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Tips for transforming your terrace into a pleasant space

Inspiration 05 Mar 2024
Façade de maison en parement Tertus à côté d'une terrasse en bois et d'une piscine creusée, à proximité d'une plage.

The terrace is a sometimes underestimated architectural feature. Whether covered, natural, angled or in the form of a balcony, it offers you the comfort of indoor-outdoor living, so you can enjoy fine days and balmy summer evenings. It’s a living space in its own right, an extra room in the house, and can be transformed into an idyllic place for entertaining friends and family.

When we think terrace, we often think floor: wood, washed concrete, waxed concrete, natural or reconstituted stone, etc. Walls are not to be excluded! When well matched, stone walls can set off a terrace floor and transform its atmosphere.

Discover our tips for creating a space that reflects your personality.

Looking for nature and softness?

Choose our stone-to-stone cladding collections. In a limestone and rubble stone style, CAUSSE and MANOIR are the natural choice. They’ll bring a touch of country chic to your terrace and blend easily with rendering, wood and metal. Vegetal notes will enhance the stone and accentuate the natural look of your terrace. Soft colors in satin and matte paints, applied to woodwork or decorative elements, finish the look perfectly and give it a more contemporary feel.

These stones, very popular with our customers, are easy to install. These ranges are among our most popular DIY products.

Causse natural tone
This magnificent urban patio draws part of its charm from this beautiful wall clad in natural-tone Causse cladding. Designed by FAAR PAYSAGE.

Natural-tone Causse stone warms and softens the industrial ambience of this architect-designed patio.

This superb terrace in natural MANOIR stone with beige joint has an air of the countryside about it.
Natural tone manor house

Need to stand out from the crowd?

The TAHOE collection in its rocaille hue is made for you. With its unfinished look, this cladding stone will elegantly dress your walls and lend a contemporary yet warm ambience to your terrace.
With its slab format and specific layout, the TAHOE range can be laid with or without joints, depending on the conditions. The different shapes of the cladding slabs enable walls to be clad to perfection without distinction of joint and without creating horizontal and vertical lines. Walls are clad in a natural, unadorned look.
Prefer OLYMPE cladding in a clay tone? Dare to use minimalism and smooth materials such as glass and metal to create a harmonious mix of textures. To create a striking contrast, combine rockwork with light, fine-grained plaster. Discover our report “Chez Alain et Sabrina, La catalogne au coeur du Lubéron” and the sumptuous villa adorned with terracotta cladding.

Outdoor wooden terrace with furniture in front of a modern house clad in Tahoe cladding in a rocky tone
TAHOE stone reveals its wild side on this minimalist, contemporary terrace.
Tahoe rock tone
Olympe ton terre d’argile
House facade with Olympe clay-tone cladding facing a swimming pool
Olympe ton terre d’argile – (photo: HUMBERT Sylvain)

YOSEMITE gives walls a lively relief and a modern, elegant style, thanks to its ribbed texture and deep anthracite hue. The Z-shaped slabs, composed of schist-like bars with a natural slate look, are skilfully combined for easy installation and a resolutely graphic finish.
Enhance your terrace with colorful hints and touches of vegetation to reinforce the contemporary, graphic look while retaining purity and elegance.

YOSEMITE anthracite (Photo credit: Désirode)
Yosemite anthracite tone

Dreaming of privacy and serenity?

ROCKY MOUNTAIN cladding, one of our best-sellers, will elegantly and softly enhance a wall or corner of your terrace to create an intimate atmosphere conducive to relaxation. Its slender lines and sculpted shapes will enhance any space and add cachet to your exterior.
Combined with designer decor and smooth materials, this cladding will help you create a dedicated space with simplicity and character.

For a more contemporary but equally elegant look, decorate your walls with our PORTLAND siding, available in natural and light gray tones.

Rocky Mountain natural tone
Credits : Sols et Murs de Provence
Dream Home Family in-ground terrace, portland cladding
Portland ton naturel – @dream.home.family – Photo credit Loïc RIDOU
Portland natural tone
Outdoor relaxation area with a wall clad in ORSOL's natural tone Portland cladding facing a swimming pool.
Portland ton naturel – @mamslouve – Photo credit LE POCHAT Photographie

CUBIK stands on its own. With its worked stones and protruding angles, this cladding plays with relief and perspective.
With its raw-looking stones, CUBIK cladding perfectly matches the walls of contemporary constructions. Combined with a clean, modern style, the geometric shapes and warm hue of this stone will bring relief, charm and character to your terrace.

Cubik natural tone
CUBIK cladding stone stands on its own and warms up this sober, modern terrace with its natural hue.

The charm of dry stone

For an unmistakable dry-stone effect, the ROCA collection in its bronze hue will sublimate your terrace!

