striking contrast to the property’s render and paving, while complementing the lush garden surroundings.

The most dramatic feature of the project is the use of Norstone Aksent™ Platinum Lavastone panels and corners on the central section of the front elevation. Running from the base of the house right up to the roofline, the stone cladding creates a striking stone cladding feature wall that defines the property’s façade.

This central column of stone incorporates the porch area, making it a focal point on arrival and giving the house an immediate sense of scale, solidity and prestige. Against the smooth, bright white render of the rest of the building, the textured silver-grey tones of the Lavastone provide a perfect contrast, adding depth and interest to the modern architecture.

The Aksent™ range is distinct from traditional stacked stone cladding in its design and finish. Made from natural lava stone, each panel is precision-cut and arranged to form a modular tile system that delivers clean lines and a refined, contemporary aesthetic.

Key benefits of the Aksent™ panels include:

• Volumetric Design: Subtle 3D depth variations create shadow and movement across the stone surface.
• Durability: Lava stone is a naturally robust material, ensuring long-lasting performance in all weather conditions.
• Ease of Installation: Supplied as modular panels with corner pieces, the system simplifies fitting while maintaining a seamless finish.
• Sophisticated Colour Options: Platinum, Ebony and Silver Grey finishes allow for versatile design choices.

In this Kent home, the Platinum finish was the perfect choice, delivering a cool, elegant tone that balances the crisp white render. The result is a feature wall that exudes contemporary style while grounding the property in natural materials.

What makes this project especially interesting is the way two different Norstone ranges were applied to create cohesion across the property.

• On the house, the sleek Aksent™ panels deliver a refined, architectural statement.
• In the garden, the rugged Slimline Rock Panels add natural drama and ground the landscaping.

Together, these applications demonstrate the breadth of design possibilities with Norstone cladding. Whether used as a stone cladding feature wall on a façade or as a stone cladding garden wall in landscaping, the result is always one of elegance, durability and timeless appeal.

Projects like this highlight why stone cladding remains such a popular design choice. With Norstone’s range of systems, homeowners, architects and designers can achieve:

• Architectural Focus Points: Bold features that define entrances, façades and key spaces.
• Texture and Depth: Natural stone creates shadows, patterns and tactile surfaces that enrich modern design.
• Indoor and Outdoor Flexibility: From fireplaces and interior feature walls to garden landscaping and exterior façades.
• Ease of Installation: Pre-assembled panels and matching corners ensure efficient, precise fitting.
• Durability and Longevity: Natural stone that withstands time and climate.

For the Kent homeowners, choosing Norstone provided not only visual impact but also the reassurance of a product designed to last and perform.

The completed home is a showcase of how natural stone cladding can transform a property. The Platinum Aksent™ feature wall makes a bold architectural statement on the front elevation, while the Charcoal Slimline garden wall frames the landscaped grounds with dramatic effect.

Together, they balance refinement with rugged natural character, creating a cohesive look that complements both the house and its surroundings.

At Norstone, we are delighted to see how our stone cladding ranges have been used to such powerful effect in this project, and we look forward to inspiring many more homeowners and designers across the UK.

Stone cladding is one of the most effective ways to add value, character and beauty to a property. The Kent family home demonstrates how combining different Norstone ranges – the sleek modernity of Aksent™ Platinum Lavastone with the textured depth of Slimline Charcoal Rock Panels – can elevate both architecture and landscaping.

Whether you’re planning a stone cladding feature wall to transform your home’s façade or a stone cladding garden wall to enhance outdoor living, Norstone offers the perfect solution.

Project:
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
 
Overview:
The John Anderson Building, Rottenrow East, Strathclyde University. Features Grey Basalt Planc stone cladding linear strips applied to exterior façade.
 
Installed almost 10 years ago, the Grey Basalt Planc™ is an innovative product still unique to this day, given its dense, polished basalt finish and its precision machine cut edgings. Strong and yet relatively lightweight with 12mm thickness, it consists of sets sizing 800mm in length and heights of 140/80/60mm wide. The uniform and consistent colour of the grey basalt material delivers a timeless look that is modern, smooth and low maintenance.
 
