Example of a large classic l-shaped ceramic tile eat-in kitchen design in Providence with an island, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink and green walls

maple hardwood floor, water-popped, and stained with 50% rosewood and 50% neutral stains.
Inspiration for a timeless medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Salt Lake City

Encompassing a range of baluster rails, newel posts and complementary decorative accessories, Outwater's new, maintenance free Cast Stone Balustrade System is manufactured utilizing a unique process that combines a mixture of resins with crushed limestone and impregnated fade resistant textured colors to create balustrades that look and feel just like authentic limestone balusters at less than half of their cost and weight. Intended for indoor or outdoor applications, which can be assembled by laypeople using traditional carpentry tools without the need for masonry, Outwater's Cast Stone Balustrade System meets the 4-inch sphere code when properly set up, and can be placed on sized dimensional lumber without the need for steel supports. Moreover, unlike lesser quality balustrade systems, which use regular screws to attach their components, also taking into account that the screws' imminent corrosion renders them as an unsafe means by which to attach baluster rails, Outwater's Cast Stone Balustrade System employs a unique incorporated pipe system, connector pins and spacers to increase the Balustrade System's stability while allowing for a more secure and professional installation with barely perceptible seams. Offered in 34-in. and 48-in. overall heights with a nominal 7-in rail width, baluster rails are sold by the foot up to 16-ft. long to accommodate most any installation. 100% mold resistant, non-porous and unaffected by the harshest elements, Outwater's Cast Stone Balustrade System does not require priming, painting or even occasional touch ups, further enhancing its appeal. Product Features: • Create balustrades that look and feel just like authentic stone balusters at less than half of their cost and weight • Intended for indoor or outdoor use • Can be installed by laypeople using traditional carpentry tools without the need for masonry • Meets the 4-inch sphere code when properly set up, and can be placed on sized dimensional lumber without the need for steel supports • Employs a unique incorporated pipe system, connector pins and spacers to increase stability while allowing for a more secure and professional installation • Offered in 34-in. and 48-in. overall heights with a nominal 7-in rail width, baluster rails are sold by the foot up to 16-ft. long • 100% mold resistant, non-porous and unaffected by the harshest elements. Does not require priming, painting or even occasional touch ups Contact: Architectural Products by Outwater Sales & Product Information (USA & Canada): 1-800-631-8375 / 1-201-498-8750 Fax (USA & Canada): 1-800-888-3315 / 1-201-498-8751 Sales & Product Information (Outside of the USA & Canada): 1-201-498-8750 Fax (Outside of the USA & Canada): 1-201-498-8751 Email: info@outwaterplastics.com Web: www.outwater.com Visit us! East Coast: 24 River Road Bogota, NJ 07603 1-201-498-8750 West Coast: 4720 West Van Buren Phoenix, AZ 85043 1-602-447-0936 About Architectural Products by Outwater: It really is easy to shop with us! Relied upon by more than 1,000,000 builders, renovators, architects designers, woodworkers, cabinet and furniture manufacturers, OEM's and retail consumers since 1972, Architectural Products by Outwater is an international manufacturer and distributor of more than 65,000 innovative and traditional Decorative Building Products that you possibly never knew existed or for which you simply could not find a reliable source. This is where Outwater truly shines! “Now you can design, buy, build and dream like the Pros…” Outwater’s products are, to say the least, very competitively priced and include interior and exterior architectural mouldings and millwork; columns and capitals; LED lighting and lighting accessories; balustrading; faux stone panels; faux wood beams; genuine stone tiles; decorative wood carvings; wrought iron components; stamped steel and polymer ceiling panels and backsplashes; wainscoting; wall coverings; fireplace surrounds and mantels; plastic "glass" block; period and contemporary hardware; home organization systems; kitchen and bath accessories; kitchen and bath cabinetry; bath vanities; furniture & cabinet components; knobs & pulls; casters; laminates; brass tubing & fittings; surfacing materials… and so much more! In addition, with warehouse and distribution facilities in New Jersey and Arizona totaling over 300,000 square feet, Outwater facilitates purchases with reduced lead times and shipping costs, enabling us to fulfill and ship over 98% of our orders from stock within one to two business days! At a time when many companies appear to have rapidly transitioned away from personalized customer service, having replaced their knowledgeable and immensely valuable human sales representatives with inanimate online marketing channels, which can be helpful to you if you were to know exactly what you might need and were not to encounter difficulties in placing your order, here at Outwater, we still believe that human interaction with a live, well versed, non-commissioned sales representative will undoubtedly better serve your needs in the long run. Even though you can always shop with us at www.outwater.com, you can also always deal directly with our extremely well versed and friendly sales and customer service representatives for their unparalleled support and assistance, most of whom have worked at Outwater for more than 15 years. Whether you have been one of our loyal customers over the years or this is your first time in doing business with us, we would like to thank you for your expressed interest in our company and the products that we carry. Please feel free to contact us with any questions at 1-800-631-8375 or visit us online at www.outwater.com We look forward to serving you in the near future.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional front door remodel in Orange County with a blue front door

