Alongside Jeff King & Company, Marina Blvd., won CotY 2016 National Winner of Landscape Design/Outdoor Living The project was to transform an existing flat roof and master bedroom suite floor into a dramatic deck with kitchen, dining and living areas leading to a stair to an upper deck for America’s Cup race viewing. The existing home is a 3-story 4,000 square foot Spanish Mission-style home built in the 1920’s and sits directly across from the St. Francis Yacht Club on Marina Boulevard in San Francisco – a prime location. No changes were possible for the historic façade and the new construction was to be out of view from the street, as much as possible. Going up the traditionally detailed stairway with decorative railing, you land at the third floor which becomes contemporary in style for the redesigned master bedroom suite, guest bath, sitting room and the roof deck. Large roof decks require careful attention to waterproofing and a Bison pedestal system was used to create a level deck surface and easy maintenance. Heavy ceramic tile pavers were interspersed with walkable in-floor skylights on the main deck with ipe wood floors at the upper deck and stairs. From both the master bedroom and the outdoor deck you can access a sitting room with large pocket or sliding doors to enclose it. If watching the fireworks on July 4th and it gets cold, people can move to the sitting room which has a fireplace to watch in a heated environment. The sitting room gas fireplace is surrounded by steel with a figured steel panel re-purposed from old sea pier metal that has been cleaned and sealed. A guest bath is adjacent to the master bath for guest use. A square recessed pattern tile was used to tie the old Spanish Mission-style feeling into the new more contemporary walls. In a large home that was short on storage, a large built-in armoire was built into the master bathroom for extra capacity. The project took two and a half years to complete including design and construction, in part due to historic reviews by the State of California.

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

Wallingford, Ct. OUTDOORS fabulously designer MICHAEL GOTOWALA FOUNDER OF THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE succeeds in designing for Living beyond the walls of your home outdoors seamlessly to capture the serenity of the morning sun and after evening dinner gatherings were on the menu for this great family. The idea at hand brought forth by outdoor living fabulously designer Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES were graciously accepted and the work began to not only enlarge the deck space but to capture value centers for Outdoor culinary, evening bar and Alfresco and the convenience of a nearby splash in the hot tub surrounded by granite and even a remote Fire feature above the hot tub. All these features part of the recipe for Living Outdoors fabulously. If you look close enough you can see the masonry details in which Preferred Properties is known for. The elegance of Stone surrounding Brown Jordan's cabinetry in Java color shows the insightfulness of masterful outdoor Kitchen builder Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. The sprawling outdoor grill island has plenty of work or play space for that matter highlighting DCS grill, plenty of storage, two drawer refrigerator and a trash pull all capped off with large swirling granite counters. A nice touch here is the top shelf designed for sight lines from entering the back yard, wind blockage for grilling, receptacles, and even night lighting underneath to illuminate at night. The second area is the sprawling bar and beverage Alfresco up against the house. Even the top shelf mimics the octagon bow window shape. The stone and granite details surround a nice layout of outdoor cabinetry for user convenience. The third area more of a splash to the outdoor living fabulously label is a Sundance spa enabled by a step down into from the deck. The new Deck and multi level stone surround with Remote firewalls keeps the fire visible from the house and poses as a privacy screen and back drop for the hot tub. These subtle features and design ideas by our team make the homeowners feel absolutely fabulous about the newly unfound space. For more great outdoor kitchen PRODUCTS go to THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. www.OUTDOORKITCHENDESIGNER.com or call right away at 1-855-GET OUTDOORS

