Natural Hickory Stairs with wrought iron accent newels and a double twist. Hickory is the hardest of all North American Species. Which makes it a very durable floor with an active household. Hickory has a variety of shades and movement that can add warmth and light to just about any atmosphere.

Staging bedrooms are always a must. Visualizing the size of the bed in an empty space is always the hardest for potential buyers.
Bedroom - mid-sized country master medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom idea in Boston with white walls

Designed by Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Frederick, MD this Knoxville, MD kitchen remodeling project features a transitional style with 2 cabinet door styles and finishes, both of them from Greenfield Cabinetry. The perimeter cabinets features the Jackson A door style in a Paintable Glacier finish, while the kitchen island features the Falls Creek door style in Knotty Alder with a Black finish. Kitchen countertops are Silestone engineered quartz in the color Eternal Calacatta Gold. According to the client, "The hardest part of the kitchen renovation was getting started with the design and being able to get what we wanted. With the expertise of Paula she was able to deliver exactly what we wanted. She listened and made it all come together." Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

The Quarry Mill's Astoria natural granite blend thin stone veneer creates a stunning and colorful home exterior. Astoria thin stone veneer is a blend of beautiful natural granites. The veneer showcases granites from two different quarries which create the unique color combination. In addition to the different color granites, the veneer shows multiple faces of the natural stone. The larger rectangular blue and grey pieces show the bedfaces (outer parts of the quarried slabs), whereas, the smaller more linear blue and grey pieces show the interior or split face of the stone. The pink tones round out the blend which creates Astoria. Astoria is a top-of-the-line stone as the granites are some of the hardest we work with. Due to the hardness of the stone, the pieces take almost twice as long to saw compared to some of our other veneers.

This Knoxville, MD kitchen remodeling project features a contemporary farmhouse style with 2 cabinet door styles and finishes, both of them from Greenfield Cabinetry. The perimeter cabinets feature the Jackson A door style in a Paintable Glacier finish, while the kitchen island features the Falls Creek door style in Knotty Alder with a Black finish. Kitchen countertops are Silestone engineered quartz in the color Eternal Calacatta Gold. According to the client, "The hardest part of the kitchen renovation was getting started with the design and being able to get what we wanted. With the expertise of Paula she was able to deliver exactly what we wanted. She listened and made it all come together." Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

Water Drop Bench Presenting a collaboration of fine furniture and art, between Peter Tschudy and Siona Benjamin. Here is the start of a line of furniture inspired by colonial India and Peter’s hybrid international designs and Siona’s original artwork. The bench is made entirely from Ipe, one of the hardest wood known and it is highly resistant to the elements. There are no screws or nails used to make it. All the joinery is mortise and tendon or drilled and pegged with Ipe dowels. The inspiration for the back of the bench represents the circular patterns formed when a stone is dropped into standing water. Cut with precision and finished with fine sanding, the bench is sealed with Penofin. This piece of furniture is weather proof for outside use but will look elegant also inside the home. The art work is printed on ceramic tiles and are excerpts from Siona’s paintings. They serve as embellishments with bursts of color which compliments the Ipe wood. Please contact artsiona@earthlink.net or PeterWTschudy@aol.com for details about purchase and ordering this line of furniture. Peter Tschudy is a wood craftsman making high quality furniture and renovating homes for the past 30 years. www.petertschudy.com Siona Benjamin is a fine art painter who has been exhibiting and making art internationally. www.artsiona.com Siona Benjamin www.flomenhaftgallery.com Fulbright-Nehru scholar 2011

Our beloved love tub clients referred us to our sweet client in South Minneapolis who wanted to finally remodel her kitchen. She works with our love tub client and followed that project closely and was excited to do her space. The hardest challenge with South Minneapolis homes are their small spaces and the close lot lines that prevent additions. We, along with contractor Landmark Remodeling decided to keep the layout, but change the functions of the cabinetry. She wanted a new floor and we decided luxury vinyl plank was the answer. We also switched the location of the dishwasher so we could have pullout garbage and recycling. In addition to the kitchen we helped her source her new dining room furniture. And the best part...she is already scheming her next remodel, which is the biggest compliment we could get.

For durability Kim applied a couple of coats of General Finishes High Performance Flat or you could use Dixie Belle new GATOR HIDE over both cabinets and island. Both of these High Performance Top Coat is the hardest, most durable consumer top coat on the market today. Gator Hide is a water based Poly-acrylic and General Finishes is a polyurethane. If you want your paint to holdup under heavy use apply a few coats of either of these products!

As with all projects, which Murphy Bros. initiated during the pandemic outbreak in the spring of 2020, careful considerations were made in consultations with homeowners to protect everyone during each phase of the remodel. “We sealed off the upstairs with a poly wall from the downstairs and put a special lock on the walkout patio door so we had a separate entrance to the project,” explains Long. “I think the hardest thing for COVID protocol was keeping the homeowners from coming downstairs to peek in on the progress,” says Long, “But even with that, the safety was maintained at a high level and the work was done with minimal disruption.

A bathroom we completely revamped. Includes new vanities, tops, shower, and the handicap tub. The tub was probably the hardest feature in this one. It has 3 separate drains with a pump for them so you don't have to wait on water to drain along with an electric door that raises up and down. And of course Schluter-Systems North America water proofing behind it all!

A bathroom we completely revamped. Includes new vanities, tops, shower, and the handicap tub. The tub was probably the hardest feature in this one. It has 3 separate drains with a pump for them so you don't have to wait on water to drain along with an electric door that raises up and down. And of course Schluter-Systems North America water proofing behind it all!