10 Ideas for Turning Your Garage into a Modern Industrial Neighborhood Bar By Elizabeth Aldrich Host happy hours and cocktail parties worthy of a full page spread – in your own garage. Leave the brick exposed, the concrete floors as is, and the wood unfinished and it costs more? The sophisticated older brother of the shabby-chic trend, urban industrial style, is taking over. Real estate agents are able to tack on a few extra grand to a flat if they can include “exposed brick” in their advertisements, and designer chefs and master mixologists are moving into warehouses and industrial districts in urban areas across the nation. A friend recently invited me to dinner at Portland, Oregon’s newest, hippest charcuterie spot, and when we pulled up to the building it was in a warehouse where I used to go to underground raves in high school. These industrial style spaces that were once seen as unfinished or lacking in coziness are now seriously coveted. Their rawness is considered authentic, their grit a mark of character. But if you’re a homeowner, there’s a good chance you already have one of them built right into your house: your garage. I like to preach about how much people underutilize their garage spaces, piling them full of storage bins they never touch. Whether you turn it into a workspace or a playroom, there’s a lot of value in a creatively-used garage space. For the overly ambitious, the design lover, or the hostess with the mostess, here’s one idea that blows the rest out of the water. Turn your garage into a multi-purpose, urban industrial wonderland for work and play. Originally outfitted for factories and warehouses, the industrial style facilitates productivity. Now that it’s also being appreciated as a great aesthetic for bars and restaurants, these rooms can serve both form and function, doubling as work and entertaining spaces. This is great for people who have always dreamed of having that extra basement space for hosting friends, complete with a wet bar and a billiards table, but lack the square footage. Just keep in mind that your friends might love it so much, they’ll start ditching their favorite happy hour spot and showing up at your doorstep instead. Here are ten ideas forbuilding the perfect workshop by day and cocktail bar by night in your garage. 1. Clean out the space. Get rid of everything you don’t need. Part of the beauty of industrial style designs is their simplicity and abundance of open space. Excessive clutter can make people feel boxed in, and that’s not conducive to productivity or to social activity. Out of sight, out of mind. Build shelving up high for storing must-keep belongings, much like a warehouse. For bonus points, store your belongings in wooden crates for aesthetic consistency. Or consider stacking them on a pallet, wrapping them in excessive amounts of plastic wrap, and loading them onto the next cross-country freighter. You won’t miss them. 2. Install storage for frequently used objects. The brilliant thing about the urban industrial look is that your tools, tool boxes, and tool storage cabinets already fit right in. Metal storage cabinets and file cabinets are perfect additions to the space. While grey is certainly the color pallet for this style, 50 shades might be a few too many. Mix it up by spray painting one of your cabinetsto add a pop of color. Make a small pegboard to hold up your tools and hang larger items such as bicycles and recreational equipment by pegs. If you have a lot of storage bins that you have to keep, look upward instead of storing them on the floor. Insert a tracking system onto your garage ceiling and slide the bins into place. For extra credit, get an old locker to use as a coat closet when guests come over. 3. Heat the space.Since you’re not turning the garage into a full-time living space, such as a spare bedroom, you really don’t need to go through the work and additional cost of installing full-blown heating and insulation systems. If you don’t need to use the space when the temperature drops, or if you live in a consistently temperate climate, you might not need to do anything. But if you do want to be able to host people through the winter, a simple garage heater will suffice. Here are some good options for installing garage heating. Take it one step further, and get a couple patio heaters to help with the next step. 4. Turn your driveway into a patio space. Even the best restaurants and cocktail bars are nothing in the summertime without a solid patio space. Leave the garage door open on warmer nights and invite your guests to go outdoors. Place some stylish folding chairs and a patio table out for comfort. Place a few potted plants here and there to make the space feel more inviting. For a really lively patio scene, put a portable fire pit out on the driveway or front lawn and surround it with workbenches from your garage. 5. Build your bar. Pick a corner in your garage for the bar, and get started. You can build a bar pretty cheaply and easily with reclaimed pallets, and get some industrial-style barstools. Behind the bar, you’ll have both your tools and your liquor, and there’s no need to build expensive cabinetry. If you’re serving quality, why cover it up? Build shelving or open cubicles to house your liquor. Put out metal buckets filled with ice to chill beers.Be sure to serve up cocktails worthy of the space. The Hemingway Daiquiri served straight up is a unique way to dress down, or industrialize, a traditionally frou-frou cocktail. To go the extra mile, build a bar with laid brick.Install an extra fridge in the garage so you can avoid having to trek into the kitchen to refill chilled drinks, and you can store dips, vegetables, and other hors d'oeuvres right at your fingertips. 6. Bring on the games. To really turn your hosting space into a fun time, be sure to offer ample play options. For the low on space, a dart board will suffice, whereas if you’ve got a five-car garage and can’t manage to fill the space, put in a couple billiard tables. Ping pong tables are ideal for most because they’re great fun and can easily be folded up and stored. If you want to keep your guests playing until the wee hours of the morning, get an old pinball machine, a vintage arcade game, or a small Skee-Ball alley. 7. The heart of your space.Build along worktable that doubles as a table for your guests right in the center of your garage. It should be tall enough to be used while standing, although you can place a few barstools along with it. Having a table space for drinks but limited seating will encourage guests to walk around and mingle. Build it out of wood and make sure to maintain a natural finish. Don’t be afraid to rough up the work table by day. The dings and marks created while you build will only lend authenticity to the piece. 8. Install lighting. Remember, the urban industrial style is all about function and showcasing materials in their raw form. There’s no need to buy expensive floor lamps or install a fancy lighting system. The most popular lighting in these types of spaces is exposed bulb lighting. Just open up the wiring on your current lighting system and drop down some bulbs. For additional lighting, string up exposed bulb patio lights and place some vintage metal desk lamps on the tables and bar area. 9. Brand your space. Use the designs for the stuff you build by day as wall art. Blow up sketches, blueprints, schematics, and architectural drawings to hang up for decoration. Choose one wall that could use a splash of color, perhaps the wall behind your bar, and get a friend to paint a mural, or whip out the spray paint for a real urban feel. Splurge a little and get a custom neon sign made of your last name or the word “bar” to hang behind the bar. 10. The garage door. For the finishing touch, and to really wow your guests, get a brand new modern, industrial style garage door installed. Look for the window-paneled types that restaurants use, like this contemporary aluminum and glass beauty. You can leave it half open when you want to utilize your driveway-patio space. On nights when you have to close it all the way, the glass panels let your guests still look out onto the stars, making it feel like a patio space even when it’s too cold for one. Once your garage bar is up and running, put on your denim suit and get ready to call yourself the Joneses. No one will be able to keep up with you.