Architect's house clad with Roca cladding in bronze from ORSOL
The dry-stone effect… !
Bronze-tone ROCA cladding packshot
Roca bronze tone

For successful installation

If you’d like to use stone cladding on the exterior walls of your home, here’s some basic information.

First, you’ll need to check the appearance of your installation substrate. Make sure your wall is considered an acceptable substrate, otherwise you’ll need to make any necessary adjustments or modifications before bonding your siding.

Next, for optimum protection of your stonework, you’ll need to apply a water-repellent spray. This is a simple operation that should be repeated every 5 years or so.

Easy to install, stone cladding adds comfort and style to your exterior. It’s up to you!

For ideal results, we strongly recommend that you consult the technical data sheets available on our website and follow the recommendations.


To discover or rediscover the complete ORSOL wall cladding range, click here!

If you’d like to see more inspirations go to our Pinterest board dedicated to terraces.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate tocontact us!

NEOMINERAL: our new low-carbon material

Low carbon 08 Feb 2024
Feuille verte avec rosée du matin

ORSOL has developed NÉOMINÉRAL® , an innovative material that offers a low-carbon alternative to natural stone.

An environmentally-friendly approach

A French company actively committed to an environmentally-friendly approach, ORSOL invests every year in research to improve the quality and aesthetics of its products, while making the reduction of its carbon footprint a priority.

With this in mind, ORSOL has developed NÉOMINÉRAL® , an innovative material that offers a low-carbon alternative to natural stone.

Stones and foam with ORSOL neomineral logo

Made exclusively from high-quality mineral aggregates, NEOMINERAL® is manufactured and cold-aggregated using a pozzolanic process. By combining this ancient technique with more recent technologies, the ORSOL laboratory has succeeded in producing a material that is both technical and low-carbon.

Its intrinsic qualities enable it to create facings that are faithful to the aesthetic characteristics of stone. With an installation system validated by the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment, the facings are compatible with most substrates, while meeting the safety and performance requirements expected in the construction industry.

Foret et Neominéral sustainable commitment

The qualities of stone in a new low-carbon material

99% pure material of mineral origin
Composed of high-quality minerals (sand and stone aggregates) and natural pigments.

Low-carbon cold process
A technique based on pozzolanic reaction to produce a material with reduced CO2 emissions.

French manufacturing
Located in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region of France, we systematically favor short circuits and local sourcing.

Durable indoor and outdoor strength
High technical performance and CSTB-approved installation system

For a local low-carbon industry

100% of manufacturing waste and water are recycled
100% of product disposal waste is recyclable

NEOMINERAL’s CO2 emissions

Up to 3 times less than terracotta
20 times less than stones imported over 500 km away

100% of our suppliers are European, including 92% French

300 km: the weighted average supply distance for our raw materials

Split stones

Simple emotions, pure emotions, mineral emotions.

Arnaud’s master stroke

Special stories 07 Dec 2023
Façade de maison en grand angle vue de côté droit en parement BRIQUE 5 Tons

Arnaud’s master stroke

Photo credit: Antoine DENIS

Viewed from the garden, the facade of Arnaud’s house is bathed in the light of a Normandy afternoon, highlighting the different shades of brick.

I love the softness of nuanced tones

Bench and flowerpot next to a wall clad in 5-tone ORSOL brick cladding

At 49 years of age, Arnaud knows what he’s talking about when he talks about cladding the facade of his house in Normandy. Arnaud’s background is in the trade, as he is both a mason and a plasterer with his company BATI-TERRE. This dual role gives him a certain legitimacy to comment on his project.

“We renovated this 1885 manor house with a view to preserving all its authenticity. On the beautiful, large 72m² west-facing façade, I applied off-white rendering to highlight the corners and window frames.

Then I chose to match it with ORSOL5-tone brick , because I find its hues contrast with the light rendering. And we stayed within the colors usually associated with rustic Normandy houses. It’s this warm aspect that really appealed to me.

Close-up of 5-tone brick cladding
Facade of a house decorated with 5-tone BRIQUE facing in wide angle
Arnaud DIGUET in front of his house facade adorned with BRIQUE 5 Tons by ORSOL

There are still a few bricks that lean towards grey
with a more mineral look. They arrive in dabs and
harmonize perfectly with the roof and extension
modern home.

It’s obviously through his job that Arnaud has
come to know ORSOL products.

It was one of my main suppliers who showed me
for the first time. These are good
products and the quality is really there.

I’ve done several customer projects with ORSOL, and they’ve earned me nothing but compliments. So what I had done for others, I ended up wanting to do for myself. And I, too, am very satisfied with the results.

