Rocky Mountain Anthracite by ORSOL sublimated on a Passive House
Non classifié(e) 31 Oct 2025
Photo credit: Nathalie POU
A Passive House, a lifestyle choice
Valérie and Patrice left Grenoble to realize an ambitious retirement project in Ollioules: the construction of a passive house passive house. Scheduled for completion in 2022, the house is a model of energy sobriety, thanks to its ultra-efficient insulation (30 cm of expanded polystyrene).
We have a colossal amount of insulation, which means we hardly heat at all in winter, and only use a little air-conditioning in summer.
The aim is to consume as little external energy as possible, while heating with the energy released indoors (household appliances, residents, etc.).
Le Parement ORSOL : La Touche de Caractère
Faced with a modern facade, mainly made of Viroc (wood-cement panels), the former Grenoble couple wanted a material that would bring texture and contrast. Their natural choice was stone, but in a lightweight material compatible with the structure.
Rocky Mountain Anthracite cladding was chosen for :
Its dry-stone look in linear bars offers a natural yet contemporary style.
Its light weight, essential for application on wood-frame facades.
Its Anthracite color is perfect for creating a striking contrast with the house’s gray siding.
Used on 78m² of facades, notably on the terrace of the garden-floor rental apartment, the result lives up to expectations.
We’re very pleased with the look of the ORSOL cladding, which blends perfectly with the grey cladding, bringing contrast to the façade.
The Ollioules project proves that it is possible to combine the performance of a passive house with the timeless elegance of stone, thanks to ORSOL’s lightweight, designer solutions.
Interested in the Rocky Mountain collection for your own contemporary façade?
30 years of excellence: ORSOL, the story of a French passion for stone
Know-how 07 Oct 2025
A symbolic anniversary: three decades of know-how
In the year 2025, ORSOL is proud to blow out 30 candles. Three decades of passion, innovation and commitment to an exceptional material: Neomineral stone.
Since our creation in 1995, our mission has remained the same: to offer you wall cladding that combine the natural aesthetics of stone with unrivalled ease of installation. This anniversary isn’t just a date, it’s confirmation that quality and French know-how continue to win over customers.
ORSOL DNA: quality from design to manufacture
At ORSOL, every product is a story of material, texture and color. Thanks to our expertise, we’ve become the benchmark in France for those looking for authentic style, without the constraints of natural stone.
The promise of “Made in France” siding
Choosing ORSOL means supporting 100% French production. Thanks to our local roots, we can guarantee traceability and strict quality standards, from the selection of aggregates to the finished product. It’s this dedication that has enabled flagship collections like Rocky Mountain and our best-selling Causse to stand the test of time.
We are constantly innovating to offer you ever simpler installation solutions, such as our lattice-mounted systems, which reduce site time and make cladding installation accessible to everyone, from professionals to private individuals.
Looking to the future: sustainability and inspiration
These 30 years are just a milestone. ORSOL’s future lies insustainable innovation.
We continue to invest in research and development to :
Improve the durability of our products, ensuring maximum longevity for your interior and exterior fittings.
Refine the realism of our textures so that each reconstituted stone is a work of art, difficult to distinguish from the original stone.
Meet environmental challenges by optimizing our manufacturing processes.
Many thanks to our partners and customers
This success is above all a collective one. We would like to extend our warmest thanks to our distributors, to our partner craftsmen for their loyalty, and to you, our customers, for the trust you have placed in us by choosing ORSOL to enhance your projects.
Look out for retrospective images on our networks throughout the year!
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A house in harmony with nature: Sylvie and Stéphane’s testimonial
Special stories 17 Sep 2025
Sylvie and Stéphane Hecq, master builders in Calvados, have been working in the construction industry for almost 20 years. When they decided to build their own home, their objective was clear:
We wanted to build a house that met the latest RE2020 standards, combining traditional know-how with innovation.
To achieve this, they chose a house made of wood, stone cladding and zinc, which blends in perfectly with its natural surroundings. They opted for ORSOL’s Causse collection, a natural-toned cladding stone that clad 90 m² of exterior walls, covering the driveway, entrance facade and terrace. The stone is reminiscent of the typical regional stones found on the Bessin plain.
For Sylvie and Stéphane, it was important that their home reflected their attachment to their region:
We wanted to live in a home that resembled our region, using quality materials.
Having known the ORSOL brand for several years, they made the choice for quality and lasting beauty.
