Built by Schumacher Homes, America's Largest Custom Home Builder, this stunning Charleston II Modern Hill Country in Franklin, North Carolina, effortlessly balances classic architectural details with modern elements. Based on one of our most popular floor plans, the Charleston II offers increased square footage and abundant storage solutions tailored for modern living. The heart of the home is a chef-ready kitchen equipped with generous counter space, a large central island to gather around, and premium double-stacked cabinets flanking both perimeter walls to maximize storage. The kitchen cabinetry showcases an elegant mix of design textures, featuring sophisticated glass-front doors above the cooktop for a sleek, stylish look, and traditional solid-door double-stacked cabinetry above the refrigerator. Directly off the main kitchen, the giant walk-in pantry has been converted into a dual-purpose space featuring a secondary messy kitchen, allowing all meal prep and cooking clutter to remain hidden behind closed doors while entertaining guests in the main living space. Distinct custom woodwork details elevate the interior architecture throughout the home. Both the great room and the dining room are anchored by matching 3D accent walls featuring a geometric design that adds subtle contrast and high-end visual focal points to the open layout. For those who work from home, a versatile front flex room has been outfitted with custom-built-in shelves and cabinets to create an organized executive study. Additionally, a perfectly placed pocket office provides a dedicated zone for organizing daily tasks before flowing seamlessly into the private owner's retreat, which serves as a main-level sanctuary with its spacious primary bath and two independent walk-in closets. A smart split-bedroom layout places the secondary bedrooms on the completely opposite side of the residence, ensuring ultimate privacy so everyone in the family can enjoy their own space.

This kitchen facelift was inspired by a family of 7 who needed a fresh feel and better organization in the most popular room in the house. We were invited to select the finishes, plumbing fixtures, decorative hood and design a new bank of cabinets with rollout shelves to compliment the existing kitchen cabinets. The existing stained cabinets were painted white in contrast to the beautiful new natural stone counters. The result was bright and fresh. A marble tile backsplash added classic sophistication and the hood added a more capable ventilation system and a beautiful decorative element. Little details such as the touchless faucet and single basin sink which is large enough to wash platters and baking dishes increased the overall kitchen efficiency. The end result is a classic modern kitchen that is well loved by its family! Designed by: Jennifer Gardner Design Photographed by: Marcela Winspear

While we are seeing an increase in the popularity of tile backsplashes, this gorgeous piece took the idea to a whole new design level and added a warmth to this lovely kitchen.

The Tilt Turn window is a European-style window with two distinct functions: swing it in like a door or tilt the top of the sash into your room for ventilation. One handle controls both operations. The tilt turn is a great window for unique situations where you want additional ventilation or access. Features • A popular European Style window • Dual-functioning: Swing like a door or tilt the top sash for ventilation using the same handle for both (or each) operation/s • Great for emergency exit access • Low-e argon • Double Glaze • U Factor = 0.19 • SHGC = 0.23 • Thermal Transmission = 0.21 • Modular turn-tilt fitting system with visible hinge side • Simple and intuitive operation • Versatile and simple adjustment • Individual design matching due to powder-coated hinge parts or caps in different colors • Large central reinforcing chamber for optimum static performance. • Robust walls guarantee greater stability and durability of windows, as well as increased protection against noise and temperature changes. • System reinforcement profile made of galvanized steel, ensuring stiffness, and correct functioning. • Compact design, delicate bevels and slants give the profiles a modern and elegant look. • Extremely durable and modern gaskets ensure that windows are tight and reliable. • Five-chamber construction provides ideal thermal protection How It Works 1. Turn the handle 90 degrees to open the sash like an inswing door 2. Turn the handle 180 degrees and it locks the bottom sash into the frame, tilting the top in to allow air exchange Visit Our Online Shop To Browse and Shop Our In Stock Selection Available Now : www.shop.libertywindoors.com To Learn About Custom Window Orders and For More Information About The Tilt and Turn Windows Visit : www.libertywindoors.com TEL : (973) 773-2188 EMAIL: infonj@libertywindoors.com

Even though it is one of the smallest rooms in the house, having a high-quality bathroom shouldn't be an afterthought; this remodel is one of the most worthwhile home investments you can make. It might not be cheap, but adding updates — like a new bathtub, walk-in shower and double sinks — will increase the overall value, quality and comfort of your home. When you're ready to start the renovation process, it is important to consider popular trends as well as your own family's needs. Evaluate how much storage you’ll need, and how it will affect the overall feel of the space. With a creative use of materials, bathrooms can be both stylish and functional.

