JUMA architects were contacted for the interior design of a shell-state apartment on the coast. The structural construction, the plastering, the floor screed and the technical fittings (heating ducts, plumbing, electricity and ventilation) of the apartment had already been realised. It soon became apparent, however, that the assignment could not be limited to the interior decoration only, as the placement of kitchen, bathroom and dressing room in the existing plan turned out to be entirely impractical. More extensive renovation work was needed to meet the needs of the customer. The structure of the unit was therefore slightly adjusted to make the bathroom and dressing larger and more functional. Also, the living room was dominated by a huge radiator that drew all the attention. To solve this problem, new pipes were laid to accommodate an integrated heating element in the sideboard. Gas pipes were fitted in the kitchen for the gas cooker which JUMA included in the design as a real eye-catcher. The sinks, in contrast, were given a more discreet placement. Light oak parquet was selected for the floors throughout the apartment. The natural appearance of the wood gives all the rooms a warm feel. The built-in furniture was custom made and is finished in black satin lacquer to contrast the light-coloured wood. The dominant colour palette is deliberately kept very simple and neutral and is complemented with light grey tones and colour accents. The colour choice was in fact inspired by a beautiful picture of the coast. The freestanding furniture and overall decorations were also selected or designed by JUMA architects. The arrangement of the seating area is very playful and atypical. JUMA did not want to put in a couch that would divide the space in two. The composition is meant to create a very open ambiance. A round table was chosen for the same reason. The round shape does not divide the space but allows fluid circulation. Pictures © Liesbet Goetschalckx

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

Black Oak Construction and Collective Design took our clients’ visions and turned their unfinished basement into a distinctive entertainment hub. Our clients came to us with a large collection of skateboards and equally as impressive collection of rock and roll posters they wanted to display. At the time, they didn’t have any real area to entertain friends and family. They wanted a Gallery/Lounge area, Theater/ Billard’s area a half bath and a workout room. The basement was a little dark. Existing windows on the East and South side were removed and replaced with a bank of 7 windows which then allowed an unobstructed view of their lake. The windows were trimmed to hide motorized blinds used to block the light when movies or sporting events were being watched on one of the flat screens. As you walk in the entertainment room, there is a custom-designed tray ceiling with a lighted display constructed to hold 42 of the skateboards. The challenge was in hanging the skateboards in it. Originally it was to be metal but it didn’t securely hold a skateboard. Our carpenters used bolts and magnets to solve the problem and hold them securely. It turned out to be the focal point of the entire area. Centered in the rec room is a bar area with visual site to most of the rec room. The front of the bar is trimmed uniquely to add dimension. The cabinets above the bar have a lighted linear wine rack. There are two comfortable areas to watch a game or music video. The homeowners brought in a KC Chiefs theme in the furnishings. One wall was dedicated to jerseys, memorabilia and stadium seats. Behind the large red couch is a custom metal sofa table that spells out CHIEFS. The workout room has a waterproof floating floor. By adding nearly frameless glass doors going in, the room feels like a part of the rest of the rec room. Framed rare posters hang throughout the entertainment area. A custom “skateboard” table is in one of the sitting areas. Pinball machines were added to provide another form of play. When finished, this was not your usual rec room by any means. This was a client ordered, construction delivered entertainment setting sure to be enjoyed for years to come.

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography

This 1970s ranch style home was in need of a whole revival in the kitchen including a complete new orientation in the space. In order to solve the problem of inadequate passage at the garage door, laundry machines were relocated to another area of the home, and a new "drop zone" for mail and phones was created. A dated soffit was removed and the cooking area was relocated to a longer - focal point wall that allows the cook to be more included while entertaining. An updated rustic and simplified craftsman style was chosen to compliment the other elements of stone and beams in the rest of the home. Of specific note is the installation of both induction and gas cooktops under the same real copper venthood for optional cooking methods. Another great kitchen for a wonderful family. Photos by David Cobb Photography.

This Sunroom proved to be a real challenge with this narrow length and lack of privacy. A four chair conversation area and woven natural shades helped solved these problems and make the space incredible.

This 1970s ranch style home was in need of a whole revival in the kitchen including a complete new orientation in the space. In order to solve the problem of inadequate passage at the garage door, laundry machines were relocated to another area of the home, and a new "drop zone" for mail and phones was created. A dated soffit was removed and the cooking area was relocated to a longer - focal point wall that allows the cook to be more included while entertaining. An updated rustic and simplified craftsman style was chosen to compliment the other elements of stone and beams in the rest of the home. Of specific note is the installation of both induction and gas cooktops under the same real copper venthood for optional cooking methods. Also note our preferred location for a warming drawer - 2nd position in a nearby drawer stack where it can easily be used. Another great kitchen for a wonderful family. Photos by David Cobb Photography.