Facade of a house decorated with 5-tone BRIQUE facing in wide angle
Wide-angle front view of house facade with 5-tone BRIQUE cladding
Wide-angle house facade seen from the right in 5-Tone BRIQUE cladding

Discover David’s project

Black and white. That’s the very specific brief David gave his architect for this stunning house, with its original lines and play on contrasts. Discover his project now.

Espace jardin d'une maison moderne habillé en parement YOSEMITE de chez ORSOL

Fireplaces and stoves: dare to use stone to warm up the atmosphere

Inspiration 16 Nov 2023
Cheminée maison d'architecte

When the warm summer days are a distant memory and the temperatures turn cooler, there's at least one reason to rejoice: you can enjoy evenings warming up by the fire, snuggled up next to a stone fireplace.

Traditional fireplaces, inserts, wood or pellet stoves and even bio-ethanol fireplaces have become veritable decorative features of the home. NÉOMINERAL® stone cladding offers an easy-to-implement aesthetic solution for showcasing these warm-hearted appliances.

Need advice on how to dress up a wood-burning stove?

Many customers seek advice from our teams before starting to install decorative siding. Although the installation of our siding is often considered a widespread and easy DIY (Do It Yourself) project, technical questions are common.

Technically speaking, ORSOL cladding can be safely installed behind a stove to protect the wall from excessive heat. In fact, our claddings are made from a technical material composed of sand, stone aggregates and natural pigments, making them non-flammable.

However, we strongly recommend compliance with current safety standards. It’s best to place fire-retardant treated plasterboard (often pink in color) behind a stove or other heating device. It’s also advisable to maintain a distance of around 40 cm between the heat source and the facing.

For detailed information, please consult our practical guide: Practical guide to pipe-to-wall distance

Contemporary living room with natural Manoir stone cladding by ORSOL

Our best sellers put to work

Rocky Mountain in all its glory

The website Maison créative explains how to replace a classic fireplace with a more modern wood-burning stove, the rear wall of which will be clad with our Rocky Mountain siding (anthracite tone).

Causse in all its sweetness

In another style, interior architect and decorator Domitile Caux (DCPS Architecture d’intérieur) called on Causse d’ORSOL siding for the interior refurbishment of a house near Aix-en-Provence.

Our aim was to restore the authenticity and harmony of the Rognes stone fireplace. All in black for a modern touch!

Fireplace cladding: combining aesthetics and practicality

Whether purely decorative or functional, using stone or brick cladding to cover a fireplace or wood-burning stove offers a solution with many advantages.

In the first instance, the possibility of choosing from a variety of wall coverings enables you to find the one that will harmonize perfectly with your interior decor. By combining the practical with the pleasurable, these cladding jobs offer the opportunity to create practical storage spaces, suitable for storing logs, for example.

Another significant advantage comes into play when you own a stove, as cladding is an ideal solution for aesthetically protecting the wall. This approach is equally applicable to bioethanol fireplaces, fuelled by an environmentally-friendly biofuel derived from the distillation and fermentation of sugar beet. These fireplaces are also particularly easy to maintain.

Building your dream home with Elodie and Joan

Special stories 14 Dec 2022

In Elodie and Joan's living room, the brickwork behind the stove and bookcase creates a warm, authentic atmosphere...

Building the home of your dreams

At Elodie and Joan’s

Photo credit: @thecountryglasshouse

A welcoming wood-burning stove, a huge bookcase… In Élodie and Joan’s living room, these two masterpieces are framed by two walls of siding from the Brique collection. Placed sometimes behind the stove, sometimes behind the books, the cladding gives rhythm to the space and relief to the whole.

Brick radiates warmth, literally and figuratively.

Thanks to her regular travels and her passion for theater and cinema, Élodie fell in love with Anglo-Saxon culture. “I wanted my home to reflect this culture. From the outset, I had in mind the brickwork found on the walls of London houses or New York lofts.”

After some research in stores and on the Internet, Élodie discovered the the Brique collection collection in red from ORSOL.

“It was exactly what I was looking for. The 5-tone brick offered an interesting modern, industrial feel, but I chose red brick for its warm, authentic feel. At home, we’re more into the rustic feel of old country houses. Wood for warmth, white for luminosity, moldings and wallpaper for authenticity… The industrial feel of our living room stands out from all this and adds a touch of dynamism.”

The industrial feel of our salon stands out from the rest and adds a touch of dynamism.

From the outset, I had in mind the brick found on the walls of London houses and New York lofts.

But today, this place is above all a family home, where we laugh, cry and build.

The high ceilings and bookshelves bring new perspectives to the living space. The brickwork creates yet another dimension, emphasizing the different spaces. When I started my story with this place, my goal was to build the house of my dreams, a place that felt like me. And when I see these brick walls that remind me of so many things, I tell myself I’ve succeeded. But today, this place is above all a family home, where we laugh, cry and build.