Built by Schumacher Homes, America's Largest Custom Home Builder, this stunning Charleston II Modern Hill Country in Franklin, North Carolina, effortlessly balances classic architectural details with modern elements. Based on one of our most popular floor plans, the Charleston II offers increased square footage and abundant storage solutions tailored for modern living. The heart of the home is a chef-ready kitchen equipped with generous counter space, a large central island to gather around, and premium double-stacked cabinets flanking both perimeter walls to maximize storage. The kitchen cabinetry showcases an elegant mix of design textures, featuring sophisticated glass-front doors above the cooktop for a sleek, stylish look, and traditional solid-door double-stacked cabinetry above the refrigerator. Directly off the main kitchen, the giant walk-in pantry has been converted into a dual-purpose space featuring a secondary messy kitchen, allowing all meal prep and cooking clutter to remain hidden behind closed doors while entertaining guests in the main living space. Distinct custom woodwork details elevate the interior architecture throughout the home. Both the great room and the dining room are anchored by matching 3D accent walls featuring a geometric design that adds subtle contrast and high-end visual focal points to the open layout. For those who work from home, a versatile front flex room has been outfitted with custom-built-in shelves and cabinets to create an organized executive study. Additionally, a perfectly placed pocket office provides a dedicated zone for organizing daily tasks before flowing seamlessly into the private owner's retreat, which serves as a main-level sanctuary with its spacious primary bath and two independent walk-in closets. A smart split-bedroom layout places the secondary bedrooms on the completely opposite side of the residence, ensuring ultimate privacy so everyone in the family can enjoy their own space.

Built by Schumacher Homes, America's Largest Custom Home Builder, this stunning Charleston II Modern Farmhouse in Whitestown, Indiana, effortlessly balances classic architectural details with modern charm. Based on one of our most popular plans, the Charleston II maximizes spatial volume by increasing ceiling heights throughout both levels. The main living space boasts an expansive, open-concept floor plan featuring 10-foot ceilings throughout, which soar to a dramatic 12 feet across the central great room, kitchen, and bright morning room. Designed for seamless entertaining and effortless organization, the chef-ready kitchen is equipped with abundant counter space, a large central island to gather around, and a giant walk-in pantry. This dual-purpose pantry features a highly functional "messy kitchen" secondary prep zone, brilliantly engineered to keep cooking clutter, meal prep, and mess completely out of sight from the main living area. The thoughtful layout continues with a perfectly placed pocket office, offering a quiet, dedicated space to organize daily tasks or work from home. This pocket office flows gracefully into the luxurious owner’s retreat, a private sanctuary showcasing an expansive primary bath and two large walk-in closets. To elevate the primary suite's design aesthetic, the bedroom features a show-stopping ceiling accented with custom stained wood beams—meticulously finished to match the flooring—with integrated hidden lighting to cast a warm, indirect glow. A smart split-bedroom floor plan ensures ultimate privacy for the entire family, keeping the additional secondary bedrooms situated on the opposite side of the residence so everyone can enjoy their own independent space.