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

Wallingford, Ct. Living beyond the walls of your home outdoors seamlessly to capture the serenity of the morning sun and after evening dinner gatherings were on the menu for this great family. The idea at hand brought forth by outdoor living fabulously designer Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES were graciously accepted and the work began to not only enlarge the deck space but to capture value centers for Outdoor culinary, evening bar and Alfresco and the convenience of a nearby splash in the hot tub surrounded by granite and even a remote Fire feature above the hot tub. All these features part of the recipe for Living Outdoors fabulously. If you look close enough you can see the masonry details in which Preferred Properties is known for. The elegance of Stone surrounding Brown Jordan's cabinetry in Java color shows the insightfulness of masterful outdoor Kitchen builder Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. The sprawling outdoor grill island has plenty of work or play space for that matter highlighting DCS grill, plenty of storage, two drawer refrigerator and a trash pull all capped off with large swirling granite counters. A nice touch here is the top shelf designed for sight lines from entering the back yard, wind blockage for grilling, receptacles, and even night lighting underneath to illuminate at night. The second area is the sprawling bar and beverage Alfresco up against the house. Even the top shelf mimics the octagon bow window shape. The stone and granite details surround a nice layout of outdoor cabinetry for user convenience. The third area more of a splash to the outdoor living fabulously label is a Sundance spa enabled by a step down into from the deck. The new Deck and multi level stone surround with Remote firewalls keeps the fire visible from the house and poses as a privacy screen and back drop for the hot tub. These subtle features and design ideas by our team make the homeowners feel absolutely fabulous about the newly unfound space. For more great outdoor kitchens go to THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. www.OUTDOORKITCHENDESIGNER.com or call right away at 1-855-GET OUTDOORS

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

It sparkles, it shimmers, it glitters, its glass. Glass mosaics are everywhere, from gorgeous kitchen backsplashes like this one, to color baths and reflective fireplaces. But as beautiful as this backsplash is, it’s only the beginning of this great kitchen. Our kitchen begins with a little bump, a simple little peninsula with room for one. Upon the deep dark espresso cabinets sits the contrasting countertop. The super glossy white stone with subtle swirls reflects the colors of the glass mosaics. We gave the peninsula a little overhang and pulled up an enticing contemporary stool. Although the kitchen space is fairly large, two walls contained openings to other spaces, while a third contained a large and sunny bay window. Rather than bottle neck our traffic flow, we chose to make the most of the walls we had. We started with a deep undermount stainless steel sink with a far-reaching faucet with pull out spray. Beside this, we placed our contemporary stainless steel dishwasher. To keep the feeling open and airy we installed dark floating shelves, which really pop against our multicolored glass backsplash. We added lighting under the bottom shelf for extra sparkle, as well as the perfect task lighting. We needed some wall cabinets, not just for storage but to compliment our microwave. Above the stainless steel stove our matching microwave serves multipurpose, from cooking, to venting, to task lighting the stove. When space counts, make the most of it. We nestled our stove beside the dishwasher, giving ourselves room for a landing zone at the end. The cooking area feels even more spacious set next to our large bay window. To give us the greatest amount of storage, we added a floor to ceiling pantry. Although it is only 12″ deep, it’s 48″ wide. The clean “slab” style door create an uncluttered look that compliments the patterning of the floor. We used 6″ x 24″ porcelain wood look flooring. This flooring exploded on the market not too long ago, giving you the look of hardwoods, without fear of water, dents and scratches. The floor will never need to be refinished, no matter how much abuse it takes. Look at all that storage. There’s even room on the bottom for that huge mixer we all seem to have. The pantry gives us plenty of room for all we need to store and it’s 12″ depth means it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. No more pulling out half your stored items just to find that product in the very back. We round out this fabulous kitchen with a full-sized, bottom freezer, French door refrigerator. Espresso panels encase the sides while a deep and tall upper cabinet gives us room to store some more. By placing the refrigerator between the two entrances to the kitchen, family and friends can get a beverage without getting in the cook’s way. To direct our lighting around the room and focus on specific areas, we used a long track of spot lights with a contemporary look. Between the window in the daytime, spots and undercabinet lights at night, the kitchen is always bright, even with the darker cabinetry. http://www.rjkconstructioninc.com/

Evok Design Co. Evok Design Co. Here are the after photos of a great room redesign for a mountain retreat in the beautiful blue ridge mountains. Our challenge was to make this space feel warm and comfortable despite the amazing high ceilings. Before we got to it, this space felt cold and cavernous! But after we were done, it literally had a warm glow, and we hosted a party of 200 in this home for a wedding reception the night after the install was complete! (whew!) The owners of this home are a celebrity couple, who wish to remain unnamed, but they were thrilled with the results and so were we! The transition was AMAZING! We had the help of the best window treatment creators in town! We brought the ceiling down with some warm lighting, and used local photography. This is the couples third home, so the budget was not astronomical, but it sufficed. We used Bradington Young and Norwalk furniture, and luxury accessories from all over NC. We also had a custom mantle piece built after these photos were taken.

