This property was in theLadbroke Grove area of West London near Kensington. The client had found an old and probably original black and white checkered pattern Victorian tiled floor under their cork tiled flooring. They also reported that it was badly damaged so I thought it would be best if I paid them a visit first to see how extensive the damage was and whether it was repairable. The floor was in a quite a state, the tiles were covered in glue from the cork and had several areas had been back filled with cement. I reassured them that the damage could be rectified, and that it would be possible to completely restore the floor back to a good standard. I would have to remove the glue, remove the cement that had been used to level the floor and replace with reclaimed tiles to match. They were relieved to find out it could be done and happy with my quote I was instructed to go ahead with the work. We started by taping up the skirting boards to protect the woodwork. With this done attention was turned to the glue which was softened using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go so it could be carefully scraped off. Multiple techniques and tools were needed to remove the glue including hand-held scrappers and a black pad fitted to a buffing machine. For the stubborn areas steam was applied to help lift the adhesive out the tile. Once all the glue was removed the floor was rinsed and the alkaline cleaner neutralised with Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up which further cleaned the tiles and removed old traces of grout from the floor. Old floors like this generally don’t have a damp proof membrane underneath so the acids in the Grout Clean-up also counter any efflorescent salts trapped in the tile. Once this was completed the slurry was removed with a wet vacuum and left to fully dry out overnight. The following day focus turned to repairing the areas of the floor where the tiles were missing or broken. The main issue being the cemented areas, we see this a lot with Victorian Hallways and generally what happens is a heating engineer digs out the floor to install pipework. Not being tilers, your average plumber then repairs the floor with a self-levelling cement that brings the level up to the surface of the tile so it can be covered with lino, carpet of in this case cork. The sub floor was then rebuilt with rapid setting self-levelling compound but this time to below the level of the tile. Once the new base was dry it was a just a question of re-tiling with the replacement tiles to match the original checkered pattern. The replacement reproduction tiles were sourced from Original Features in Crouch End North London. After grouting we left the floor to dry out over the weekend. When we returned to seal the floor our first step was to check the floor was dry using a moisture meter. This is critical as the sealant will not cure correctly if there is too much moisture in the floor. In this case the extra two days we had allowed had done its job and the test had confirmed it was ready to accept a sealer. The client wanted the floor finish not to be too shiny once sealed so we opted to seal with two coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go Extra. This is good choice for old Victorian floors such as this example as it’s special acrylic-based formula allows for moisture vapour transmission which as mentioned previously is a concern where no damp proof membrane has been installed. I’m please to confirm my clients were delighted with the result, as you can see from the pictures the black and white floor restoration makes for a dramatic entrance well in keeping with the style of the property. For aftercare I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which will keep the tiles in good condition going forward without damaging the new sealer. Jackson Davis Central London Tile Doctor

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Example of a small tuscan bathroom design with an undermount sink

Heidi Pribell Interiors puts a fresh twist on classic design serving the major Boston metro area. By blending grandeur with bohemian flair, Heidi creates inviting interiors with an elegant and sophisticated appeal. Confident in mixing eras, style and color, she brings her expertise and love of antiques, art and objects to every project.