This custom wine cellar CA posed a challenge for our wine cellar builders. The floor and ceiling were not even, and so extra effort was required to ensure that the wine racks, flooring and the like were properly fitted. As you can see, the builders were successful in their endeavor. This unique space, an underground, under the house custom wine cellar built by Vintage Cellars, truly showcases the ability to transform any unused space in the house into a magnificent wine room, no matter what the size. This wine cellar utilized dark stain on the Walnut racking to further increase the underground cellar feel. Jake at Vintage Cellars along with the owners of the home collaborated to create multiple spaces within the wine cellar itself- an area for bottle storage as well as a separate wine room space for decanting and pouring wine, as well as social get-togethers. Within the social wine room, a credenza style cabinet has been utilized for white wine and champagne storage. A credenza cabinet, or any wine refrigerator or wine cabinet such as this is a perfect option to keep your whites and champagnes at a cooler temperature, ready for serving to guests anytime. This custom wine cellar in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California posed a challenge for our wine cellar builders. Building a custom wine cellar requires a keen eye for detail. The floor and ceiling were not even in this wine room, and so extra effort was required to ensure that the custom wine racks, flooring and the like were properly fitted. As you can see, the wine cellar builders were successful in their endeavor; this large wine cellar turned out fantastic! So much open horizontal storage was used due to cement footings for the house. Every inch of racking was designed at specifics depths to accommodate the different wall depths. Some other features throughout the custom wine cellar include custom wine racking throughout, an area for large horizontal displayed magnum bottles, diamond bins, high reveal bottle display, LED lighting, an archway with a mirrored back, as well as small table and chairs for enjoying that special bordeaux, burgundy, or Napa Cabernet! Cellars similar to this are becoming more popular throughout major cities in California especially, such as San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Vintage Cellars has built gorgeous custom wine cellars and wine storage rooms across the United States and World for over 25 years. We are your go-to business for anything wine cellar and wine storage related! Whether you're interested in a wine closet, wine racking, custom wine racks, a custom wine cellar door, or a cooling system for your existing space, Vintage Cellars has you covered! We carry all kinds of wine cellar cooling and refrigeration systems, incuding: Breezaire, CellarCool, WhisperKool, Wine Guardian, CellarPro and Commercial systems. We also carry many types of Wine Refrigerators, Wine Cabinets, and wine racking types, including La Cache, Marvel, N'Finity, Transtherm, Vinotheque, Vintage Series, Credenza, Walk in wine rooms, Climadiff, Riedel, Fontenay, and VintageView. Vintage Cellars also does work in many styles, including Contemporary and Modern, Rustic, Farmhouse, Traditional, Craftsman, Industrial, Mediterranean, Mid-Century, Industrial and Eclectic. Some locations we cover often include: San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Corona Del Mar, Del Mar, La Jolla, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Huntington Beach, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Orange County, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Bel Air, Los Angeles, Encinitas, Cardiff, Coronado, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, San Marino, Ladera Heights, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Hancock Park, Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove, Laguna Niguel, Torrey Pines, Thousand Oaks, Coto De Caza, Coronado Island, San Francisco, Danville, Walnut Creek, Marin, Tiburon, Hillsborough, Berkeley, Oakland, Napa, Sonoma, Agoura Hills, Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Piedmont, Paso Robles, Carmel, Pebble Beach Contact Vintage Cellars today with any of your Wine Cellar needs! Vintage Cellars 904 Rancheros Drive San Marcos, California 92069 (800) 876-8789

If you are tired of your old and outdated kitchen and are ready for an upgrade, you’re not alone. The kitchen remodel is one of the more popular projects Homeowners want to take on. Major kitchen renovations will require a big investment of your time, money, and patience. But the reward for doing this can be huge. For most Homeowners, the kitchen is the hub and heart of their home and where the most important activities take place. It’s where all the meals are prepared and cooked, where friends and families get together, and where memories are made. A custom design-build hand-crafted kitchen is a pleasure to use and can add so much to your quality of life. It will also increase the value of your home

Built by Schumacher Homes, America's Largest Custom Home Builder, this stunning Charleston II Modern Farmhouse in Whitestown, Indiana, effortlessly balances classic architectural details with modern charm. Based on one of our most popular plans, the Charleston II maximizes spatial volume by increasing ceiling heights throughout both levels. The main living space boasts an expansive, open-concept floor plan featuring 10-foot ceilings throughout, which soar to a dramatic 12 feet across the central great room, kitchen, and bright morning room. Designed for seamless entertaining and effortless organization, the chef-ready kitchen is equipped with abundant counter space, a large central island to gather around, and a giant walk-in pantry. This dual-purpose pantry features a highly functional "messy kitchen" secondary prep zone, brilliantly engineered to keep cooking clutter, meal prep, and mess completely out of sight from the main living area. The thoughtful layout continues with a perfectly placed pocket office, offering a quiet, dedicated space to organize daily tasks or work from home. This pocket office flows gracefully into the luxurious owner’s retreat, a private sanctuary showcasing an expansive primary bath and two large walk-in closets. To elevate the primary suite's design aesthetic, the bedroom features a show-stopping ceiling accented with custom stained wood beams—meticulously finished to match the flooring—with integrated hidden lighting to cast a warm, indirect glow. A smart split-bedroom floor plan ensures ultimate privacy for the entire family, keeping the additional secondary bedrooms situated on the opposite side of the residence so everyone can enjoy their own independent space.