One of the biggest shifts in home design over the past few years has been a move away from matchy-matchy, big-box decor toward spaces that feel personal, layered, and collected over time. If you've been searching for ways to add that "collected" quality to your own home, hand-carved wooden accent pieces are one of the most effective — and most overlooked — tools for achieving it. Here's how to use them well, where they work best, and what to avoid. Why Collected Spaces Read as More Designed Design professionals often talk about the difference between a "decorated" room and a "collected" one. A decorated room looks like it was purchased all at once from a single catalog. A collected room looks like it evolved — pieces gathered over time, each with its own texture, material, and story. Wooden objects, such as these hand-carved wooden ducks, contribute to that collected feeling almost instantly, for a simple reason: no two pieces are exactly alike. Unlike resin or plastic decor cast from a single mold, hand-carved pieces carry small variations — a slightly different grain pattern, a unique brushstroke, a subtle asymmetry — that read as authentic rather than mass-produced. That authenticity is what separates a space that feels curated from one that feels furnished.   Where Hand-Carved Wooden Accents Work Best Entry tables and consoles. A single carved piece paired with a stack of books or a low bowl creates an intentional first impression without overwhelming a small surface. Open shelving. Bookshelves benefit enormously from three-dimensional objects breaking up rows of spines. Tuck a carved piece between book stacks at varying heights to create visual rhythm. Mantels. Grouping in odd numbers — three or five — with varied heights creates a naturally balanced display. Mix in a taper candle or two for additional height variation. Kitchen windowsills. Smaller carved pieces catch natural light beautifully and add warmth to an otherwise utilitarian space. Nightstands and dressers. A single small piece here adds personality without requiring extra surface space.   Styling Principles That Make the Difference