**I. Spatial Composition & Architectural Volume** This is a pre-war Manhattan dining room whose proportions have been surgically clarified rather than reinvented. The room reads as a compressed rectilinear volume, its ceiling plane articulated by a shallow dropped soffit and a single exposed transverse beam — a candid acknowledgment of the building's structural grid, left legible rather than concealed behind a coved plaster surround. That beam performs a quiet spatial function: it registers the threshold between the dining zone and the adjoining passage at right, where a sliver of herringbone parquet and a second curtained aperture extend the sightline into a further room, relieving the enclosure and establishing a discreet enfilade. The composition is emphatically axial and symmetrical — chandelier, floral centerpiece, pedestal table and central window mullion align on a single spine — yet the symmetry is deliberately imperfect: the flanking chairs are turned inward on the diagonal, the sideboard weights the left wall, and the artwork on the right hangs off-axis. The result is a Beaux-Arts discipline softened by a decorator's asymmetry. Most consequential is the pelmet, a deep upholstered box valance carried nearly wall-to-wall, which annexes the window into a single monumental glazed field and visually raises the ceiling by drawing the eye above the actual head height of the sash. **II. Materiality, Color & Texture** The palette is a study in monochromatic warmth held within a narrow tonal band of buff, oatmeal, flax and champagne, with saturation kept deliberately low so that texture carries the burden of variety. Underfoot, a wall-to-wall seagrass or sisal matting with a coarse basketweave provides the room's tactile bass note — hard-wearing, faintly agricultural, and set in productive tension with the refined silk-and-linen sheen of the curtains and pelmet. The chairs are a masterstroke of dual upholstery: matte sand-toned fabric on the outside back and a subtle self-striped ottoman weave on the seat and inner face, a device that renders the seating both plush and graphic. Against this envelope of pale neutrals, two dark accents supply the necessary chromatic gravity: the deeply carved, pierced-apron rosewood or mahogany center table, almost Anglo-Indian in its fretwork and baluster pedestal, and the ebonized klismos-splayed chair legs that echo it. The left wall introduces a painted, dry-brushed Gustavian-style commode with lozenge-fretwork doors, its chalky grey-green a cool counterpoint, while gilt frames, a burnished picture light and the silvered chandelier thread a metallic warmth through the whole. **III. Lighting, Atmosphere & Style Profile** Daylight is the room's primary illuminant and it is handled with restraint: the curtains are dressed open but the roman-like sheer inner treatment diffuses the light into a milky, north-facing wash that flattens shadow and flatters the neutral surfaces. Artificial lighting is layered and entirely decorative in expression — the tall, attenuated candle-arm chandelier, hung low and generously scaled, functions as sculpture and as the room's compositional keystone, while two swing-arm brass picture lights provide directional accents that anchor the art as evening focal points. There is no visible downlighting or recessed apparatus; the mood is candlelit, hushed and faintly nocturnal even in daytime. Stylistically the room resolves into what might be termed **Refined Neutral Traditionalism** — an American-classical, Bilhuber-adjacent idiom that marries eighteenth-century Swedish and Anglo-colonial furniture archetypes with contemporary tailoring, tonal upholstery and humble natural-fiber flooring. Its sophistication lies precisely in that calibration: heirloom silhouettes stripped of pattern and color noise, so that carving, weave and gilding become the sole ornamental language.

Don't let your interior doors be written off as some functional piece of hardware. Come to Glenview Haus and make your interior doors just as stunning as the rest of your home. Glenview Haus' Traditional Wood Interior Door Collection ensures that every door stands out with all the elegance and style. Our Traditional wooden doors are finely made by expert artisans and designed with all of your needs in mind.

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Cottage living room photo in Boston

Detail of Iridescent Venetian plaster finish on all walls in Living Room by Christianson Lee Studios
Example of a transitional home design design in New York

Inspiration for a contemporary hallway remodel in Chicago

Custom Surface Solutions (www.css-tile.com) - Owner Craig Thompson (512) 430-1215. This project shows the remodel of a small 1950's vintage home master bathroom. 8"" x 18" Calcutta gold marble tile was used on the shower walls and floor wall base and ceramic gray penny tile on the floor. Shower includes curbless pan / floor, dual shower boxes, frameless glass slider, trough duel fixture sink and chrome fixtures.