The Tilt Turn window is a European-style window with two distinct functions: swing it in like a door or tilt the top of the sash into your room for ventilation. One handle controls both operations. The tilt turn is a great window for unique situations where you want additional ventilation or access. Features • A popular European Style window • Dual-functioning: Swing like a door or tilt the top sash for ventilation using the same handle for both (or each) operation/s • Great for emergency exit access • Low-e argon • Double Glaze • U Factor = 0.19 • SHGC = 0.23 • Thermal Transmission = 0.21 • Modular turn-tilt fitting system with visible hinge side • Simple and intuitive operation • Versatile and simple adjustment • Individual design matching due to powder-coated hinge parts or caps in different colors • Large central reinforcing chamber for optimum static performance. • Robust walls guarantee greater stability and durability of windows, as well as increased protection against noise and temperature changes. • System reinforcement profile made of galvanized steel, ensuring stiffness, and correct functioning. • Compact design, delicate bevels and slants give the profiles a modern and elegant look. • Extremely durable and modern gaskets ensure that windows are tight and reliable. • Five-chamber construction provides ideal thermal protection How It Works 1. Turn the handle 90 degrees to open the sash like an inswing door 2. Turn the handle 180 degrees and it locks the bottom sash into the frame, tilting the top in to allow air exchange Visit Our Online Shop To Browse and Shop Our In Stock Selection Available Now : www.shop.libertywindoors.com To Learn About Custom Window Orders and For More Information About The Tilt and Turn Windows Visit : www.libertywindoors.com TEL : (973) 773-2188 EMAIL: infonj@libertywindoors.com

Built by Schumacher Homes, America's Largest Custom Home Builder, this stunning Charleston II Modern Hill Country in Franklin, North Carolina, effortlessly balances classic architectural details with modern elements. Based on one of our most popular floor plans, the Charleston II offers increased square footage and abundant storage solutions tailored for modern living. The heart of the home is a chef-ready kitchen equipped with generous counter space, a large central island to gather around, and premium double-stacked cabinets flanking both perimeter walls to maximize storage. The kitchen cabinetry showcases an elegant mix of design textures, featuring sophisticated glass-front doors above the cooktop for a sleek, stylish look, and traditional solid-door double-stacked cabinetry above the refrigerator. Directly off the main kitchen, the giant walk-in pantry has been converted into a dual-purpose space featuring a secondary messy kitchen, allowing all meal prep and cooking clutter to remain hidden behind closed doors while entertaining guests in the main living space. Distinct custom woodwork details elevate the interior architecture throughout the home. Both the great room and the dining room are anchored by matching 3D accent walls featuring a geometric design that adds subtle contrast and high-end visual focal points to the open layout. For those who work from home, a versatile front flex room has been outfitted with custom-built-in shelves and cabinets to create an organized executive study. Additionally, a perfectly placed pocket office provides a dedicated zone for organizing daily tasks before flowing seamlessly into the private owner's retreat, which serves as a main-level sanctuary with its spacious primary bath and two independent walk-in closets. A smart split-bedroom layout places the secondary bedrooms on the completely opposite side of the residence, ensuring ultimate privacy so everyone in the family can enjoy their own space.

Built by Schumacher Homes, America's Largest Custom Home Builder, this stunning Charleston II American Tradition in Greenville, South Carolina, effortlessly balances traditional architectural details with modern elements. Based on one of our most popular floor plans, the Charleston II offers increased square footage and abundant storage solutions tailored for modern living. The heart of the home is an expansive, open-concept great room defined by classic wall paneling details and a custom iron railing that perfectly completes the home’s refined traditional style. This grand living space flows seamlessly into a chef-ready kitchen equipped with generous counter space, a large central island to gather around, and a giant walk-in pantry. To manage busy family schedules, an oversized laundry and mudroom zone has been upgraded with dramatic floor-to-ceiling tile, a custom bench locker, and integrated coat hooks to keep the home perfectly organized. The thoughtful layout continues with a perfectly placed pocket office, offering a quiet, dedicated space to organize daily tasks or work from home. This pocket office leads gracefully into the luxurious owner’s retreat, a private main-level sanctuary showcasing an expansive primary bath and two large walk-in closets. To elevate the primary suite's design aesthetic, the bedroom features a show-stopping beamed cathedral ceiling that adds striking verticality and architectural detail. A smart split-bedroom layout ensures ultimate privacy for the entire family, keeping the additional secondary bedrooms situated on the completely opposite side of the residence so everyone can enjoy their own independent space.

