Home design - traditional home design idea in Cincinnati

An interesting Re-Design Project of a current dealership in Washington State. The Beauty and Advantages of 3D Renderings gives you the chance to play with design ideas and see how those ideas will integrate with the surroundings long before starting construction stage. Not to mention the cost efficiency of choosing 3D renderings, as you can tackle issues while they are still in virtual stage and avoid them from happening during construction.

Expansive master suite with recessed lighting for a relaxed ambience. Bistro balcony and luxurious en-suite with frameless shower surround, rainfall and body spray showers, dual sinks and free-standing soaker tub. Calgary Photos

2018 HNA Awards Honorable Mention - Concrete Paver - Residential (size more than 3,000 sf) Contractor: Go Pavers Producer: Orco Designer: Aaron Barnes The homeowner wanted to create a luxurious outdoor space. A one-of-a-kind design, the company combined Orco Villa stones and arranged them in a random pattern to create the outline of a small airplane which accents the shape of the swimming pool. The subtle earthy tones of the stones together create the perfect contrast between the rich blue of the pool water and green tones of the artificial turf installation. What truly takes this design to the next level is the propeller design that was created using Holland stone in Charcoal. The company had the idea of creating a "starburst" effect with the colors, where the dark grey bursts into the a lighter brown (Chateau). To create the symmetrical, rounded shape the company used high end cutting machines to precisely cut each and every edge stone, ensuring they all lay perfectly together. The company also installed red, green and white lights into the system which are reminiscent to the tail lights on a real airplane to create the some of the final touches. Despite being the statement design, the company tied in an alternating runner border in the Manor colorway to truly tie in the pool to the rest of the yard. By incorporating different elements of the back patio, such as the turf, water and overall shape, the company was able to accent the homeowner's front driveway as well. Approximately 3,700 square feet in total, the company combined Orco Villa with Orco Antique Cobble Circle to create an open, welcoming entrance to a lovely home. The company took advantage of the naturally rounded edges of the home and created accents with the circle kit and border detail near an existing water fountain. Similar to the "starburst" effect on the plane propeller, this was replicated on the each circle kit on the front entryway. The artificial turf border around the fountain paired with the Antique Cobble circle kit truly make this piece stand out.

An interesting Re-Design Project of a current dealership in Washington State. The Beauty and Advantages of 3D Renderings gives you the chance to play with design ideas and see how those ideas will integrate with the surroundings long before starting construction stage. Not to mention the cost efficiency of choosing 3D renderings, as you can tackle issues while they are still in virtual stage and avoid them from happening during construction.

Custom design by Cynthia Soda of Soda Pop Design Inc. in Toronto, Canada. Photography by Stephani Buchman Photography.
Dining room - transitional dining room idea in Toronto

This beautiful pool, spa, waterfall, outdoor kitchen, and cabana make this backyard an oasis. Plus beautiful travertine decking and real rock accents. Not to mention a fire pit! This pool has it all!

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.

VILLA FOR SALE IN LIMASSOL - CYPRUS Nothing is quite as spectacular as breathtaking ocean views from the comfort of your own home. In this gorgeous coastal city of Limassol, this luxury beachside villa is an excellent choice in Cyprus real estate properties. Limassol is a city with a unique identity, a great location and a rich cultural heritage, and as a result, properties for sale in Limassol present both buyers and investors with a vast range of choice. This 3-storey luxury beach villa is for sale in Ayios Tychonas, in Limassol – Cyprus, and features 585 square metres of impeccable architecture on an extensive 725 square-metre plot of land. Dazzling ocean views are the perfect backdrop to this illustrious villa and further embellish its modern architectural design. Also, with an idyllic beachfront location, merely 50 metres from the beach, and its elegant design, it is without doubt one of the finest luxury properties for sale in a touristic area of Limassol – Cyprus. Comfortable and practical living spaces make this seafront property (villa) in Limassol ideal for anyone who is in search of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy a permanent residency or a holiday home in Cyprus. This luxury villa is made up of 4 bedrooms and is for sale fully furnished with all its electrical appliances. Also included in this remarkable villa are a basement, under floor heating, a fireplace, an alarm system, a satellite dish, a storage room, air conditioning, and 2 parking places. With all its extras, this beach property for sale in Limassol (Cyprus) is truly a dream home; not to mention an extraordinary opportunity for non-European citizens who wish to invest in real estate and gain a permanent residence permit visa in Cyprus. Some of the principal features of this villa, for sale in Ayios Tychonas (Limassol – Cyprus), are its timeless elegance and luxury. Adding to this are the lush green garden and the lavish swimming pool, which overlooks the Mediterranean. Unsurpassed ocean views can also be enjoyed from the roof garden, as well as the sizable terraces. In a class of its own, this villa for sale in Limassol is without doubt one of the best beach properties for sale in Cyprus, and especially in Limassol; as well as a great opportunity to buy beachside property for permanent residency or a holiday home. It is a unique estate which calls for a unique buyer! For more properties for sale in Limassol you can visit our general page houses for sale in Limassol or our home page properties for sale in Cyprus.

