Passion, character, nostalgia Think of a style that resembles you. Of a meeting with elegance as an expression of personality Chose your dimension in each detail. Key-words for Grand Elegance and main issues leading our philosophy from the very early steps. Our basic idea consists of shifting to ceramics all the living passions so that ceramics itself rises as metaphorical reference for life styles and little daily fads. So the sea and sailing, flowers, gardens, animals, classic sport, country-side and leisure time become all bricks of our imagination. Just like a classic novel, Grand Elegance collection describes our tradition that emphasizes individual attitudes and choices.

Royal's Factory and its review: The business that Royal now runs in Shanghai was originally established by his father in Hong Kong. The legacy of this workmanship lies with Royal's father. At age 20, he was apprenticed to a traditional Chinese carpenter in Shanghai and learnt the long-established customs of furniture manufacture and furniture upholstery. After moving to Hong Kong, he was fortunate to study and work with a master craftsman from France, who specialized in furnitures. This experience allowed him to integrate his knowledge of both Eastern and Western practices, catering to both local and international clients. When Royal and his family moved to Shanghai seven years ago, the family business came full circle, opening Little Dragon in the city where Royal's father had first learnt the craft of furniture making. Royal has a special affinity for furniture making, having studied classic and modern techniques under father's direction from the age of 16 years. He is genuinely passionate about furniture making (especially furnitures). Over the last 8 years, our business has grown significantly, due mainly to the glowing referrals we receive from our loyal customers, who enjoy our personalized service and attention to detail. "You can't get a better marketing strategy than word-of-mouth," says owner Royal Wong, who believes the success of our family business is based on the quality of the craftsmanship and service our staff provide. We also believe that detailed hand-finished work provides its own quality assurance and our confidence in this craftsmanship is reflected in our lifetime service guarantee. All tastes and styles are catered to, as the store offers more than 5,000 quality samples and fabric swatches. An enormous array of options await - smooth leather, luxurious velvet, magnificent satin tapestry designs and comfortable modern fabrics such as cotton-linen blends and ultra-suede. As upholstery support and padding is dictated by individual taste, customers can choose from a diverse range of filling materials, which are assembled by hand. Specialized workshop processes ensure the quality and quantity of these materials, as they are individually weighed then encased in a special lining fabric. Customers that choose a made-to-order furniture know just what they want, and that's usually a furniture that will retain its original size, shape and support over the years. Changes in style and taste are easily accommodated with interchangeable and replaceable furniture covers. Our custom-made furnitures and chairs, of unique design and style, are vivid reflections of the personality and taste of their owners. Like tailor-made clothing, the quality of the design and materials are specifically suited to the end user. Over the last seven years, we've collected an interesting range of anecdotes from our customers, some of whom will go to great lengths to get a Little Dragon furniture into their home. One client, whose custom-made furniture was too large to fit through his front door, hoisted it through a third floor window via a pulley. Another, having relocated his Little Dragon furniture from Shanghai, to the United States, to Singapore, visited China especially to pick up some soft furnishings from our store. Amongst our high profile customers over the years are some of Hong Kong's premier five-star hotel presidents, business titans, film stars and Shanghai's consul-generals. Perhaps one of our most faithful customers is the legendary Hong Kong actor, Andy Lau, who asked his interior decorator to work directly with us to complete the design of his entire mansion in Hong Kong. The repair and restoration of antique furniture is a unique skill that we offer our customers. Our European clients, in particular, have strong recollections of furniture handed down through the ages and appreciate the opportunity to put some life back into family heirlooms which hold such fond memories of those now departed. One French customer, referred by a friend, entrusted us with a armoire that had been in the family for three generations. Our company's objective is the same as its clients - to retain the integrity of the original craftsmanship and refresh the unique traits of an individual furniture piece. For this reason, Royal's customers can be considered a rather special community as they are willing to come from far and wide to benefit from his unique skill set. The company's integrity and heritage are much like that of the pieces they work on – handed down from father to son and continued throughout the generations. It is no wonder that the business has an international reputation which draws clients from all corners of the globe to Shanghai.

This couple found us recommended on a local community page and after our first meeting knew we were the right people for their project. We had so much fun playing with different color options. Between countertop material and tile they jumped at the chance to go through our design process. We made it quick and easy to build out the renderings for them to see everything all together. Right after Demo Day they decided they wanted to change their wall color to go better with the cabinet colors they fell in love with. We grabbed our color wheel, made a recommendation and the walls were painted within days of their decision. We couldn’t believe the difference it made! Their kitchen went from Olive and dated to Jasper Stone and refreshed (that’s the wall colors we are referring to…). Now that we have shifted some of the appliances and installed the storage solutions the flow and functionality are outstanding. Happy Kitchen = Happy Cooking

Gathering accessories into a decorative tray is one of our favorite ways to display a collection of objects. We loved the shape and texture of this tray. It is perfect for coasters plus delicate potted plants that reference the outdoor setting.

