Habor Cottage, www.harborcottagemaine.com, in Martinsville Maine. Renovation by Sheila Narusawa, http://www.sheilanarusawa.com/. Construction by Harbor Builders www.harborbuilders.com. Photography by Justine Hand. For the complete tour see http://designskool.net/harbor-cottage-maine.

Example of a transitional dark wood floor kitchen design in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Casey Dunn
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Austin with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets

Eric Rorer
Example of a large mid-century modern gray two-story concrete fiberboard flat roof design in San Francisco

Spa positioned to maximize the ocean view. Photography: Matthew Millman, RTD
Example of a beach style rectangular pool design in San Francisco

© Jeff Herr Photo
Elegant patio photo in Atlanta with a roof extension

This beautiful bathroom features cement tiles (from Cement Tile Shop) on the floors with an infinity drain a custom frameless shower door and custom lighting. Vanity is Signature Hardware, and mirror is from Pottery Barn.

Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized cottage l-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor enclosed kitchen idea in Milwaukee with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances

From the street, a round rock pathway leads to a small seating area next to the water with a small fire pit. Low maintenance, drought resistant and salt tolerant plantings were used in mass and clumps. This garden has become the focus of the neighborhood with many visitors stopping and enjoying what has become a neighborhood landmark. Located on the shores of Puget Sound in Washington State. Photo by R. Scott Lankford

With 2,000 sq. ft. of open living space with panoramic water views, this elevated hurricane-resistant home (designed and engineered by Topsider) was built after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the original home. Visit http://www.topsiderhomes.com/piling-pier-stilt-house-hurricane-home-plans.php for more information.

Sapphire Blue sea holly Le jardinet
This is an example of a landscaping in Seattle.

Influenced by the Eichler homes in the region, the clerestory window in the living space encourages cross-ventilation. The thick rammed earth walls results in a tremendous amount of thermal mass, keeping the indoors comfortably cool even in the middle of Californian summers. In the wintertime, radiant-heated concrete floors provide warmth. Architect: Juliet Hsu, Atelier Hsu | Design-Build: Rammed Earth Works | Photographer: Mark Luthringer

© Deborah Scannell Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless master gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile corner shower remodel in Charlotte with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, granite countertops and beige walls

Example of an island style guest bedroom design in San Francisco

Kitchen - contemporary kitchen idea in Orange County with quartz countertops

Blanco Silgranit Kitchen Sinks Undermount and Drop-in
Inspiration for an industrial kitchen remodel in Houston

© photo by bethsingerphotographer.com
Example of a trendy slate tile pebble tile floor and multicolored floor bathroom design in Detroit

Eric Rorer
Large 1960s gray two-story mixed siding gable roof idea in San Francisco

Cosmic Black granite is shown in this project! Search the specific granite name, see more granite or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Learn more about granite to see if it’s right for you: Granite countertops can last a lifetime. It contains no harmful chemicals and do not emit harmful radiation or gasses. Granite is heat resistant and is one of the most heat-resistant countertops on the market. You can place a hot pan out of the oven directly onto the countertop surface. Experts do recommend the use of a trivet when using appliances that emit heat for long periods of time, such as crockpots. Since the material is so dense, there is a small possibility heating one area of the top and not the entire thing, could cause the countertop to crack. Granite is scratch resistant. You can cut on it, but it will dull your knives! Granite scores a seven on Moh’s hardness scale. Granite countertops are considered to be a low maintenance countertop surface. The likelihood of needing to be repaired or resurfaced is low. Granite is a porous material. Most fabricators will apply a sealer to granite countertops before they are installed which will protect them from absorbing liquids too quickly. Many sealers last more than 10 years before needing to be reapplied. When they do need to be reapplied, it is something that most homeowners can do on their own as the process is similar to cleaning. Darker granites are very dense and sometimes don’t even require a sealer. When it comes to pricing, there are a lot of variables such as edge profile, total square footage, backsplash, etc. Don’t be fooled by the stereotype that all granite is expensive. Lower-range granites will cost less than high-range laminate. Though granite countertops are not considered “low range” in pricing, there are a lot of affordable options. If you are looking for something truly unique, consider an exotic granite. Some quarries are not easily accessible and/or only able to be quarried for short periods of time throughout the year. If these circumstances exist in a quarry with gorgeous stone, the price will be driven upward You won’t find a lot of solid patterns or bright colors, but both do exist. Also, watch for a large range of color and pattern within the same color of stone. It’s always a good idea to view the exact slab(s) that will be fabricated for your kitchen to make sure they are what you expected to see from the sample. Another factor is that many exotic types of granite have huge flowing waves, and a small sample will not be an accurate representation of the whole slab. Granite countertops are very resistant to chemicals. Acids and bases will not harm the material.