It’s important to make sure that all trees on your property are healthy and in good condition. This means hiring professional tree trimming services to maintain your trees yearly in order to keep them looking beautiful and healthy. In late winter or early spring is the best time to trim your trees. Doing so will help to improve the new growth that happens later in the spring. But fruit bearing trees and damaged trees can benefit from careful pruning in the summer. It takes an expert to skillfully trim trees during the summer without damaging them or causing harm and our team at Five Star Tree Services is just a call away to help you with your tree trimming needs! Why Trim Your Trees? By trimming your trees annually, this will not only open up your landscaping, which allows more sunlight to get to your property, but there are many other benefits. These can include: -Keep Trees Healthy and Promote Growth When you trim your trees in the spring, before they start producing buds, this helps to stimulate more new growth, which helps to keep trees in excellent condition. This can be especially important for saplings as it encourages them to fill out nicely and in a controlled and structurally sound way. If you are not maintaining your trees properly, they can become too dense, which causes a bunch of problems. One being that it restricts the amount of sunlight getting to all the leaves and it reduces the amount of nutrient circulation needed to support the tree. Professional tree pruning properly aids in tree growth and its overall aesthetic. Cutting off unneeded or unwanted branches allows other parts of the tree to grow easier. Ridding the tree of these extra branches also stimulates more leaf and fruit production. -Increased Safety Your landscape is affected when you neglect to take care of your trees, along with everything else on your property. If you have any dead trees remaining on your property, not only are you putting yourself at risk of injury, but you are putting your family, neighbours, pedestrians, and guests at risk as well. Dead or damaged branches can also be a hazard as they could fall at any time and impact with anyone standing too close to it, or it can fall on your house, which is another issue altogether, if it causes damage. Luckily, you are able to avoid all of this by simply having regular trimmings that will keep your trees healthy. You also need to make sure that all branches close to power lines are cut. This especially, should only be done by a trained professional in order to avoid potential electrocution. -Increase Production of Fruit If you are lucky enough to have a fruit bearing tree, it is especially important to have it professionally trimmed before and after it fruits. Doing so helps to improve its overall health and ability to bear fruit by getting rid of unhealthy branches. New fruit also develops and spurs for bearing fruit for the following year. -Manage Spreading Diseases Tree branches that are damaged tend to be prone to diseases which are able to spread to other plants and trees in your yard. Branches that are dead also have the potential to easily fall with any wind and especially during a storm. Severely damaged branches can even fall without reason. When you get your trees trimmed and pruned regularly, this prevents these things from happening. It also prevents spreading disease to other trees. Any disease branches should especially be trimmed if they are close to where kids play, people walk, or by doors. -Increase the Value of Your Property and Overall Appearance Continuous maintenance and trilling will improve the aesthetic of your property. It controls clutter and opens up the space of the landscaping. Meaning that the curbside appeal to your property increases. This is especially important if you are planning to sell your house, which will actually raise the value of your property. The first step in enhancing the appearance of your property is properly taking care of your trees. The first thing people see when they pull up to or go past your house is the trees. By simply pruning your trees you can make a good impression on potential buyers and your neighbours as well. -Safeguarding Your Property Owning a house is the biggest investment you will probably ever make. Making the effort to maintain and increase its value by keeping it in good condition should be your first priority. By trimming your trees regularly, you will be protecting your investment. Not to mention this also allows you to enjoy a nicely manicured property. Why Professionals Are Essential Professionals help to improve the health and overall condition of your trees. Trying to trim or prune your trees when you don’t know how can be detrimental. This is why hiring a professional, who has the right knowledge and tools, is better than trying to do it yourself. -Cost-Effective Think of it as a short-term expense for a long-term return on your investment. Allowing professional arborists to do your tree maintenance can potentially help to negate the costs of injuries attained from DIY home improvements related to trees, replacements and repairs. -Skilled and Experienced Real tools required for trimming a tree need to be handled properly and by the appropriate people. If a regular person were to try and use these tools, the end result could be injury and property damage. This is especially true for any trimming required around power lines. All professionals will have the right experience and skills required to wield these tools in a safe way. This minimizes the likelihood of hazards, injuries, and life-threatening incidents. -Proper Tools Heavy-duty chainsaws, ladders, and protective gear are all needed to safely and properly trim a tree. When you hire a professional, they have all the required tools and more. Meaning that you won’t have to go out and buy these tools yourself. As a professional, they also make sure that their tools are reliable and well-maintained in order to efficiently get the job done well. -Insured Professionals are also always insured with liability insurance when doing jobs to cover any damages or injuries attained while working. They are able to also provide a guarantee for the safety of your property and belongings while they are doing a job for you. How Five Star Tree Services Can Help Although trimming your tree might seem like an easy job, it’s always best to trust the professionals. Proper execution of the task requires the right skills, experience, and knowledge. Our team at Five Star Tree Services have all of this and more! Give us a call at (416) 990-3355 to enlist us for all your Toronto Tree Trimming needs!