Wallingford, Ct. Living beyond the walls of your home outdoors seamlessly to capture the serenity of the morning sun and after evening dinner gatherings were on the menu for this great family. The idea at hand brought forth by outdoor living fabulously designer Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES were graciously accepted and the work began to not only enlarge the deck space but to capture value centers for Outdoor culinary, evening bar and Alfresco and the convenience of a nearby splash in the hot tub surrounded by granite and even a remote Fire feature above the hot tub. All these features part of the recipe for Living Outdoors fabulously. If you look close enough you can see the masonry details in which Preferred Properties is known for. The elegance of Stone surrounding Brown Jordan's cabinetry in Java color shows the insightfulness of masterful outdoor Kitchen builder Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. The sprawling outdoor grill island has plenty of work or play space for that matter highlighting DCS grill, plenty of storage, two drawer refrigerator and a trash pull all capped off with large swirling granite counters. A nice touch here is the top shelf designed for sight lines from entering the back yard, wind blockage for grilling, receptacles, and even night lighting underneath to illuminate at night. The second area is the sprawling bar and beverage Alfresco up against the house. Even the top shelf mimics the octagon bow window shape. The stone and granite details surround a nice layout of outdoor cabinetry for user convenience. The third area more of a splash to the outdoor living fabulously label is a Sundance spa enabled by a step down into from the deck. The new Deck and multi level stone surround with Remote firewalls keeps the fire visible from the house and poses as a privacy screen and back drop for the hot tub. These subtle features and design ideas by our team make the homeowners feel absolutely fabulous about the newly unfound space. For more great outdoor kitchens go to THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. www.OUTDOORKITCHENDESIGNER.com or call right away at 1-855-GET OUTDOORS

Wallingford, Ct. OUTDOORS fabulously designer MICHAEL GOTOWALA FOUNDER OF THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE succeeds in designing for Living beyond the walls of your home outdoors seamlessly to capture the serenity of the morning sun and after evening dinner gatherings were on the menu for this great family. The idea at hand brought forth by outdoor living fabulously designer Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES were graciously accepted and the work began to not only enlarge the deck space but to capture value centers for Outdoor culinary, evening bar and Alfresco and the convenience of a nearby splash in the hot tub surrounded by granite and even a remote Fire feature above the hot tub. All these features part of the recipe for Living Outdoors fabulously. If you look close enough you can see the masonry details in which Preferred Properties is known for. The elegance of Stone surrounding Brown Jordan's cabinetry in Java color shows the insightfulness of masterful outdoor Kitchen builder Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. The sprawling outdoor grill island has plenty of work or play space for that matter highlighting DCS grill, plenty of storage, two drawer refrigerator and a trash pull all capped off with large swirling granite counters. A nice touch here is the top shelf designed for sight lines from entering the back yard, wind blockage for grilling, receptacles, and even night lighting underneath to illuminate at night. The second area is the sprawling bar and beverage Alfresco up against the house. Even the top shelf mimics the octagon bow window shape. The stone and granite details surround a nice layout of outdoor cabinetry for user convenience. The third area more of a splash to the outdoor living fabulously label is a Sundance spa enabled by a step down into from the deck. The new Deck and multi level stone surround with Remote firewalls keeps the fire visible from the house and poses as a privacy screen and back drop for the hot tub. These subtle features and design ideas by our team make the homeowners feel absolutely fabulous about the newly unfound space. For more great outdoor kitchen PRODUCTS go to THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. www.OUTDOORKITCHENDESIGNER.com or call right away at 1-855-GET OUTDOORS