Built by Schumacher Homes, America's Largest Custom Home Builder, this stunning Charleston II Modern Farmhouse in Whitestown, Indiana, effortlessly balances classic architectural details with modern charm. Based on one of our most popular plans, the Charleston II maximizes spatial volume by increasing ceiling heights throughout both levels. The main living space boasts an expansive, open-concept floor plan featuring 10-foot ceilings throughout, which soar to a dramatic 12 feet across the central great room, kitchen, and bright morning room. Designed for seamless entertaining and effortless organization, the chef-ready kitchen is equipped with abundant counter space, a large central island to gather around, and a giant walk-in pantry. This dual-purpose pantry features a highly functional "messy kitchen" secondary prep zone, brilliantly engineered to keep cooking clutter, meal prep, and mess completely out of sight from the main living area. The thoughtful layout continues with a perfectly placed pocket office, offering a quiet, dedicated space to organize daily tasks or work from home. This pocket office flows gracefully into the luxurious owner’s retreat, a private sanctuary showcasing an expansive primary bath and two large walk-in closets. To elevate the primary suite's design aesthetic, the bedroom features a show-stopping ceiling accented with custom stained wood beams—meticulously finished to match the flooring—with integrated hidden lighting to cast a warm, indirect glow. A smart split-bedroom floor plan ensures ultimate privacy for the entire family, keeping the additional secondary bedrooms situated on the opposite side of the residence so everyone can enjoy their own independent space.