Choosing a quality Norstone® cladding solution ensures that a building’s façade appearance will remain clean and impressive for years to come. Planc™ - it stands the test of time.
 
Don’t accept cheap, inferior substitutes, if it matters, choose Norstone® stone cladding.

About the Client/Project:
https://www.strath.ac.uk/
 
Strathclyde is a multi-award-winning university in the heart of the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as 'A Place of Useful Learning', Strathclyde is a leading technological University with around 30,000 students from more than 140 nations.
 
Benefiting from a £12 million refurbishment project to develop cutting-edge facilities for advanced laser and plasma physics research, the John Anderson Building is the home of the Department of Physics. The facility boasts a series of specialist bunkers – which have seven tonne, 1-metre-thick doors. They house some of the UK’s most powerful lasers which help university scientists undertake ground-breaking research.

In the world of natural stone cladding, Norstone has emerged as the shining star, setting unparalleled standards of quality, service, and customer satisfaction. Their recent delivery of Norstone PLANC™ stone cladding to a new project in Poole, Dorset, serves as a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence.

The recent delivery to Poole, Dorset, showcases Norstone's dedication to ensuring that their high-quality stone cladding and installation supplies reach their destination in perfect condition. Using an articulated lorry for high-volume orders demonstrates their meticulous approach to logistics. The choice of transport is not arbitrary; it's a deliberate decision made to guarantee the safe arrival of the stone cladding, preserving its pristine quality.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Norstone is their unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction. Their success is not solely measured in sales figures but in the smiles of satisfied customers. They take pride in being a part of projects that transform spaces into works of art.
 
Norstone's commitment doesn't end with the delivery of their stone cladding. They value feedback and continuously strive to improve their products and services. It's this customer-centric approach that has earned them a reputation for excellence in the industry.
 
In conclusion, the photos showing Norstone's recent delivery of PLANC stone cladding to Poole, Dorset, are not just another delivery—they are a symbol of their commitment to quality, service, and customer satisfaction.

Their dedication to ensuring safe and pristine deliveries reflects their attention to detail. Norstone's stone cladding products are unrivalled in quality and elegance, setting them apart as a top choice for projects of all sizes. With warranties that offer peace of mind and a customer-centric approach, Norstone is not just a supplier; they're a trusted partner in the world of stone cladding.

Choose Norstone for your next project and experience excellence like never before.

Some people think with Stone Cladding you just put it on a wall…..WRONG.

As the video clip shows there are no ends to the benefits and opportunities of Norstone stone cladding. Truly, our products are only restricted by the skilled tiler installing or the  Architects/Interior  designers imagination. There are endless possibilities.

In this amazing example, the Norstone Aksent™ basalt stone cladding tiled panels are machine cut with precision, giving the installers the possibility to adapt it to any project requirement. Secret doors, that may hide that prized Wine Cellar, Library…the options are endless. Special hinges are used and in stalled to take the weight. The look becomes seamless.

After viewing the clip, you might wonder why has this not been done before...

We don’t know…but what an innovation, especially when you don’t want a door to interrupt the flow of a Norstone wall.

Design is about innovation. That's what we love to encourage, hence the reason to share the video clip.

Enjoy and marvel!

Today's Architects love to push the boundaries, and in the case of Rhombus Corners, these are also changing shape.  Traditionally, corners are 90 degree vertical structures, but sometimes designs call for sloping (Rhombus Corners) rather than sheer vertical angle. Luckily, this complex effect can now be installed using our high quality Natural Stone cladding systems.

As the photos above show, with skilled tilers, Rhombus Corners can be installed using the Norstone Classic Rock Panel™. We already offered our time-saving interlocking fingerjoint corners, and now our rock panel cladding system can also be applied to angled corners for sloping walls and vertical stacks such as this chimney.

If your Project requires Rhombus Corners, talk to us at Norstone, and we will help achieve your dream design.

The versatility and ease of installation of Norstone stone cladding is something that is highly valued by architects and designers from all spectrums of interior and exterior design industries and today we are proud to showcase a very attractive use of Norstone SLIMLINE (SL) Rock Panel™ cladding.

Aspen Lodges Ltd is a small company based in Wickersley who serve the South Yorkshire region. They specialise in the design and build of unique timber framed and SIP panel garden buildings. 