We learned about ORSOL from an advertisement we found in a materials store four or five years ago. The product is beautiful, and lasts over time. All the houses we’ve decorated with ORSOL siding have always satisfied our customers. The rendering is very realistic,” they explain.
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Residential project in Fontenay-sous-Bois: architect Alexandre Ettori opts for ORSOL brick cladding
Architextures 16 Sep 2025
Photo credits: Thomas Behuret
Established since 2008 under the META-MORPH banner, Alexandre Ettori, a recognized independent architect, carries out a wide range of projects, from heritage rehabilitation to new-build, including industrial, tertiary, hotel, retail and multi-family housing buildings. His latest challenge: to design a family building comprising 7 rental units, in the heart of the suburban district of Fontenay-sous-Bois.
The project’s objective was clear: maximize the diversity of the residential units, while ensuring perfect integration into the existing urban fabric. The result: seven apartments, from studios to two-bedrooms, all different in typology, but with a uniform level of standing thanks to the selection of top-of-the-range materials.
For the facade, priority was given to naturalness and modernity. Alexandre Ettori chose ORSOL natural-tone brick cladding to cover 110 m² of facade. This material offers both depth and authenticity, with a contemporary architectural expression in harmony with the local environment.
“ORSOL brick brings a texture close to the old while integrating perfectly with the aesthetics of the neighborhood. It was the restorer who recommended ORSOL cladding to me, and I was won over by its natural look.”
The demanding installation, carried out by a single worker, guarantees optimum finish quality and perfect homogeneity. The ORSOL bricks were bonded to 12 cm of graphite polystyrene exterior insulation, meeting both thermal and aesthetic requirements.
Today, Alexandre Ettori readily recommends ORSOL brick cladding for new projects, seduced by its qualities and stylistic diversity. This project illustrates how the use of ORSOL cladding enhances the value of residential buildings, and is a strategic choice for architects seeking to combine authenticity and modernity.
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Embellishing your garden with stone cladding: uses and tips
Inspiration 31 Jul 2025
There’s much more to garden design than the choice of plants. It’s about organizing space, structuring circulation, composing volumes and materializing limits or uses. In this respect, stone is a material of choice. Its character, strength and versatility allow it to be used in a wide range of ways to personalize the key elements of outdoor spaces.
Low walls and pillars: a visual signature right from the entrance
For a contemporary housing estate, as for a character house in a rural area, the entrance area is an important threshold in the interpretation of the project. Installing low walls or pillars clad in stone helps define the transition point between private and public space, while adding unique architectural value.
Delineating space with elegance
Low entrance walls and stone-faced pillars help to structure access to the property, while at the same time asserting its architectural identity. They can frame a gate, support a fence or simply delimit the main access.
Integrating functional elements
Walls can be built in breeze-block or concrete, then clad with facing slabs for a hard-wearing finish. The addition of wall caps and corner elements in the same material ensures a harmonious result. Pillars, meanwhile, can be fitted with automatic gate operators or integrated lighting fixtures.
Renaissance pillar
Patio wall or privacy screen: creating privacy without stifling space
In urban or peri-urban settings, overlooking can have an impact on the comfort of outdoor spaces. Rather than a plant screen that takes time to develop, a privacy wall clad in stone cladding ensures the immediate privacy of a patio or terrace. The friendly charm of the material helps to avoid the feeling of compartmentalization.
Preserving the privacy of the private garden
Dividing walls and privacy screens with stone cladding are a durable solution that is both technical and decorative. They provide privacy while creating a warm atmosphere and respecting the natural setting of the outdoor space.
Creating harmony outdoors
Unlike a simple fence or blackout panel, a wall clad in textured stone creates relief, catches the light and contributes to the overall ambience of the garden. The material effect and natural nuances of the cladding create a strong visual dialogue with the surrounding vegetation.
Tips: to brighten up shady areas or enlarge a narrow patio, opt for a light stone finish in soft beige or grey tones, such as Orsol Causse stone in natural tone, or Manoir cladding in stone tone.
Shaded beige Causse
Stone planters: structuring plant space
Planters play a structuring role in garden design: they delimit zones, establish a hierarchy of heights and contribute to the overall plant aesthetic. The use of stone cladding can harmonize these elements with other garden walls.
Showcasing plants
Stone clad planters are ideal for structuring gardens and showcasing plants. They can be used to create flower beds, raised vegetable gardens or simply to add a touch of color and evolution to garden decoration with stone cladding.