1. Let one material contrast do the work.Wood against smooth ceramic, matte metal, or glass creates textural interest without needing additional colors or patterns. If your space already has a lot of wood tones (flooring, cabinetry, furniture), look for carved pieces in a slightly different wood finish to keep them from disappearing into the background.
2. Odd numbers, varied heights.This is a foundational styling rule for a reason — it works. Groupings of three tend to feel more intentional than pairs, and varying the height of each object (using books or small risers if needed) prevents a flat, lined-up look.
3. Give each piece breathing room.One of the most common styling mistakes is overcrowding a surface. A single well-chosen carved piece with negative space around it reads as more expensive and more intentional than five pieces crammed together.
4. Rotate seasonally.Because hand-carved pieces are often designed as individual characters or figures, many collections include seasonal or themed variations. Swapping a neutral piece for a seasonal one is a low-effort way to refresh a space without a full redesign.
5. Mix textures, not just objects.Pair a carved wooden piece with something soft (a linen table runner), something reflective (a brass tray), and something organic (fresh greenery or dried botanicals) to build a layered vignette rather than a single-note display.

  A Practical Example: Wooden Duck Ornaments One category of hand-carved decor that's gained popularity for exactly these reasons is DCUK wooden duck ornaments — individually hand-carved from bamboo root and hand-painted, with each piece designed as its own character. Because every duck is genuinely unique, even collectors who own several ducks end up with a display that feels organically gathered rather than purchased as a set. These work particularly well in the entry table, shelving, and mantel scenarios described above, precisely because their small footprint and varied "poses" allow for the kind of asymmetrical, breathing-room styling that reads as professionally designed. For readers wanting to source authentic pieces rather than mass-produced imitations, Ducks-N-Stuff maintains one of the largest U.S. selections of genuine DCUK ducks, which is worth knowing given how many imitation products have entered the market as the style has grown in popularity. What to Avoid Don't cluster too many pieces together. Even beautiful individual objects lose their impact when grouped without spacing or hierarchy. Don't ignore scale. A tiny carved piece on a large mantel will get visually lost; match the scale of your object to the scale of your surface. Don't skip the base layer. Placing objects directly on a bare shelf often looks unfinished. A small tray, stack of books, or piece of fabric underneath grounds the display. Don't buy in bulk all at once. Part of what makes collected spaces feel authentic is that they were, in fact, collected — gradually, with intention. Building a display over several months (or years) produces better results than a single shopping trip. The Bottom Line Hand-carved wooden accents are a low-cost, high-impact way to move a space from "decorated" to "collected." The key isn't the object itself so much as how it's styled: thoughtful groupings, varied heights, adequate spacing, and a willingness to build the display over time rather than all at once. Done well, a few carved pieces can do more to make a room feel personal and finished than an entire shelf of matched decor ever could.  