Ask a kitchen designer in Chicago which countertop question comes up most and you will hear the same answer: white or off-white quartz, and which shade. Homeowners walk into showrooms with a photo saved on their phone, usually a bright, veined slab from a magazine spread, and leave an hour later realizing there are a dozen versions of that same look. The confusion is not about taste. It is about the fact that "white quartz" covers a huge range of patterns, undertones, and price points, and nobody explains the differences before the sale. Older bungalows and newer builds alike are getting stripped of their dated laminate and butcher block in favor of quartz, and the reasons are practical rather than trendy. Quartz does not need sealing, resists the kind of staining that granite can suffer over decades, and holds up to the freeze-thaw humidity swings that Chicago basements and kitchens go through every year. Once a homeowner commits to quartz, though, the real decision starts: which white, and does the pattern justify the difference in cost. This piece walks through three specific slabs that keep showing up in Chicago renovation projects, why designers reach for them in different rooms, and what actually separates a flat white surface from one with real depth. None of this requires a design background to follow. It is mostly about paying attention to how a slab behaves under kitchen lighting, how busy the vending gets, and how it photographs versus how it looks in person. Why White Quartz Took Over Chicago Kitchens Ten years ago, granite dominated Chicago kitchen remodels almost by default. It was durable, it looked expensive, and every fabricator in the metro area carried a wide range of colors. Quartz has since taken over that position, and the shift happened faster than most contractors expected. Engineered stone gave homeowners a more predictable surface, since natural granite varies slab to slab while quartz is manufactured to a consistent pattern batch after batch. The other driver is light. Chicago winters are long and gray, and a lot of kitchens, especially in older two-flats and courtyard buildings, do not get much direct sun. A dark granite countertop in a dim kitchen can make the whole room feel smaller. White and light-toned quartz reflects what little natural light comes through the windows, and it makes a galley kitchen or a north-facing space feel noticeably brighter without touching the cabinetry or the layout. There is also a resale argument that local real estate agents bring up constantly. White quartz photographs well for listings, reads as updated and low-maintenance to buyers touring in person, and does not compete visually with whatever cabinet color the next owner might prefer. It is a safer bet than a bold veined marble look or a colored quartz that might feel dated in five years. Arctic White and the Cost Question Among the flatter, more uniform whites, arctic white quartz price comes up constantly in budget conversations because the slab sits at a more approachable point than the heavily veined Italian-marble-inspired patterns. It reads as clean and bright without the busy movement that some homeowners find overwhelming in a small kitchen. Fabricators in the Chicago area tend to keep it in stock precisely because demand stays steady across both new construction and remodel projects. Part of what keeps this slab affordable relative to its heavily patterned cousins comes down to manufacturing complexity. A quartz surface with minimal veining and a consistent white base is simpler to produce at scale than one that mimics the irregular, high-contrast movement of natural Calacatta marble. That production difference shows up directly in what a homeowner pays per square foot, and it is worth asking a fabricator to walk through that pricing before assuming every white quartz costs the same. Homeowners planning a full kitchen, including an island, backsplash, and perimeter counters, often use a flatter white like this specifically because it lets other elements carry the visual interest. A patterned tile backsplash or a bold cabinet color reads more clearly against a calm countertop than against one already fighting for attention with heavy veining. Designers frequently pair simpler whites with statement lighting fixtures for exactly this reason. What Makes Calacatta Patterns Different Calacatta refers to a family of marble originally quarried in Italy, known for a bright white background broken up by bold, often gold-toned veining that moves in thick, dramatic streaks rather than thin gray lines. Natural Calacatta marble is soft, porous, and expensive to maintain, which is exactly why quartz manufacturers spent years developing engineered versions that replicate the look without the upkeep headaches. The challenge with any Calacatta-style quartz is getting the veining to look organic instead of printed. Early generations of engineered stone struggled with repetitive patterns that gave away the fact the slab was manufactured rather than cut from actual marble. Modern digital printing and layering techniques have closed that gap considerably, and the better Calacatta-inspired quartz lines now vary the veining across each slab batch so two counters in the same kitchen do not look identical. Chicago designers gravitate toward Calacatta patterns for kitchens that function as the visual centerpiece of an open floor plan, which describes a large share of the gut renovations happening in neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, and the North Shore suburbs. When the kitchen island is visible from the living room and dining area, a dramatic veined surface becomes part of the home's overall design language rather than a purely functional work surface. Calacatta Arno Under Kitchen Lighting One of the more popular options in this category, calacatta arno quartz, balances a warm white base with soft gray and gold veining that avoids looking too stark under the cooler LED lighting common in newer Chicago builds. Homeowners touring showrooms sometimes make the mistake of judging a slab entirely under warm incandescent lighting, then get surprised when the same surface looks slightly different once installed under their kitchen's actual fixtures. What separates this particular pattern from flatter competitors is how the veining clusters rather than spreading evenly across the slab. That clustering mimics the way real quarried marble forms, with denser mineral deposits in some sections and cleaner stretches in others. Fabricators cutting a large island slab from a single piece will often orient the pattern intentionally so the busiest veining lands somewhere visually interesting rather than getting cut off at an edge. Because the background reads warmer than a stark white, this pattern tends to pair well with brass or matte gold hardware, a combination that has been showing up repeatedly in Chicago kitchen remodels over the past few renovation seasons. Cabinet painters report a similar trend, with more clients requesting warm white or greige cabinet colors specifically because they complement this kind of veined quartz better than a cooler, blue-toned white would. Silestone's Version of the Calacatta Look Manufacturers compete directly in this Calacatta-inspired category, and silestone eternal calacatta gold represents one brand's specific take on the pattern, distinguished by richer gold veining set against a brighter white base than some competing slabs in the same family. Silestone has built a reputation around anti-bacterial surface treatments in addition to the standard quartz durability, a detail some homeowners specifically ask about for kitchens used heavily by families with young children. The veining in this particular slab tends to run in longer, more continuous lines compared to the clustered pattern found in some other Calacatta-style options, which gives large island surfaces a sense of visual flow from one end to the other. Fabricators working with bigger islands, the kind increasingly common in open-concept Chicago remodels, often favor patterns like this because there is less need to worry about seams interrupting a busy, disconnected pattern. Price positioning for this slab tends to sit toward the upper end of the engineered quartz category, reflecting both the brand's manufacturing process and the complexity of replicating that continuous gold veining consistently across production batches. Homeowners weighing this option against other Calacatta-style quartz should ask their fabricator directly about batch availability, since premium patterns sometimes have longer lead times than standard stock colors. Living With Quartz Day to Day Beyond how a slab looks in a showroom or a listing photo, the daily experience of owning quartz countertops matters more once the renovation dust settles. Quartz resists scratching far better than laminate and holds up to the acidic spills, hot pans, and general abuse of an active kitchen without the sealing maintenance that natural stone requires every year or two. That low-maintenance reputation is a large part of why quartz overtook granite in the first place. Heat resistance is a detail that gets less attention than it should. While quartz handles moderate heat well, manufacturers generally recommend using a trivet or pad for very hot pots straight off the stove, since sudden temperature shock can occasionally cause stress marks in the resin binder that holds the engineered stone together. This is a minor precaution rather than a major limitation, but it is worth mentioning to anyone assuming quartz is entirely indestructible. Cleaning routines stay simple across almost every pattern in this category. A damp cloth and mild soap handle daily messes, and the nonporous surface means wine, coffee, and tomato-based sauces do not soak in the way they can with unsealed granite or marble. Homeowners moving from an older stone counter often mention how much less they worry about everyday spills once quartz is installed, which is a quality-of-life change that rarely makes it into the initial design conversation. Choosing Between the Three There is no single correct answer among these three slabs, and that is exactly why they keep coming up together in the same design conversations across Chicago renovation projects. A flatter white with minimal veining suits kitchens where other elements need to carry the visual interest, while a bolder Calacatta-inspired pattern makes sense when the countertop itself is meant to be the centerpiece of an open floor plan. Budget matters too, and it is worth having a direct conversation with a fabricator about where each option lands before falling in love with a specific slab in a showroom. Lighting, cabinet color, and how the kitchen connects to the rest of the home all play into which pattern will actually look right once installation is finished rather than just in a photo. Whatever direction a homeowner leans, seeing a full slab in person under actual kitchen lighting remains the single most useful step before signing off. Photos only go so far once the countertop is sitting in the room it will live in for years.