Tiffany Kristen Photography
Example of a large transitional open concept dark wood floor family room design in Ottawa with gray walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a media wall

Modern lines beautifully executed by Alto Standing Construction with Lignum Elite - wide plank flooring from the Platinum Collection (random widths from 7 3/4" to 15 3/4" and up to 16 ft long). The color reference is "Valencia" in country grading.

This was a new construction project and the owners are dear friends of mine. They consulted with me when they bought the property and even asked if I could refer them to an architect. The owners have a great design sense and knew the look they wanted. They love color and wanted to create a warm, colorful, interesting home that incorporated the many beautiful items collected through their travels. For this project I lead the design and furnishings of the kitchen, master bath, upstairs baths, & lower level wet bar. In addition I provided the cabinetry throughout the house, advised on overall design and selections for lighting, colors, tile, flooring, and many other elements of the project. For finishing touches, I designed and provided all window treatments throughout the house. The final result is a spacious, bright, and warm living space suitable for comfort and entertaining year-round.

Passion, character, nostalgia Think of a style that resembles you. Of a meeting with elegance as an expression of personality Chose your dimension in each detail. Key-words for Grand Elegance and main issues leading our philosophy from the very early steps. Our basic idea consists of shifting to ceramics all the living passions so that ceramics itself rises as metaphorical reference for life styles and little daily fads. So the sea and sailing, flowers, gardens, animals, classic sport, country-side and leisure time become all bricks of our imagination. Just like a classic novel, Grand Elegance collection describes our tradition that emphasizes individual attitudes and choices.

This beautiful stone home showcases Full Color Castle Rock (www.buechelstone.com/product/full-color-castle-rock/) veneer stone from our Castle Rock (castle stone) line of Building Stone Veneers. The fiery and sky natural stone tones of Buechel's Chilton stone material is complementary to its gorgeous surroundings. Downlighting in the outdoor living areas embraces the natural texture and creates a warm ambiance in the porches, patios, and outdoor living spaces. Full Color Castle Rock was also used for the interior stone fireplace (not pictured). Refer to our masonry blog (www.buechelstone.com/masonry/) for more details about how to install castle stone veneer, or any one of the styles or patterns from our exceptional collection of Building Stone Veneers. Buy stone veneer with best experiences from Buechel Stone!

The homeowner for this project is a successful real estate agent and therefore often refers Bilotta to her clients, both individual homeowners as well as builders designing all new homes. In one such spec house she fell in love with the Bilotta Kitchen and decided she wanted the exact space in her own home. She hired Bilotta senior designer, Linda Daniele (who happened to have done the kitchen for the spec house), to make it happen. She and her husband wanted to mimic the exact space from the overall layout to the smallest detail. The kitchen features Bilotta private label cabinetry, the Bilotta Collection, in a shaker-style door in Benjamin Moore’s classic “White Dove”. The sink wall features a large window above the undermount sink to add natural light into the kitchen and a large 42” paneled Subzero refrigerator and paneled Bosch dishwasher. On the opposite wall, the center wall cabinet has antique French mirrored glass inserts on the three doors; this cabinet is flanked by beveled glass fronted cabinets helping the U-shape kitchen feel more open and airy while displaying the homeowner’s glassware. A small bar sink is below and features a Subzero undercabinet wine unit, beverage center, and a Fisher Paykel dishwasher drawer below. The island, that can seat up to four, houses an undercabinet Wolf microwave and an extra oven. The range is Wolf with a matching stainless hood above. The countertops throughout are Super white quartzite 1 ½” thick on the perimeter and 2 ½” thick on the island, while the backsplash is a herringbone marble. The flooring is wood and flows beyond the kitchen into the adjacent rooms on the first floor for a cohesive look.

The refreshed aesthetic achieves a transitional design with a touch of rustic charm and hints of mid-century elements. Dual-finish custom cabinets provide a warm and refined backdrop, with a bourbon stain grounding the lower cabinets and an off-white painted finish on the uppers that adds contrast while brightening the space. A vertically stacked rustic Zellige tile backsplash complements the design and adds a subtle reference to the vineyard landscape.

Vertilux has more than 200 fabric collections with over 1,500 references. Our fabrics have been designed for indoor and outdoor applications, for any level of privacy and visibility. Vertilux offers decorative fabrics with plain, sheer, screen, printed, jacquard and many other design