Freestanding bathtub - large cottage master porcelain tile and multicolored floor freestanding bathtub idea with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white walls, a vessel sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and white countertops

Little did our homeowner know how much his inspiration for his master bathroom renovation might mean to him after the year of Covid 2020. Living in a land-locked state meant a lot of travel to partake in his love of scuba diving throughout the world. When thinking about remodeling his bath, it was only natural for him to want to bring one of his favorite island diving spots home. We were asked to create an elegant bathroom that captured the elements of the Caribbean with some of the colors and textures of the sand and the sea. The pallet fell into place with the sourcing of a natural quartzite slab for the countertop that included aqua and deep navy blues accented by coral and sand colors. Floating vanities in a sandy, bleached wood with an accent of louvered shutter doors give the space an open airy feeling. A sculpted tub with a wave pattern was set atop a bed of pebble stone and beneath a wall of bamboo stone tile. A tub ledge provides access for products. The large format floor and shower tile (24 x 48) we specified brings to mind the trademark creamy white sand-swept swirls of Caribbean beaches. The walk-in curbless shower boasts three shower heads with a rain head, standard shower head, and a handheld wand near the bench toped in natural quartzite. Pebble stone finishes the floor off with an authentic nod to the beaches for the feet.

Kids' room - rustic kids' room idea in Sacramento

Oil-Rubbed Bronze handles are the perfect choice to compliment the black accent glaze on these Rustic Beech cabinets.
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional u-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Chicago with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite countertops, black appliances and an island

Minimalist dark wood floor kitchen photo in San Francisco

This lovely little lantern gives scale and adds a bit of whimsy to the landscape that surrounds it.
Inspiration for an asian landscaping in Manchester.

Little did our homeowner know how much his inspiration for his master bathroom renovation might mean to him after the year of Covid 2020. Living in a land-locked state meant a lot of travel to partake in his love of scuba diving throughout the world. When thinking about remodeling his bath, it was only natural for him to want to bring one of his favorite island diving spots home. We were asked to create an elegant bathroom that captured the elements of the Caribbean with some of the colors and textures of the sand and the sea. The pallet fell into place with the sourcing of a natural quartzite slab for the countertop that included aqua and deep navy blues accented by coral and sand colors. Floating vanities in a sandy, bleached wood with an accent of louvered shutter doors give the space an open airy feeling. A sculpted tub with a wave pattern was set atop a bed of pebble stone and beneath a wall of bamboo stone tile. A tub ledge provides access for products. The large format floor and shower tile (24 x 48) we specified brings to mind the trademark creamy white sand-swept swirls of Caribbean beaches. The walk-in curbless shower boasts three shower heads with a rain head, standard shower head, and a handheld wand near the bench toped in natural quartzite. Pebble stone finishes the floor off with an authentic nod to the beaches for the feet.

12x24 Crema Imperial Travertine on the floor Diano Real Marble Counter Crema Marfil Marble Mosaic Rhombus on shower floor & Deco tile
Drop-in bathtub - large modern master beige tile and stone tile travertine floor drop-in bathtub idea in Dallas with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble countertops, a two-piece toilet and beige walls

