Do you like visual art, do you like the durability of stone as a material, but you also expect some functionality before you buy something for yourself or as a gift? Then you are going to like the following functional decor ideas with golden ratio art printed in stone!

As a minimalist myself, I understand both your love of open space as well your prolonged pondering whenever you need to bring a new object in your home or office or both. While there are minimalists who prefer single use tools because those do their work best, in some cases, decorative objects can also have some kind of simple function, like the examples below, where stone is used to hold art when used as decor and the same stone is used to protect furniture from spills, stains, burns, condensation or from being scratched.
It’s a simple solution to enjoy visual art without turning your house into a mountain of clutter, especially if you move often or travel often.
Hassle-free art or how to display art without hanging it
If you’ve read other blog posts of mine, you know that I love visual arts as much as I love open space and there were times in my life when I thought I had to choose between the two. In the meantime, I realized that as long as I keep the walls white and move the art to functional, preferably small, objects, I can have my cake and eat it too.
While there are paintings done on stone and images printed in stone, it is a lot easier to enjoy beautiful art on a durable material such as stone if that plaque is displayed on a table, a desk, a shelf and NOT on a wall.
Here are 3 ways to enjoy art available on stone without bothering with wall art:
- use the stone as it is, e.g. use it for its aesthetic function as desk decor – especially if the stone has an irregular shape and it is small, e.g. a painted rock or pebble. If the stone is shaped like a tile or a plaque, you can reuse it as a stone placemat to protect furniture from the heat of the food and/or for easier cleaning if whatever you’re eating produces crumbs.
- buy or make a display stand if you need the stone tile in a more vertical position in order to admire it
- attach non-skid or non-slip pads if you need the stone tile in an horizontal position, e.g. stone platters or slate tiles for serving food
Functional decor idea 1: stone coasters
Coasters for drinks are useful and maybe a bit frivolous since you could always use a napkin underneath your glass or cup. If you are wondering what are coasters used for, they are used to avoid the furniture from being scratched, to absorb condensation if the drink is too cold, to avoid steam being trapped between the hot drink and the furniture and of course, to avoid spills.
The images from the collection below contain visual poems designed by me and published on the Zazzle platform as stone coasters. Given the size of such a coaster, 4″ x 4″ (or approximately 10 x 10 cm), it is possible for the actual lyrics to not be easily readable without a glass magnifier, but each design can still be enjoyed as a floral Ikebana composition. The lyrics only add to the experience.
If you want to improve the design, on Zazzle you can play around, change the background color, add or delete photos and custom text until everything is according to what you like and need.
You can also choose between 4 types of stone to print your coaster:
- marble
- limestone
- travertine
- sandstone
Functional decor idea 2: stone trivets
If you’re wondering what is a trivet, stone trivets for hot dishes are plates used to avoid the furniture underneath them being stained or burned.
The images from the collection below contain visual poems designed by me and published on the Zazzle platform as stone trivets. Given the size of such a trivet, 6” x 6” (or approximately 15 x 15 cm), you are more likely to be able to read the actual lyrics, but even if you can’t, each design can still be enjoyed as a floral Ikebana composition. The lyrics only add to the experience.
If you want to improve the design, on Zazzle you can play around, change the background color, add or delete photos and custom text until everything is according to what you like and need.
You can also choose between 2 types of stone to print your trivet:
- marble
- travertine
While originally my visual poems were published against a black, cappuccino beige or chocolate brown background, most stone coasters and stone trivets from the collections above have their white or cream natural stone background because I think the poems look better like this on stone. I also changed the font to pure black for easier reading, if one is interested in that.
Don’t forget you may need a display stand if you want to use a stone coaster or stone trivet as a unique piece of home decor for your desk, table or shelf!
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