Composite Shutters with Moisture Resistance. With low maintenance and a stylish alternative to real wood, Composite Shutters are great for areas in the home with heavy amounts of moisture. And did we mention that we can do round windows as well as arched and angled windows?

LUXURY PROPERTY FOR SALE LIMASSOL - CYPRUS Situated in a quiet area of Ayios Athanasios, in the coastal city of Limassol (Cyprus), this palatial property enjoys a picturesque setting, as well as a grand design. The estate for sale elegantly blends in with its amphitheatric setting, and is embellished by tall palm trees and a breathtaking backdrop. This luxury property for sale in Limassol benefits from its location in Ayios Athanasios, as it is an area rich in beauty, which perfectly depicts the features of a Mediterranean landscape. The cosmopolitan city of Limassol allures with its sandy beaches, its luxury resorts and its vibrant city life. Being one of the coastal cities of Cyprus, it is home to unparalleled natural beauty and thus is an exceptional place to buy a holiday home or a permanent residency; not to mention a popular destination for property investment. On an extensive plot of 1900 square metres, this regal estate includes 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 3 washrooms and 7 showers. Furthermore, the stately property, for sale in Limassol – Cyprus, is fully furnished with the finest furniture and also includes an alarm system, a satellite dish, a basement, under floor heating, air conditioning, electrical appliances, an auxiliary kitchen, a gym, a large swimming pool, and 2 parking places. With abundant living spaces and luxury features, this majestic house is ideal for anyone looking to buy luxury property in Limassol (Cyprus), whether it is for a permanent residency, a holiday home, or investment property. Also, it is suitable for non-European citizens who wish to buy Cyprus real estate and gain a permanent residence permit visa in Cyprus. Every angle of this exceptional estate is replete with luxury. Even the sizable terraces have been purposely designed to make the most of the panoramic sea views. Moreover, the alluring property for sale in Ayios Athanasios (Limassol – Cyprus) is adorned by an impressive garden abundant in lush greenery. Extravagance and luxury are fundamental to the design of this classic mansion. With enthralling sea views and an excellent location, this Limassol property for sale will ensure a lifetime of luxury in Cyprus. For more properties for sale in Limassol you can visit our general page houses for sale in Limassol or our home page properties for sale in Cyprus.

The project was mentioned as one of Viktor Udzenija's best in his profile created by AD Middle East for the first AD50 list of the best design professionals in the ME region. Top-class materials and products sourced from around the world and high-tech solutions for these luxury offices created for the managing team of a leading real estate company. Discover our "terra" from the "Le Pietre Incise" collection: http://bit.ly/LDTerra
A project by Viktor Udzenija Architecture + Design: http://viktorudzenija.com/
Project details: Skai Holdings HQ
Design: Viktor Udzenija Architecture + Design
Material consultant: Kens & Company http://www.kensandcompany.com/
Pictures courtesy of Viktor Udzenija Architecture + Design
All rights reserved.

The clean lines of Aberdeen, allow for an overall simple and orderly appearance
Trendy rectangular pool photo in Philadelphia

As a professional stone installer, we were brought in on this project to provide all stone installation. Using our in-house team of drafters and installers we were able to construct and install all of the stone as specified and designed by the Architect and the Designer of the project.

seacoast real estate Photography
Transitional living room photo in Manchester

traceyaytonphotography.com
Study room - transitional freestanding desk study room idea in Vancouver with multicolored walls

Photo: Jane Vorbrodt © 2016 Houzz
Trendy exterior home photo in Vancouver

Designer: RG Design Studio Inc. GC: Westmark Construction Photography: Janis Nicolay
Example of a trendy master beige tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile and multicolored floor bathroom design in Vancouver with flat-panel cabinets, a two-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and medium tone wood cabinets