Transforming a Vancouver Home with Our Concrete Look Coarse Grey Finish A Seamless, Architectural Concrete Aesthetic—Without the Weight of Real Concrete When a Vancouver homeowner set out to create a sophisticated, modern apartment featuring barn-yard doors and industrial influences, they turned to 5 Star Finishes and our Concrete Look Coarse Grey plaster. The goal: bring the striking, architectural presence of poured concrete into the bedroom and entryway—without the limitations, cracks, or cold feel of real concrete. A Custom Concrete Look with Precision Joint Patterns For this project, the homeowner envisioned a custom joint pattern mimicking the clean geometry of architectural concrete panels. Our team taped out a precise layout using laser levels and pinstriping tape, ensuring absolute accuracy in every line. To create authentic tie holes, stickers were strategically placed between the first and second plaster layers. This technique produces subtle recesses that replicate the look of poured-in-place concrete—adding dimension and unmistakable realism. The Power of the Concrete Look Coarse Grey Plaster Our Concrete Look Course Grey plaster is engineered to produce an incredibly convincing concrete texture. Using our specialized Concrete Look Texturing Tool, we’re able to create depth, movement, and natural imperfections that look and feel like true concrete—yet the finish remains: Seamless Lightweight Durable Suitable for interiors and exteriors The result is a high-end, custom look that elevates any residential or commercial space. Customizable to Your Design Vision Every concrete-inspired finish can be tailored to your preferred style: Joint widths can be wider or thinner Tie holes can be subtle or deeply defined Lines and patterns are completely customizable Overall texture can be refined or more rugged depending on the desired mood This flexibility makes the Concrete Look Coarse Grey product ideal for modern, industrial, Scandinavian, and minimalist spaces. Project Snapshot Location: Vancouver, BC Spaces: Entryway + Bedroom Feature Walls Finish: Concrete Look Coarse Grey with custom joint pattern & tie holes Completion: 2020 Budget Range: $5,000–$10,000 Bring the Concrete Look to Your Home If you love the bold, architectural character of concrete but want a customizable, seamless, and durable alternative, our Concrete Look Coarse Grey finish offers the ideal solution. Explore the product here: https://shop.5starfinishes.ca/products/concrete-look-plaster For consultations, custom applications, or trade inquiries, contact 5 Star Finishes today—your experts in luxury surface finishes across Vancouver and beyond.

Transforming a Vancouver Home with Our Concrete Look Coarse Grey Finish A Seamless, Architectural Concrete Aesthetic—Without the Weight of Real Concrete When a Vancouver homeowner set out to create a sophisticated, modern apartment featuring barn-yard doors and industrial influences, they turned to 5 Star Finishes and our Concrete Look Coarse Grey plaster. The goal: bring the striking, architectural presence of poured concrete into the bedroom and entryway—without the limitations, cracks, or cold feel of real concrete. A Custom Concrete Look with Precision Joint Patterns For this project, the homeowner envisioned a custom joint pattern mimicking the clean geometry of architectural concrete panels. Our team taped out a precise layout using laser levels and pinstriping tape, ensuring absolute accuracy in every line. To create authentic tie holes, stickers were strategically placed between the first and second plaster layers. This technique produces subtle recesses that replicate the look of poured-in-place concrete—adding dimension and unmistakable realism. The Power of the Concrete Look Coarse Grey Plaster Our Concrete Look Course Grey plaster is engineered to produce an incredibly convincing concrete texture. Using our specialized Concrete Look Texturing Tool, we’re able to create depth, movement, and natural imperfections that look and feel like true concrete—yet the finish remains: Seamless Lightweight Durable Suitable for interiors and exteriors The result is a high-end, custom look that elevates any residential or commercial space. Customizable to Your Design Vision Every concrete-inspired finish can be tailored to your preferred style: Joint widths can be wider or thinner Tie holes can be subtle or deeply defined Lines and patterns are completely customizable Overall texture can be refined or more rugged depending on the desired mood This flexibility makes the Concrete Look Coarse Grey product ideal for modern, industrial, Scandinavian, and minimalist spaces. Project Snapshot Location: Vancouver, BC Spaces: Entryway + Bedroom Feature Walls Finish: Concrete Look Coarse Grey with custom joint pattern & tie holes Completion: 2020 Budget Range: $5,000–$10,000 Bring the Concrete Look to Your Home If you love the bold, architectural character of concrete but want a customizable, seamless, and durable alternative, our Concrete Look Coarse Grey finish offers the ideal solution. Explore the product here: https://shop.5starfinishes.ca/products/concrete-look-plaster For consultations, custom applications, or trade inquiries, contact 5 Star Finishes today—your experts in luxury surface finishes across Vancouver and beyond.

Conheart redwood, Horizontal driveway gate. Modern lines with Jarah Brown Stain.
Example of a trendy entryway design in Los Angeles

Materials and interior paint selected by Cherry City Interiors & Design
Freestanding bathtub - mid-sized contemporary master beige tile and ceramic tile porcelain tile freestanding bathtub idea in Portland with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white walls, a drop-in sink and tile countertops

BC FLOORS
Mid-sized minimalist dark wood floor and brown floor hallway photo in Vancouver with white walls