Text and photo: Marianne Vigtel Hølland

Designing a home that is comfortable to live in isn’t just a question of aesthetics and personal taste. The materials you use indoors are an important aspect of the indoor climate.

If you use pure, natural products inside, you will be certain that you’re surrounding yourself with elements that will not emit harmful gases. Natural products can also contribute to a better indoor climate. Untreated wood can help regulate humidity, while green plants clean the air and add fresh oxygen. Soft textiles such as wool and linen absorb noise and give better acoustics, while natural stone stores up heat and regulates the temperature. These all work together to create a better indoor climate.

How you use the different elements in your home also says something about who you are and your taste, although many people can find it difficult to see how to mix different materials in their interior design.

Slate is a very easy material to work with, so only your imagination sets the limits!

Here are four easy tips for how to use slate to add unique and eye-catching elements to your home.

A thick piece of slate or a stone block, such as this piece of Oppdal slate, can become a super mortar you can use to crush and mix your own spices in the kitchen.

A stone hammer like this one makes a perfect pestle and if you haven’t got one of these, a suitably large, round stone will also do the job.

The stone block you use as a mortar is also a smart eyecatcher on the kitchen worktop when not in use, and it can also be used as a coaster!

If you can get hold of some large, old stone slates, these can be split into suitable sizes and used as smart organic elements on your table.

You can easily rest hot pans on them!

Or how about a slate tile as an attractive tealight stand?

Old tiles of slate, already ’decorated‘ with moss and lichen, have a raw aesthetic that is perfect for a rustic interior.

Whether you have slate tiles in your bathroom or are just dreaming about this, small slate details in the bathroom can be a great way of bringing it all together. A fine mix of materials is wood, linen, wool and other natural materials.

Slate can also be used for jewellery stands or soap dishes for the shower cabin, a place to keep your make-up products, or a little shelf for an oil diffuser.

And if you put a few drops of essential oil on the slate, it will absorb the oil and add a nice perfume to the bathroom for some time. Do you want to change your bathroom, but lack inspiration? Get the warm and exclusive feel with slate!