Ensuring visual consistency
In both contemporary projects and regionally-inspired renovations, stone planters create a stylish continuity between buildings, paths and planted areas. Thanks to the modularity of the cladding slabs, it’s possible to adapt the shapes (square, rectangular, rounded) and dimensions of the stones for greater precision in the finish.
Fence wall: the regulatory garden boundary
The fence of a garden or property marks the separation, but also the identity of the site from the public space. Dressing a boundary wall with stone cladding combines charm and robustness, in keeping with traditional local architecture.
Securing and enhancing property value
A stone-clad enclosure wall is a durable, hard-wearing solution that enhances the overall appearance of your exterior. It provides security and privacy while blending seamlessly into the landscape environment.
Comply with current regulations
French regulations govern the construction and height of mineral fences. This means that, depending on the locally applicable PLU, you may be required to obtain a prior declaration of works.
Stone terraces: with reference to existing structures
Terraces are the heart of outdoor living. Choosing a material that is consistent with the architecture of the house is a prerequisite for successful integration. Stone slabs or floor coverings matching the vertical facings unify the whole.
Creating outdoor living spaces
Stone terraces provide a pleasant outdoor living space that stands the test of time (wear and tear, frost, UV rays, bad weather…). They blend harmoniously into the garden, extending the interior space outwards.
Choosing the right material
Easy to maintain, stone is a wise choice for terraces. It is weather-resistant and retains its appearance over time. Natural stone slabs and pavers add a touch of authenticity to any setting, and can be adapted to a variety of architectural styles.
The Orsol Neomineral stone cladding collection offers all the nuances and character of natural stone in an innovative, low-carbon cladding designed to last without maintenance.
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Authentic transformation with the Manoir ORSOL collection: Hervé’s successful bet for his home
Inspiration 29 Jul 2025
To give his home a unique soul, Hervé, an enthusiast of DIY, masonry and carpentry, set himself a major challenge: to build his house himself, from floor to ceiling. After letting his house “work” for a few years, Hervé decided in 2018 to sublimate its facades with ORSOL siding. His goal: to give his home a warm, authentic aesthetic. The challenge was met, with no less than 370m² of Manoir ORSOL stone to wrap the exterior walls and transform the house into a veritable architectural gem.
Hervé’s first visit to a specialist retailer was an instant success:
I was immediately hooked, the ORSOL stone is beautiful, I’ve had a lot of compliments and it’s very easy to install.
His natural choice was the Manoir collectioncollection, a reference reminiscent of the historic Burgundy stone so dear to the region. The result is stunning: many visitors are convinced they’re looking at an old building! On the advice of the sales assistant, Hervé mixes natural and sienna colors to create subtle nuances:
It’s a real eye-catcher.
For an authentic, top-of-the-range result, Hervé has taken care of every detail:
-Satisfied with his experience, Hervé chose to continue the ORSOL adventure and will soon be cladding his 60m² low wall with Manoir cladding and wall caps for a perfect finish:
–Manoir corner elements for a harmonious, seamless finish,
–Manoir door/window lintels and arches add character and elegance to every opening,
The stone is truly exceptional, and everything was perfect in every way.
The Manoir ORSOL Manoir collection reveals its full potential: authenticity, rich architectural detail, subtle play of color and simple installation. An ideal inspiration for anyone who wants to transform their home by enhancing every façade, window and low wall with the elegance of a stone that has stood the test of time.
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A contemporary villa in Bordeaux enhanced by Rocky Mountain cladding
Natural elegance at the heart of an architectural project
A contemporary villa in Bordeaux is a real eye-catcher. Imagined to reflect the values of modernity, conviviality and connection to nature, this home embodies the perfect blend of clean design, raw materials and authentic warmth. The choice of Rocky Mountain stone cladding was decisive in bringing this vision to life.
Modernity and authenticity: a perfectly mastered duo
From the very first sketches, the owners expressed a clear desire for a modern yet welcoming home that exudes serenity while asserting an assertive architectural style. The project was entrusted to Maisons BMC, a builder renowned for its expertise in custom-built homes.
“The choice of Rocky Mountain siding proved decisive for the overall aesthetics of the house,” explains Xavier Beaudru, Associate Director of Maisons BMC.
Rocky Mountain cladding: stone reinvented
Rocky Mountain cladding in Havana plays with volumes and accentuates the villa’s geometric lines. Its raw relief and mineral nuances add character while blending subtly with the wood elements and large glass surfaces.