Location: New York, NY, United States This Loft was tastefully renovated back in the '90s, but was due for an update and an expansion of the kitchen and dining areas to accommodate the client's cooking skills and entertaining needs. EnlargIing the island and adding cabinetry to delineate the office, bar and dining areas was a priority. The bathroom was updated to feel like a tranquil spa with beautiful new tile, plumbing fixtures and cabinets. Our biggest challenge was coordinating the entire renovation while our client was out of town for the Summer! Photographed by: James Salomon

DECO Window Fashions Sheer pleated custom made drapes, ceiling mount metal rod.
Trendy bedroom photo in Austin

Example of a large classic u-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Minneapolis with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and black countertops

The owner of this recently purchased property in the Berkshire village of Twyford had inherited a Jerusalem limestone floor that had been installed throughout the ground floor including the Kitchen. The previous owner hadn’t maintained the stone floor very well and as a result it had become dull, patchy and the new owner was finding it impossible to keep clean. The floor was becoming a problem for them and they had been considering ripping it all up and getting it replaced. However due to the size of the floor and potential cost of replacing it they searched for other solutions and contacted Tile Doctor to see if it could be renovated. I scheduled an appointment with the owners to survey the floor and it wasn’t long before I realised that we could achieve a great result by polishing the Limestone using a set of diamond burnishing pads. To prove how well I thought the floor would clean up I offered to complete a demo within the small utility room. This was arranged and completed a week later, as I expected once I had finished the demo the floor looked fantastic, more importantly the client was ecstatic with the results and couldn’t wait to book us in to complete the rest of the house. It was a large floor so I estimated the process would take 4-5 days to complete and would need to work in sections starting with the kitchen then progressing into the study and cloakroom, dining room and finishing off with the entrance hall. Thankfully I had an empty house to work in which helped as I could start sealing the area I worked on the prior day. The limestone had become quite pitted in the high traffic area, these pits had filled up with soil and become unsightly. My first task was to deep clean the dirt filled pits and grout, to do this I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and a stiff nylon brush making sure I could get into the pits releasing the dirt, then vacuuming up all the chemical slurry as I went along. The next task was to fill these pits I used a two-part epoxy filler that matched the colour of the stone. Once the filler had dried, I worked through the hand burnishing blocks from 100 grit to 400 and I smoothed out the areas that had been filled. Now the holes/pits had been filled I continued with the restoration of the floor by moving onto the burnishing process using diamond encrusted floor burnishing pads. This involves honing the Limestone with a set of burnishing pads starting at 400-grit. The pads are applied to the floor with a heavy floor buffing machine using water to lubricate the process. The pad is run over each tile around three times and the fine slurry this process generates is rinsed off afterwards with water and then extracted with a wet vacuum. You then move onto the 800-grit and then 1500-grit slowly building back the appearance of the stone. As I had worked in sections/rooms at a time I was able to allow a full day drying time before sealing. Happy with the depth of colour from the pad system I opted to seal the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal. I had a range of sealers to choose from an in this case I felt Ultra-Seal would be most suited as it doesn’t change the natural appearance of the Limestone yet will provide years of protection and make it much easier to keep clean. The owners were over the moon with how the limestone now looked and relieved that their problem floor had been restored. For aftercare cleaning I recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is designed for maintaining the patina on polished stone floors. Dennis Buckland Berkshire Tile Doctor

Rodwin Architecture & Skycastle Homes Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA Interior design, space planning and architectural details converge thoughtfully in this transformative project. A 15-year old, 9,000 sf. home with generic interior finishes and odd layout needed bold, modern, fun and highly functional transformation for a large bustling family. To redefine the soul of this home, texture and light were given primary consideration. Elegant contemporary finishes, a warm color palette and dramatic lighting defined modern style throughout. A cascading chandelier by Stone Lighting in the entry makes a strong entry statement. Walls were removed to allow the kitchen/great/dining room to become a vibrant social center. A minimalist design approach is the perfect backdrop for the diverse art collection. Yet, the home is still highly functional for the entire family. We added windows, fireplaces, water features, and extended the home out to an expansive patio and yard. The cavernous beige basement became an entertaining mecca, with a glowing modern wine-room, full bar, media room, arcade, billiards room and professional gym. Bathrooms were all designed with personality and craftsmanship, featuring unique tiles, floating wood vanities and striking lighting. This project was a 50/50 collaboration between Rodwin Architecture and Kimball Modern