The Ochre slimline stone panel cladding, supplied by Norstone, was specified on this building along with the other high specification materials to create a stunning garden room and a nod towards the mid-century modern style.

Aspen Lodges would be happy to discuss your next garden room project and can be contacted on 07447000079.

Or you can view their gallery of additional projects at: www.aspenlodges.co.uk.

As the gallery above demonstrates, our cladding works beautifully with the timber and the large glass frontage, delivering a stunning look and with Norstone's unique fingerjointed corners, the installation process for wrapround corners is a straightforward process.

If you are considering an outdoor garden building, we hope you have been inspired!

We're always on the lookout for great projects that use Norstone's high quality cladding in real-world projects. In this blog, we are focusing on Parr Construction, based in Stockport, who have recently completed the High Lane project, above.

An ultra modern property with an imposing scale, the High Lane house is a very attractive design with a well chosen palette of materials and finishes. Our fantastic slimline charcoal Rock Panel™ cladding is complimented with quality stone cills, contrasting with  crisp white K-Rend. The sophisticated façades on the property are further enhanced by seamless Cedral cladding and a luxurious cantilevered lead roof (have a look at the project photo gallery below to get the full effect).

The final result is stunning - we're sure you'll agree.

The Parr Construction team have expertly installed the rock panel cladding with brilliant detail and attention, making sure it is an integral part of the overall project, as well as giving the property a standout wow factor upon arrival.

You can find out more about Parr Construction's services and latest projects over on their Facebook page and also on their website, http://www.builderinstockport.co.uk/

One of our clients recently contacted us with the following lovely feedback and also gave us a very helpful guide to how they installed Norstone Rustik™ Stone Cladding to an expansive garden wall at their property:

"I apologise I have not got in touch with you sooner, I have some time off at the moment to catch up and send you our photos and brief blog of our finished Rustik™ Stone Cladded wall. We have had such great feedback from everyone that has seen the wall and my wife has had a local magazine wanting to come over in the New Year to do a piece on our property where we will be recommending the stone from Norstone."

The client's real-world installation guide:
Firstly I fitted a capping on top of the block retaining wall with a 100mm overhang, approximately. This was so I could allow a Led strip to be fitted underneath without being seen.

I then tanked the retaining block wall with a tanking slurry to damp proof, giving the wall two coats and left to dry completely over a 2 week period, I used KA tanking slurry.

I then mixed adhesive with latex additive to make a durable adhesive. I then serrated the wall using a 10mm notched trowel. I buttered the back of the rustic stone panel with a thin layer of my adhesive and applied to the wall using pressure.

I was coming off of a level floor so I used 4mm spacers to put the first line of panels on so they wouldn’t sit on water. I just worked my way up the wall, applying the key stones as I went.

Some of the panels were slightly sizey so I had to adjust using an angle grinder. Once the job was complete, we allowed 24 hours to set.

We applied 2 coats of natural stone sealer on the stone to hopefully prevent any future greening, so far so good. It made the stone look slightly darker, which we liked and brought out all the stones natural veins also, which I think gave it more character.

Do you want to see how to prepare and install Norstone’s incredible natural stone cladding in real-life projects?

Our American division has partnered with popular Youtuber HandyDadTV to create a video that showcases the amazing Planc™ Platinum Lava Stone cladding system. In this video, created in conjunction with Norstone USA, HandyDad looks at various ranges of Norstone stone cladding and explains why he choose a modern tiled cladding effect over a more traditional stacked stone style.

In this clear and instructive video, he guides the viewer through the process of installing Planc™ Platinum  stone cladding tiles onto a fireplace surround with a range of top DIY tips and guidance for best tools and gear to get the job done! Whilst the video is created with a US audience in mind, the technique and process is exactly the same for installing Norstone over here in the UK too. If you choose Norstone cladding, we would recommend suitable mounting materials and adhesive/sealants options that you can source within the UK which match up to those shown in the video.

For more guidance and any questions on the installation, please contact us; we'd be happy to help!

More awesome HandyDadTV videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/smalltal...
HandyDadTV website: https://handydad.tv/
Follow HandyDad on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @HandyDadTV