Incredible opportunity to purchase a completely renovated turnkey rental property with incredible ocean views and great beach access. Step into the tiled foyer and be delighted with the reverse floor plan that takes advantage of the ocean views. The main living level is bright and sunny with brand new wood floors and an open floor plan. The living room features a vaulted ceiling, dramatic views, ceiling fan, a fireplace, and access to the deck and screen porch. The dining room is open with a bay window and great views. The kitchen is any chef's dream with new white cabinets, quartz counters, tile backsplash, eat at bar, microwave, smooth top electric range & additional wall oven, dishwasher, & more. The large screen porch offers a ceiling fan and there is quite a bit of deck space. The spacious master suite features a vaulted ceiling, great views, deck access, ceiling fan, an owners closet, large closet, tile floor in the bathroom, dual vanity with marble counter, and a walk in shower. Bedroom two is on the main level with carpet, a ceiling fan, a private covered porch, closet, and a private bath with tile floor, two vanities, and a tub and shower combo. Also on the main level is the powder bath, a coat closet, and an additional owner's closet. On the lower level you will find two more spacious bedrooms. Bedroom three features two closet, a ceiling fan, and deck access. Bedroom four has ample closet space, deck access, and a private bath with dual shower. The hall bath offers tile floor, a vanity with a marble top and a tub and shower combo. The third floor features a loft/home office space. The fifth bedroom is also on this level. It does not have a closet, but one could easily be added. The views are amazing. Don't let this home get away! Home is being sold fully furnished with some exclusions. Seabrook Island is a 2200-acre resort with 3 miles of beaches, Equestrian Center, Island House, 2 golf courses, Racquet Club, Beach Club, and Lake House. Nearby is Bohicket Marina, and Freshfields Village. Historic downtown Charleston, Kiawah, other islands, medical facilities and airports are within easy biking or driving distance.

Wallingford, Ct. Living beyond the walls of your home outdoors seamlessly to capture the serenity of the morning sun and after evening dinner gatherings were on the menu for this great family. The idea at hand brought forth by outdoor living fabulously designer Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES were graciously accepted and the work began to not only enlarge the deck space but to capture value centers for Outdoor culinary, evening bar and Alfresco and the convenience of a nearby splash in the hot tub surrounded by granite and even a remote Fire feature above the hot tub. All these features part of the recipe for Living Outdoors fabulously. If you look close enough you can see the masonry details in which Preferred Properties is known for. The elegance of Stone surrounding Brown Jordan's cabinetry in Java color shows the insightfulness of masterful outdoor Kitchen builder Michael Gotowala founder of THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. The sprawling outdoor grill island has plenty of work or play space for that matter highlighting DCS grill, plenty of storage, two drawer refrigerator and a trash pull all capped off with large swirling granite counters. A nice touch here is the top shelf designed for sight lines from entering the back yard, wind blockage for grilling, receptacles, and even night lighting underneath to illuminate at night. The second area is the sprawling bar and beverage Alfresco up against the house. Even the top shelf mimics the octagon bow window shape. The stone and granite details surround a nice layout of outdoor cabinetry for user convenience. The third area more of a splash to the outdoor living fabulously label is a Sundance spa enabled by a step down into from the deck. The new Deck and multi level stone surround with Remote firewalls keeps the fire visible from the house and poses as a privacy screen and back drop for the hot tub. These subtle features and design ideas by our team make the homeowners feel absolutely fabulous about the newly unfound space. For more great outdoor kitchens go to THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN STORE by PREFERRED PROPERTIES. www.OUTDOORKITCHENDESIGNER.com or call right away at 1-855-GET OUTDOORS