This Neomineral stone cladding is also attractive for its ease of installation and maintenance, an invaluable asset for building professionals and homeowners alike.
A house bathed in light and open to the outdoors
Inside, natural light floods the living spaces. Thanks to an open layout and carefully selected materials, the dialogue between contemporary finishes and natural materials is expressed in every detail.
Rocky Mountain cladding can also be used in transitional areas – entrance walls, decorative partitions – extending the link between interior and exterior.
A Bordeaux home anchored in its environment
Nestled in a verdant setting, this contemporary home blends harmoniously into the local landscape. It illustrates a strong trend in architecture: the return to natural materials, thermal comfort and sustainable aesthetics.
Thanks to a careful choice of materials, including Rocky Mountain ORSOL cladding, this project proves that it’s possible to combine modern architecture, family warmth and timelessness.
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Embellishing your garden with stone cladding: uses and tips
Inspiration 06 Jun 2025
There’s much more to garden design than the choice of plants. It’s about organizing space, structuring circulation, composing volumes and materializing limits or uses. In this respect, stone is a material of choice. Its character, strength and versatility allow it to be used in a wide range of ways to personalize the key elements of outdoor spaces.
Low walls and pillars: a visual signature right from the entrance
For a contemporary housing estate, as for a character house in a rural area, the entrance area is an important threshold in the interpretation of the project. Installing low walls or pillars clad in stone helps define the transition point between private and public space, while adding unique architectural value.
Delineating space with elegance
Low entrance walls and stone-clad pillars help to structure access to a property, while at the same time asserting its architectural identity. They can frame a gate, support a fence or simply delimit the main access.
Integrating functional elements
Walls can be built in breeze-block or concrete, then clad with facing slabs for a hard-wearing finish. The addition of wall caps and corner elements in the same material ensures a harmonious result. Pillars, meanwhile, can be fitted with automatic gate operators or integrated lighting fixtures.
Patio wall or privacy screen: creating privacy without stifling space
In urban or peri-urban settings, overlooking can have an impact on the comfort of outdoor spaces. Rather than a plant screen that takes time to develop, a privacy wall clad in stone cladding ensures the immediate privacy of a patio or terrace. The friendly charm of the material helps to avoid the feeling of compartmentalization.
Preserving the privacy of the private garden
Dividing walls and privacy screens with stone cladding are a durable solution that is both technical and decorative. They provide privacy while creating a warm atmosphere and respecting the natural setting of the outdoor space.
Creating harmony outdoors
Unlike a simple fence or blackout panel, a wall clad in textured stone creates relief, catches the light and contributes to the overall ambience of the garden. The material effect and natural nuances of the cladding create a strong visual dialogue with the surrounding vegetation.
Tips: to brighten up shady areas or enlarge a narrow patio, opt for a light stone finish in soft beige or grey tones, such as Orsol Causse stone in natural tone, or Manoir cladding in stone tone.
Stone planters: structuring plant space
Planters play a structuring role in garden design: they delimit zones, establish a hierarchy of heights and contribute to the overall plant aesthetic. The use of stone cladding can harmonize these elements with other garden walls.
Showcasing plants
Stone clad planters are ideal for structuring gardens and showcasing plants. They can be used to create flower beds, raised vegetable gardens or simply to add a touch of color and evolution to garden decoration with stone cladding.
Ensuring visual consistency
In both contemporary projects and regionally-inspired renovations, stone planters create a stylish continuity between buildings, paths and planted areas. Thanks to the modularity of the cladding slabs, it’s possible to adapt the shapes (square, rectangular, rounded) and dimensions of the stones for greater precision in the finish.
Fence wall: the regulatory garden boundary
The fence of a garden or property marks the separation, but also the identity of the site from the public space. Dressing a boundary wall with stone cladding combines charm and robustness, in keeping with traditional local architecture.
Securing and enhancing property value
A stone-clad enclosure wall is a durable, hard-wearing solution that enhances the overall appearance of your exterior. It provides security and privacy while blending seamlessly into the landscape environment.
Comply with current regulations
French regulations govern the construction and height of mineral fences. This means that, depending on the locally applicable PLU, you may be required to obtain a prior declaration of works.
Stone terraces: with reference to existing structures
Terraces are the heart of outdoor living. Choosing a material that is consistent with the architecture of the house is a prerequisite for successful integration. Stone slabs or floor coverings matching the vertical facings unify the whole.