GAO Zhiqiang: Exploring the infinite possibilities beyond boundaries - Space Emotion Design Series - Vniau Office The essence of space design is to pay attention to people’s emotional needs, especially in office designs. Vniau office is designed by GAO Zhiqiang, a space emotion designer. He created an extremely comfortable and inclusive office space by modern design tech-niques, combined with technology, history and humanities. / Explore / Infinite possibilities beyond boundaries A humanistic caring, warm and emotional design work, under the continuous changes of social forms, evolves into a space in accordance with the develop-ment of the current era, which is the most solid response from the designer to the space. This open space makes you feel like entering into a movie scene. Large areas of black and white contrast, and smooth lines create a powerful aura. However, soft lights bring back a romantic atmosphere. The space is highlighted by vir-tuality and reality. The development of modern technology diversified people’s cognition and iden-tification of space dimension. The designer tries to break the inherent bound-ary consciousness among technology, humanities and nature by comfortable and efficient spatial perception. Wandering between virtual and real, light and shadow, the space presents a fu-ture sense through symbols. It shows a bold, free, open, lush, and new office format. "Compared with technology, we pay more attention to people's emotions and feelings. We have always been advocating using the most common materials to create different spaces, and the key is depended on design." Said designer GAO Zhiqiang. Therefore, when it came to the selection of materials, pureness presents in-finity, simplicity creates richness. Bright green brings cheerfulness, and the exposed ceiling and cloud-like chandeliers create a natural and agile visual perception. The combination of dynamic and stillness embodies the concentra-tion of the designer. As the previous office was in Chinese style with redwood furniture, in order to have good effect of the overall space, the designer discussed with the own-er repeatedly, strive to change into a modern style, which matches more with their products, clients, competitors, brand culture and temperament of the of-fice, younger staff, etc., in the end, this design shows up. This is a ring-shaped office space with same walls and same core tubes, which make people easily disoriented. By the principle of 5 elements - metal, wood, water, fire and earth, the designer placed the reception and exhibition room in the middle, and painted in yellow, corresponding to central earth. According to this principle, the R & D department on the east side is decorat-ed in green, corresponding to wood, also, the market and finance department on the south side is orange, corresponding to fire. Service department on the west is white color representing metal, CEO and QC office on the north side is given black color, representing water. 5 directions are painted in 5 colors, which make people clearly distinguish departments and directions. The building wall of the void area has a huge sloped beam, which causes poor visual experience. To solve this problem, the designer creates a magnificent X-shaped style by making use of the original beam structure. Its perforated sides and the luminous aluminum plates are very sci-fi, showing a similar vision of X-Men headquarters. The interaction, communication and intersection among people are the key points of designing moving lines. Their optimization brings closer collaboration among departments,shorten the distance that people have to walk in the space, such as in conference rooms, negotiation rooms, recreation area, water bar, reception area. Reasonable moving lines make discussion and communication between people, de-partments, and customers more efficient. At the same time, different spaces create different atmospheres and emotions, relax, or serious, or leisurable, etc., so as to meet needs of different moments. In addition, the designer GAO Zhiqiang said, "We want to create a feeling of flowing clouds. Lights and curves create moving lines, and give a sense of freedom." To remove the shackles of traditional office designs, and give a space infi-nite vitality is not just a change in form, it is more about 'people' them-selves. Here, everyone has a very large degree of freedom, and they can feel the infinite possibilities of future. Initiative and creativity are stimulated at the same time. Once people create the environment, areas interact with each other, and the power of design emerges. Soft curve is a visual expression of tolerance and infinite possibilities. The spatial layout breaks isolation and shortens the distance of human hearts. High efficiency while no boundaries, and everywhere has space for independent thinking and solitude. The space respects each individual and can also unit as a whole. Gaudi, the most famous Spanish architect, once said that straight lines belong to human, and curves belong to the God. It is probably that the curves give birth to too many wonderful changes. In this space, the curves are formed smoothly, either on the ground or ceiling, or a room, a partition. "Spatial emotion design" advocates bringing human attributes to spatial func-tions. By designing and shaping the space, people are able to work in the best state of physiological and psychological emotions. Therefore, AFFD is trying their best to create comfortable working environments for employees, to ensure efficient work, as well as physical and mental health of staff.