This bathroom features a sophisticated shower space with a frameless hinged shower door complete with chrome trim. The floor to ceiling tiled shower walls feature vertical tile which offers a fabric-textured look that adds depth to the space. Mother of Pearl accent tile runs up the center of the back wall and into the recess niche. The Moen Voss Moentrol® shower trim boasts a large chrome shower head and handheld shower on a vertical bar, making height adjustment quick and easy. The 1” x 2” fabric textured tile on the shower floor completes the ensemble and provides increased traction slip-resistance. The biscuit colored Kohler Cimarron® Comfort Height® toilet is very popular for providing a more comfortable sitting height than a standard toilet. An 18” polished chrome towel bar hangs above the toilet. The 30” custom-made, solid wood vanity has an espresso finish with a granite surface and biscuit under-mount bowl. The handles are stainless steel to match the chrome in the other fixtures.

Even though it is one of the smallest rooms in the house, having a high-quality bathroom shouldn't be an afterthought; this remodel is one of the most worthwhile home investments you can make. It might not be cheap, but adding updates — like a new bathtub, walk-in shower and double sinks — will increase the overall value, quality and comfort of your home. When you're ready to start the renovation process, it is important to consider popular trends as well as your own family's needs. Evaluate how much storage you’ll need, and how it will affect the overall feel of the space. With a creative use of materials, bathrooms can be both stylish and functional.

If you are tired of your old and outdated kitchen and are ready for an upgrade, you’re not alone. The kitchen remodel is one of the more popular projects Homeowners want to take on. Major kitchen renovations will require a big investment of your time, money, and patience. But the reward for doing this can be huge. For most Homeowners, the kitchen is the hub and heart of their home and where the most important activities take place. It’s where all the meals are prepared and cooked, where friends and families get together, and where memories are made. A custom design-build hand-crafted kitchen is a pleasure to use and can add so much to your quality of life. It will also increase the value of your home

Even though it is one of the smallest rooms in the house, having a high-quality bathroom shouldn't be an afterthought; this remodel is one of the most worthwhile home investments you can make. It might not be cheap, but adding updates — like a new bathtub, walk-in shower and double sinks — will increase the overall value, quality and comfort of your home. When you're ready to start the renovation process, it is important to consider popular trends as well as your own family's needs. Evaluate how much storage you’ll need, and how it will affect the overall feel of the space. With a creative use of materials, bathrooms can be both stylish and functional.