Creating outdoor living spaces
Stone terraces provide a pleasant outdoor living space that stands the test of time (wear and tear, frost, UV rays, bad weather…). They blend harmoniously into the garden, extending the interior space outwards.
Choosing the right material
Easy to maintain, stone is a wise choice for terraces. It is weather-resistant and retains its appearance over time. Natural stone slabs and pavers add a touch of authenticity to any setting, and can be adapted to a variety of architectural styles.
The Orsol Neomineral stone cladding collection offers all the nuances and character of natural stone in an innovative, low-carbon cladding designed to last without maintenance.
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Launch of the sample store: test ORSOL Neomineral claddings
New 27 May 2025
Test our Neomineral stone wall claddings before you decide. The new sample store opens the doors to the entire Matiera universe, which includes Orsol, Noviroc and Brikelia.
How can I order a sample of ORSOL Neomineral cladding?
Fascinated by the aged limestone look of CAUSSE cladding? Are you hesitating between the rustic charm of MANOIR cladding or the dry stone of the ROCA collection? Order your test Orsol products now from the Matiera store.
In the sample store, you’ll find all the leading products in the ORSOL Neomineral stone collections. Choose the product or products you’d like to see in real-life conditions. Up to two samples are reimbursed on presentation of proof of purchase in store or an installation invoice.
Our products are manufactured in the South-West of France and delivered to your door within 3 to 10 days via Colissimo. This means you can take your time to assess the suitability of the cladding in its installation environment, without disrupting your construction schedule.
We deliver to mainland France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Luxembourg, Italy and Germany.
Why test siding before you buy?
After 30 years of expertise, ORSOL is a trusted brand partner for building professionals and homeowners alike. Its collections reflect a wide range of expertise, each with its own unique authenticity. The best way to find the one that’s right for your project is to test it out by ordering from our sample store.
Evaluate actual rendering
The look of your cladding can change significantly from one environment to another, depending on exposure to natural light, color and the character of the surrounding structures and buildings.
Compare several options
Having the two samples side by side allows you to better assess the qualities of each. When the comparison is made under actual installation conditions, you can’t go wrong.
A store designed to simplify your projects
Ordering your samples from the Matiera boutique means enjoying a smooth, secure experience. Online payment is completely secure, and our refund policy is clear: up to two samples refunded on presentation of proof of purchase or installation.
Our sales team, based in France, is on hand to advise you and answer all your questions promptly. Unsure about a color? Hesitating between two collections? We’re here to help you choose the ideal cladding.
For architects and interior designers, samples are an excellent means of communicating with customers. Generally speaking, test products are reassuring. If it’s evaluated on the installation site, it can be convincing very quickly.
Test our facings, compare, plan, and validate your choice with complete peace of mind.
A natural, Mediterranean-style pool house thanks to ORSOL siding
Sophie has been living on the outskirts of Lyon for the past ten years, and has chosen to swap the hustle and bustle of Paris for the verdant tranquillity of the Rhône-Alpes region. In 2023, she launched a vast landscaping project with a clear objective: to rethink her 2,000 m² garden to make it a harmonious, functional and refreshing place.
A pool house for summer living
With an existing pool and increasingly hot summers, creating an attractive, shaded pool house quickly became a priority.
We needed a space where we could escape the heat, read quietly, entertain friends… and still enjoy this side of the garden.
Sophie is also keen to incorporate sustainable architectural choices, notably with a light-colored roof to reflect heat and maintain natural coolness around the pool.
TERTUS stone cladding for a rough, southern feel
To bring warmth and authenticity to the project, Sophie wanted to marry textures: wood, raw concrete and mineral cladding. After much research, she discovered ORSOL’sTERTUS collection , a wall cladding that perfectly imitates the look of natural dry stone, without the constraints of installation or the high cost.
I was looking for a seamless cladding with a raw, Mediterranean feel. The natural shade of TERTUS harmonized perfectly with the light concrete and wood already present.
Careful installation for a natural look
An experienced tiler carried out the installation, with a few adjustments to preserve the seamless effect while guaranteeing stability.
In the end, a light, almost invisible, recessed grouting was applied to fill in some of the gaps. The final result is superb!
Today, this ORSOL Neomineral stone pool house captivates visitors with its natural, contemporary and welcoming style. The recently installed wooden terrace further enhances the warm, elegant ambience around the pool.
ORSOL’s TERTUS collectionreally was an ideal alternative to natural stone, which was far too expensive. The result has exceeded our expectations.
Read also
The Tertus collection sublimates a pottery school in Corsica