When someone is willing to put his or her own name on someone else's product, it's the ultimate show of trust. Take it from someone who is doing just that. Steve D'Gerolamo, owner of The Ultimate Garage, a home garage workspace design and consulting business, has made a comfortable living putting his valued name behind over 1,000 Lista cabinets and workbenches since 1995 for his clients. And the number keeps growing. Steve has installed Lista solutions in every size, shape and configuration: drawer storage cabinets in a variety of heights, widths and depths; work areas with counter tops over cabinets; workbenches; overhead cabinets, Storage Wall systems and other Lista products. "I'm an organization freak," says Steve. "The thing I really like most about the Lista system is that you can customize the drawer layouts to exactly match your storage needs. And then there's the wide variety of products, and the flexibility of the system. For the same reasons, Lista products make great office furniture. I really believe in the products." A whole new idea in "kitchen cabinets." Pride is something Steve does not take lightly. "I design for everyone from small hobbyists to very elaborate home garages to racing trailers. I design every job as if I were doing it for myself, because it has to be a project I can be proud of." “ The garage is like a man's kitchen. I'm a car nut, but more than that, I'm a tool nut. ” Steve is quick to put his cars where his mouth is. "The garage is like a man's kitchen," he says, referring to his own home-away-from-home, which houses his own collection of fuel-efficient cars. "I spent 20 years at IBM, so this is a second career for me. Basically, I enjoy getting my hands dirty. I'm a car nut, but more than that, I'm a tool nut." Steve continues, "I've been working with Lista since I started doing garage and workshop installations. There are plenty of competitive products these days but when it comes to quality, durability, and value, Lista is my only choice for workshop storage needs. Equally as important, the company support and service is unparalleled in this industry....these folks are at the top of my list." As for Steve's clients, "They're very impressed with Lista," he says. "A lot of my jobs start with the use of just one Lista piece, and over the years the customers end up buying 30 or 40 pieces."

This couple found us recommended on a local community page and after our first meeting knew we were the right people for their project. We had so much fun playing with different color options. Between countertop material and tile they jumped at the chance to go through our design process. We made it quick and easy to build out the renderings for them to see everything all together. Right after Demo Day they decided they wanted to change their wall color to go better with the cabinet colors they fell in love with. We grabbed our color wheel, made a recommendation and the walls were painted within days of their decision. We couldn’t believe the difference it made! Their kitchen went from Olive and dated to Jasper Stone and refreshed (that’s the wall colors we are referring to…). Now that we have shifted some of the appliances and installed the storage solutions the flow and functionality are outstanding. Happy Kitchen = Happy Cooking

I have a collection of premium quality, swamp recovered Dead Head Cypress that blows my mind every time I look at it. Dead Head Cypress is a colloquialism that refers to original ecosystem Florida Cypress that fell by natural causes, maybe 100 or even thousands of years ago. I bought a microscope so that I could count the growth rings. This wood has intense and pleasing graphics. Every board is special and is treated as such.

The homeowner for this project is a successful real estate agent and therefore often refers Bilotta to her clients, both individual homeowners as well as builders designing all new homes. In one such spec house she fell in love with the Bilotta Kitchen and decided she wanted the exact space in her own home. She hired Bilotta senior designer, Linda Daniele (who happened to have done the kitchen for the spec house), to make it happen. She and her husband wanted to mimic the exact space from the overall layout to the smallest detail. The kitchen features Bilotta private label cabinetry, the Bilotta Collection, in a shaker-style door in Benjamin Moore’s classic “White Dove”. The sink wall features a large window above the undermount sink to add natural light into the kitchen and a large 42” paneled Subzero refrigerator and paneled Bosch dishwasher. On the opposite wall, the center wall cabinet has antique French mirrored glass inserts on the three doors; this cabinet is flanked by beveled glass fronted cabinets helping the U-shape kitchen feel more open and airy while displaying the homeowner’s glassware. A small bar sink is below and features a Subzero undercabinet wine unit, beverage center, and a Fisher Paykel dishwasher drawer below. The island, that can seat up to four, houses an undercabinet Wolf microwave and an extra oven. The range is Wolf with a matching stainless hood above. The countertops throughout are Super white quartzite 1 ½” thick on the perimeter and 2 ½” thick on the island, while the backsplash is a herringbone marble. The flooring is wood and flows beyond the kitchen into the adjacent rooms on the first floor for a cohesive look.

Passion, character, nostalgia Think of a style that resembles you. Of a meeting with elegance as an expression of personality Chose your dimension in each detail. Key-words for Grand Elegance and main issues leading our philosophy from the very early steps. Our basic idea consists of shifting to ceramics all the living passions so that ceramics itself rises as metaphorical reference for life styles and little daily fads. So the sea and sailing, flowers, gardens, animals, classic sport, country-side and leisure time become all bricks of our imagination. Just like a classic novel, Grand Elegance collection describes our tradition that emphasizes individual attitudes and choices.

Passion, character, nostalgia Think of a style that resembles you. Of a meeting with elegance as an expression of personality Chose your dimension in each detail. Key-words for Grand Elegance and main issues leading our philosophy from the very early steps. Our basic idea consists of shifting to ceramics all the living passions so that ceramics itself rises as metaphorical reference for life styles and little daily fads. So the sea and sailing, flowers, gardens, animals, classic sport, country-side and leisure time become all bricks of our imagination. Just like a classic novel, Grand Elegance collection describes our tradition that emphasizes individual attitudes and choices.

Telafina XII balances references from the natural world with a sleek and contemporary design aesthetic. Patterns this season include lush flocked designs on a matte, natural ground cloth, appliqués of rich velvet on linen, jacquard motifs with a hint of metallic luster and a stunning allover fil-coupé texture. Photo Credit: Tracey Ayton