Designed by Marc Jean-Michel of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Bethesda, MD in collaboration with Liz Forgione of MMD Construction, this small transitional kitchen features Green Forest cabinets in the Park Place shaker door style in two finishes. The base cabinets feature a Summit Grey finish and the wall cabinets a White finish. The kitchen countertops are MSI Artic White Quartz. The kitchen includes a Maravilla/Alvetian Isles Honed Marble 4x16 tile backsplash along with GE and Frigidaire appliances. “The hardest part was envisioning a new functional space in an old kitchen with a poor layout and use of space,” said the client. “I love most the transformation in the flow of the whole first floor. The kitchen entries are wide, more inviting and create a lot of great light! There is so much great storage in a small kitchen! Marc was great to work with. I loved all of his ideas.” Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

Ultraviolet curing provides the hardest, most durable floor finish available.
Huge transitional loft-style dark wood floor foyer photo

Dave Wilhide from Reico Kitchen & Bath in Springfield, VA, partnered with Professional Home Improvements to design a transitional kitchen featuring Green Forest Cabinetry in the Park Place door style in a White finish. The space is complemented by MSI Q New Carrara Marmi countertops and a full-height backsplash, along with KitchenAid appliances. The client shared, “The hardest part was waiting to get started once we decided to move forward. Dave Wilhide was very helpful at the right times to keep things on track and offer advice that made final decisions easier. We really love the clean look and the additional amount of storage space.” Photos courtesy of BTW Images.

Kathy Brandt, Mandy Moskowitz and Drakakis Architecture collaborated to design a modern style kitchen featuring Ultracraft cabinetry in the Richmond II door style with Walnut Peppercorn finish. The kitchen also includes JennAir Panel Ready appliances. Countertop and other materials were provided by others. "Finding a contractor for the demo was the hardest part. Mandy perfectly interpreted our needs and aesthetic, really nailing the layout in an awkward space. Kathy was wonderful, consistently helping us navigate through odd changes due to external factors. I love the new layout of the kitchen," said the client. “The kitchen was a very oddly shaped which made it challenging to accommodate the built-in refrigerator, wall ovens and refrigerator drawers while still having cabinets for storage as well as countertop space,” said Kathy. "Modifying cabinet specifications to fit both the space and appliances was key for a successful layout. The client had a clear vision and was fantastic to work with. Despite some initial issues with the order, they handled it calmly, allowing us to revise the layout smoothly. I'm very happy with how the design worked out, providing functional space without overcrowding any of the appliances." Photos courtesy of BTW Images.

Margie Haggerty of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Wilmington, NC, partnered with Aberle Construction LLC to design a coastal modern bathroom remodel. The space features Masterpiece Cabinetry in the Epic door style with a Caribbean finish, paired with Arctic White quartz vanity tops and shower wall cap. The bathroom includes 2" Concepts Cove Blue Mosaic floor tile, 12x24 Satin White wall and shower tile, Kohler Alteo fixtures and Verdera lighted mirror, and heated tile floors. The client shared, “Margie made the whole process easy, and we’re very happy with everything. The hardest part was figuring out how to upgrade the bathroom while staying within the existing space. Even though the new shower isn’t much bigger, it feels more spacious. We love the floating vanity and toilet, and the lighted medicine cabinet is fantastic. My husband especially loves the heated floor.” Margie explained, “This was my second project with these clients, and I was excited to work with them again. The main challenge was the limited space in the original 1960s bathroom and not removing any walls. The clients wanted a larger, more accessible shower and liked the idea of a wet room. While we didn’t gain square footage, using soft whites, pale blues, a floating vanity, and a floating toilet helped the space feel larger. The heated tile floors completed the design.” Margie added, “I truly enjoyed this project and working with the clients. They were easy to work with, made selections quickly, and communication between Reico, the client, and the contractor was seamless.” Photos courtesy of Images by Joanna Photography.

Back hallway with custom banquette storage and brass hardware. Perfect area for putting on shoes and storing coats, shoes and other out door items.
Example of a small beach style porcelain tile and gray floor hallway design in Toronto with green walls

Let me start by saying this was by far the hardest job I’ve ever done and as you read on you will soon realise why. The customer called me out to quote on a Quarry tiled floor at a house in Danehill that was covered in concrete screed. She said it had always been there and she’s lived there for years always meaning to get it bought back to a state that she could live with. Undaunted by the state of the floor (see photo below) we agreed a price and fixed a date to do the work. For the next two days I spent all my time pouring neat Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up onto small areas and working it in with a metal scraper and wire brush. Once removed the resultant muck was rinsed and extracted using a wet vacuum, laborious work as you can imagine although I was kept entertained by playing the occasional game of fetch with a very keen Collie dog who seemed fascinated by the bloke sitting on his floor all day. After two days of this my hands were throbbing but I could see red quarry tile emerging. The final two hours on the second day were spent making good any areas under the washing machine and fridge and giving the floor a thorough rinse to remove any trace of cleaning product. The floor dried off overnight and I came back the third day to seal the tiles making sure that my canine companion had been sent next door first. To seal the floor I used six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which really brought back the colour in the floor and gave it an amazingly shiny surface. Once sealed the floors transformation was complete and when the customer returned from work she was utterly speechless. I’d turned what looked like a building site into a stunning tiled floor.

The family room is easily the hardest working room in the house. With 19' ceilings and a towering black panel fireplace this room makes everyday living just a little easier with easy access to the dining area, kitchen, mudroom, and outdoor space. The large windows bathe the room with sunlight and warmth.