AirField installed an AirPave grass fire lane for their porous flexible paving at Baptist Trinity Residential Hospice, creating a beautiful, functional, ecological friendly solution to facility access. An installation of an AirField Systems grass fire lane at Baptist Trinity Residential Hospice brings green building benefits and incredible strength to a beautiful new facility. A time lapse photo series highlight the installation process of the 6,747 PSI sand filled 100% recycled geocell technology, providing the strength of asphalt and concrete while relieving some of the burden of costly storm sewers and drainage. This new installation highlights the benefits of paving with grass, as well as the comparative ease of installation. Concrete and asphalt surfaces occupy twice the area of buildings and are the most detrimental to clean water. Concrete and asphalt surfaces dominate the landscape of our urban environments and prevent rainwater from being filtered naturally. They send harmful polluted water straight into our streams, rivers and lakes. In urban America, concrete and asphalt pavements produce two thirds of our excess water runoff. They are responsible for significant hydrocarbon pollutants on our ground and in our water, causing ground water decline, and resulting in local water shortages. These concrete and asphalt surfaces also create huge increases in temperature known as the urban “heat island effect”. The pollution caused by impervious surfaces deteriorate the quality of our storm water runoff and create large overflows that our storm sewer systems cannot handle. It is also important to realize that the urban forest force is drastically diminishing, causing CO2 levels to rise, which in turn causes global warming. With all the negative influences of impervious pavements now is the time to turn our attention to alternatives for the benefit of the environment. From fire lanes, overflow, and event parking, to temporary and stadium parking, reinforced grass parking systems deliver the same strength and durability of asphalt and concrete without the negative affects mentioned above. These incredibly strong geocells reinforce grass parking, prevent rutting from traffic, protect turf roots, and promote beautiful grass. Reinforced grass parking structures, also know as grass pavements, enhance the environment by naturally filtering auto and truck liquids such as oil drippings, antifreeze overflows and many other leaks and spills. They also help with air pollutants after they have been knocked to the ground by rainwater and greatly reduce hot surface temperatures thus fighting global warming and the “heat island effect”. Grass pavements allow our groundwater to be naturally replenished, the roots of trees to breathe, and they help our streams and rivers flow cleanly in dry hot summers. A large part of the solution to urban environmental problems is under our feet. By paying appropriate attention to the everyday materials on which we walk and drive, we can replenish renewable resources, restore the natural regenerative processes, and produce a cleaner, healthier, safer, more sustainable world in which we must live. Porous pavements are potentially the most important development in urban watersheds since the invention of storm sewers. By routing rainwater directly into the earth as nature intended, the need for costly storm water structures can be drastically reduced. Reinforced grass parking has built in permeable spaces through which water and air can pass. Although some porous paving materials are nearly indistinguishable from nonporous materials in construction and superficial appearance, their environmental effects are qualitatively exponential. They allow air, water and heat to dissipate into the environment naturally helping to save the planet. AirField reinforced grass parking provides beauty and comfort, and with the unbeatable price and performance of AirDrain you can’t go wrong. AirDrain is the reinforced grass pave system the industry has trusted for years !!! Airfield Systems, LLC 8028 North May Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73120 405-359-3775 Installer – GREENPRO Landscapes Kevin James 9847 Stewart Rd Arlington, TN 38002

Master bathroom Photos: Natalia Lorca Ruiz
Mid-sized trendy master white tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile and black floor doorless shower photo in New York with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, white walls, an integrated sink, solid surface countertops and a hinged shower door

Stunning Sicis Glass tile custom blend pool interior. When the light hits it right the tan tiles turn iridescent, absolutely gorgeous. Custom pool has Roman/Turkish Bath entry steps, Thermal ledge, Limestone coping and Copper Scupper water feature. Pool and surrounding landscape & LED lighting by Michael Given Environments, LLC

doors to go inc
Example of a minimalist home design design in Miami