Porcea Indus is a close alternative to Venetian Gray, Cascade Limestone, Thermal Bluestone, Indus Valley, and Indus Gray Limestones. All of these natural stone products have unique challenges including staining from rust (Venetian Gray), lack of availability (Cascade), and a general lack of charm (Thermal Bluestone). Porcea Indus solves all of these problems and packs a real punch. A sandblasted texture with a subtle off-grey colour tone that is stain-resistant and maintenance-free. The fleuri and shells found on this premium outdoor porcelain paver are both charming and subtle, allowing for an extremely premium and modern design profile. Perfect for modern or high-end projects. Like all of Porcea Stone’s Elite Collection of outdoor porcelain tiles, this paver is Designed for North America.

This wet room in Doncaster had become so mouldy and dirty the owners didn’t know what to do with it. The Limestone and Marble Mosaics on the floor and the Ceramic wall tile and Grout throughout the bathroom had become so badly affected with mould, nothing they could buy from could resolve it. Following my site visit I was confident the room could be cleaned up (in-fact I have seen worse), I explained what we could do to restore and revamp the wet room and they were happy to go ahead with my quote. First, I opened windows to maximise ventilation and then working top down I set about tackling the Ceramic wall tile and grout by spraying on a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. Spraying on the solution mixes it with air making it lighter and easier to stick to the wall where it can soak in and get to work breaking down the mould. After about fifteen minutes it was scrubbed into the tile and specifically the grout joints where it was needed most. This action releases grime and other contamination from the grout. The room needed a series of different treatments due to the different tiles and areas of mould, so I followed that up with Tile Doctor Duo Clean. This is a bleach-based cleaner which is brilliant at tackling mould and getting the grout back to its original colour. The Ceramic tile in this bathroom has a textured surface which traps dirt so to get them clean I also used Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel. Being a Gel is easily sticks to the vertical surface allowing for longer dwell times which allows the product to dissolve the dirt and make it easier to remove. With the walls looking much clear for my efforts I turned my attention to the Mosaic floor tiles. For these I went straight in with a cocktail combination of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and Duo Clean cleaners which I knew from cleaning the wall tiles would have the right impact. I was also able to use a buffing machine fitted with a poly brush attachment and running at medium speed to do most of the scrubbing. The grout lines were green with mould, and I was able to get this process to return the Mosaics and grout lines back to their original state. The slurry was removed with a wet vacuum and rinsed thoroughly with water. It took many hours and repeated scrubbing to get the room looking like it should. I was then able to finally leave for the day and allow the wet room to dry out overnight. I returned the following morning and started by removing all the old silicone from the corners of the room, much of it had become stained and difficult to get clean so replacement was the best option. The waste was removed and replaced with a new bead of mould resistant silicone colour matched to suit the tiles. The Mosaics has fully dried by this point, so I was then able to apply a sealer to floor to seal in the Marble and Limestone floor Mosaics and grout. I used a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow for this, it’s a breathable impregnating sealer that’s suitable for wet rooms. For the wall tile and grout, I used an aerosol sealer which will help protect the walls from getting mouldy and dirty again. Once I had finished, I educated the owners on how to keep up the cleaning of the room supplying them with a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro shower tile Cleaner. This is much better than any supermarket cleaner as it is pH neutral and will ensure that the newly applied sealant will not be prematurely affected. Hopefully, this will ensure it never gets quite so bad in the future however improved ventilation is the real key to solving that problem. They were very satisfied with the work we carried out and as you can see from the photographs on this page, the wet room has been transformed. Matthew Lovett South Yorkshire Tile Doctor

Porcea Indus is a close alternative to Venetian Gray, Cascade Limestone, Thermal Bluestone, Indus Valley, and Indus Gray Limestones. All of these natural stone products have unique challenges including staining from rust (Venetian Gray), lack of availability (Cascade), and a general lack of charm (Thermal Bluestone). Porcea Indus solves all of these problems and packs a real punch. A sandblasted texture with a subtle off-grey colour tone that is stain-resistant and maintenance-free. The fleuri and shells found on this premium outdoor porcelain paver are both charming and subtle, allowing for an extremely premium and modern design profile. Perfect for modern or high-end projects. Like all of Porcea Stone’s Elite Collection of outdoor porcelain tiles, this paver is Designed for North America.

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

This is a simple addition to the back deck to create an outdoor kitchen and outdoor dining area. A fire pit by the water creates another seating area out in the lawn and gives a perfect place to watch the sun set. The steps and walls improve the access to the boat dock and solve an erosion problem. Photographed by: Emerald Coast Real Estate Photography