This black and red Victorian tiled hallway at a property in Newport, the third largest city in Wales, had a timeless charm about it, and a classic diamond pattern. Unfortunately, the tiles had lost their colour, leaving them looking dull and lifeless. It was clear to me, upon further inspection, that the existing sealer had failed, allowing dirt to become trapped in the pores of tile. This can be a very difficult problem to rectify without the right professional assistance; everyday household cleaners are rarely suitable for sealed floors and acidic cleaners can actually male the problem worse. The tiles needed a deep clean with strong products, followed by a fresh, robust surface seal to prevent dirt from becoming trapped again in the future. I started cleaning the tiles with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean, worked in to the stone as per usual by using a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad. Pro Clean is a reliable alkaline cleaner that works well on most kinds of natural stone, and while I could see it made a difference here, it was clear something stronger was required to remove what was left of the old sealer. To remove this, I applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is a dedicated stripper that is safe to use on tile and stone for the purposes of breaking down old sealers, waxes, paints, and adhesives, and this proved effective in getting rid of all the old sealer. Once the cleaning was complete, I rinsed the floor thoroughly to remove any trace of chemicals left over from the cleaning products, before leaving it to dry overnight. I came back to the property the next day and, after checking the floor was completely dry, I proceeded to seal the floor using eight coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go. This types of sealer is known as ‘topical’, which means that it builds up a solid layer of protection on the surface of the tile. Topical sealers tend to be more suitable to Victorian and Quarry tiles as they typically require a lot of sealer due to their porosity and these types of sealer are less costly. Seal and Go also adds a nice aesthetically pleasing low sheen finish. As you can see from the second photo, this did wonders to the tiles and really brought this classic Victorian pattern back to life. Another satisfied client for the Monmouthshire Tile Doctor. Paul Wales Monmouthshire Tile Doctor

There are a few reasons why it is critical that your trees have a regular schedule for pruning and maintenance. Pruning helps trees to maintain a tree’s health as well as form it to a pleasing aesthetic shape. Furthermore, pests and diseases are also controlled by regular pruning and care. When pruning is properly performed, your trees will be healthy and attractive all year long. Five Star Tree Services has put together a list of seven things you should keep in mind regarding your tree pruning. Tree Inspection Before any tree pruning job, the tree should be properly inspected. This will allow you or our tree care service team to determine which branches should be cut. It will also allow any diseases or pests to be identified and dealt with. Remove Dead, Weak & Crossed Branches Dead and weak branches are a hazard to your property and those who happen to walk or lounge under the tree. They also suck vital nutrients away from healthy branches and the tree trunk. Removing them will prevent accidents and allow your tree to thrive. Crossed branches can also cause problems later down the line. They affect the airflow to the crown and can also prevent sunlight from passing through the tree. Pay Attention to Spacing It’s important to pay attention to branch spacing when pruning your tree. Lateral branches should be spaced evenly, especially when pruning trees that have yet to mature. Follow the Basic Pruning Rules It’s important that the 1/4th and 1/3rd rules of pruning are followed. This means that you should never cut more than a third of the total height of the tree. This length is measured from the bottom up. You should also only cut 1/4th or less of a tree’s crown when you prune at any one time. Get Your Tools Ready The tools you use to prune should be ready well before you make the first cut. You should start your project equipped with a pole pruner, pruning saws, hedge shears, loppers, and pruning shears. They also need to be properly sharpened before you start your pruning project. Each of these tools will allow you to reach different parts of the tree and prune them in a safe manner. If your tools are dull, they can damage the tree or even cause accidents when you attempt to cut. Prune on Schedule There are schedules for pruning that should be followed according to the type of tree you are caring for. Summer blooming trees should be pruned in early spring while evergreens and hedges should be taken care of in the early part of summer. Fruit-bearing trees should be pruned late in winter ahead of the frost. If there is damage to your tree, it doesn’t matter what time of year it may be, correct the problem as soon as possible. Avoid Protecting Post-Pruning Pruning leaves behind wounds, but they will heal. Though they may be unsightly for a while, the marks will heal and return back to its natural beauty. Don’t paint the pruning wounds to protect the tree, it actually has no effect on decay prevention. Painting may even trigger diseases or encourage pests to take up residence. How We Can Help Tree pruning is a complication job, but with our tips, you can do it right. It is always a good idea to leave the job to the professionals here at Five Star Tree Services instead. Our Toronto tree care experts have the tools, experience, and skills to get the job done right the first time. Get in touch with us at (416) 990-3355 today for more information.