When used to clean natural stone, supermarket products can often cause more harm than good as this recent customer of mine discovered this the hard way! Originally from South Africa, she had lived in a flat in Clapham for a couple of years, but had to suddenly return home earlier than expected. However, part of her flat rental agreement required her to leave the property clean and as she found it, including the fantastic Slate shower cubicle. In a rush, the customer had attempted to clean the Slate using a popular supermarket bathroom cleaner. She left the product to sit on the base of the shower before scrubbing it in with an abrasive pan scourer. This was a big mistake – and the customer called me in a panic after discovering that her attempts had left the Slate severely stained. I traveled to the property to see what could be done to set the situation straight. Upon observing the damage in person, I decided that the best course of action would be to use a process known as burnishing to grind away the stains. I tested a small area of the cubicle with one of our handheld diamond encrusted burnishing blocks. Happy with the results of the test Clean, I started to burnish the whole cubicle using our system of four burnishing blocks, starting with the coarsest first and working my way down to the finest. A small amount of water was used as lubrication for each pad. Through the burnishing process, the white stains started to disappear, exposing the lighter grey coloured Slate shower base. After drying the area completely with a heat gun, I was able to seal the stone with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This impregnating sealer not only protects the stone but also importantly it restores the natural dark shades in the Slate, enhancing its overall appearance. As an impregnating sealer, Colour Grow penetrates the pores in the stone to fill them and prevent trapped dirt. To say the customer was very relieved would be a complete understatement! By hiring in professional assistance, the customer was able to resolve the situation quickly and painlessly – and more importantly hold onto her £3,000 deposit! Rupert Mcleod West Surrey Tile Doctor

Deck - deck idea in Columbus

This lovely landscape sports a poured in place concrete slab patio with drought tolerant sedum plants between the slabs. This sedum mix is sold in sheets then cut to fit but it’s actually grown for green-roof application. It works perfectly in this hot environment too as it is extremely drought tolerant and can go a month without water. Because the water runoff is absorbed between the slabs the patio drainage works perfectly and there are no need for drains.The swimming pool is of the fiberglass variety. Though the initial investment is greater than that of vinyl pools the ROI is greater over a 10 year period. Fiberglass pools retains more heat as the pool shell is all one piece and they don’t ever require a new liner.. This fiberglass pool has cool built-in benching and steps. And there is even a swim jet built into one side great for those cardio blasting swims. The pool interior colour is grey though it shows a soft blue/grey when water is added due to the reflection of the sky and other surroundings. The pool coping is natural stone with rock face edge. The steel arbour was custom made. Metal (steel) was chosen for it’s slim strength as wood placed here would have been too chunky. The best rooms (indoors or our) have a subtle layering of textural elements. To me this landscape needed a structure here to define the “rooms” It will look even better in a few years when the vines reach the top and the Miscanthus on either side reaches its 7′ height!The 12′ x 16′ pavilion is also made of steel and houses an alfresco dining table and sofa set. The pavilions built in cupola makes the warm breezes comfortably pass through with no need for a fan. It’s also sunken 2′ from the pool/patio height and nestled nicely in the corner. I must also mention the large slim planters with “Red Shades” Canna lily within. They are the perfect boldness/balance!Step through the arbor and a linear pond with “floating” natural stone step is revealed! Two smooth flow scuppers are responsible for the quiet waterfalls either side. A wood deck overhangs the pond adding softness to the setting. A modern retaining wall with natural stone cap runs the full width of the pond and pool adding interest and dimension. In the covered outdoor living area this wall is the perfect seat wall - adding lots of extra party seating! The lesson to be learned here is that good design can be applied to any space. This backyard is only 50′ x 45′ and look what can be achieved! Landscape design and photography by Melanie Rekola

Jeff Sellentin
Inspiration for a craftsman home design remodel in Seattle

The Heritage Series pays tribute to traditional Bertazzoni design with classic knobs, handle terminals, and trim.
Home design - traditional home design idea

One of the finest resorts in Southern California, Terranea Resort uses the Quadra tables and offers Social Grilling to customers in their Bashi fusion restaurant.

Small minimalist u-shaped vinyl floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen photo in Toronto with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and beige countertops

Have your wooden fences adopted a sheen of algae or mildew? If yes, then there is good news for you. Employ one or more of these surefire home improvement techniques to keep your wooden fences free from algae. http://bit.ly/1WKEHyX

Flagstone retaining wall, Flagstone Sidewalk

Flush bamboo door door, four panel, stand woven wheat.
Home design - modern home design idea in San Luis Obispo

Example of an eclectic home design design in Los Angeles

Inspiration for a traditional landscaping in New York.

Deck - craftsman deck idea in San Francisco

Outdoor Kitchen in Trinity FL. Featuring steel gray granite 3 cm, 304 steel Zline 760 cfm hood, Bull Steer Premium Grill, 304 steel sink with faucet, Bull standard fridge, Bull access doors, natural dry stacked stone (Golden Honey) siding with accent stone veneer wall.

Chris Robinson

This ski-in, ski-out condo features a strong Arts and Crafts influence. The interiors feature reclaimed oak floors, mortise-and-tenon carpentry, stone, and custom period details.

Zinc and copper wall mount hood.The body is fabricated from zinc with zinc top crown zinc bottom channel. In channel is copper. Strapping is stainless steel with stainless steel brads. Insert is custom made with lights, filers and fan control.

We bought the fire pit from Lowes (with a coupon), and it adds the perfect finishing touch to the patio. The dark metal also matches the deck railing and helps tie the two spaces together.