#tile-vs-hardwood

#tile-vs-hardwood

A good kitchen rug will follow a particular set of criteria. First and foremost it should be washable, because the kitchen is a dirty place. The second criteria is that it should be interesting, as an interesting texture, pattern, or color scheme can obscure the inevitable accumulation of wear.

Lately we've noticed designers, artists, and even jewelers making their own collections of knobs, drawer pulls, and handles that are anything but an afterthought-they're a statement.

Budget shouldn't mean boring, and sometimes, all it takes to totally flip the vibe of your space is a sneaky little upgrade that looks ridiculously expensive (but totally isn't). We're talking about genius fixes for droopy couches, must-have kitchen hacks, and decor pieces that scream "I hired a designer" without leaving your wallet on life support. Whether you want to add some drama to your doorstep, organize your chaos, or bring full-on luxury spa energy to your bathroom,

Despite their slender profiles, the best runner rugs can still transform a space from confused to curated. While they don't have quite the anchoring effect of an area rug, they can still breathe life into the spaces that need it most (see: entryways, hallways, all-white kitchens in need of resuscitation). Beyond creating impact in your entryway or hallway, runners serve an entirely practical purpose: catching and/or disguising debris in your high-traffic areas.

What began as a modest brief for a young and growing family soon evolved into a considered renovation that reimagines an existing Barwon Heads home. The original house had endured several unsympathetic alterations over the years, leaving it disjointed and built to a poor standard.

When you hire the cheapest operator in town, you usually aren't getting a clean floor. You are getting a soaking wet carpet, hidden upcharges, and a sticky chemical residue that acts like a dirt magnet the second it dries.

My husband and I just upgraded our apartment here in Germany to one with much more space. The downsides of this is we have hard marble floors and a tall-ceilinged living room (oh woe is us!). It's very echo-y and looks directly into our neighbors across the street. The windows have external shutters, so light-blocking isn't needed, but we'd love to get

Making your home look expensive doesn't require a renovation budget or a personality transplant. Sometimes it's as simple as swapping out the obvious stuff - the cords, the clutter, the tired textiles - for pieces that look considered and grown-up. Ahead are dozens of cheap, highly rated finds that punch way above their price point and instantly make your space feel more intentional, polished, and expensive as hell.

Because it's so important to the function of my home, it's become an afterthought when it comes to making it beautiful. All I need is a functional, clean space - it doesn't need to feel as relaxing as my bedroom or living room. Plus, it's not like I have the time (or money!) to invest in transforming the bathroom space by hiring a stager or designer. But I'm interested in making each space feel a little more beautiful these days.

It's likely that you've encountered recycled glass countertops without realizing it. They're far from the hippie-style broken-glass mosaic art of yesteryear, instead presenting as sleek, highly polished, professional slabs with intriguing bits of confetti-style color trapped inside. That's the recovered glass bits set into a binding material such as resin, cement, or concrete, and then smoothly polished so that the composite surface feels like stone.

Mixing wood tones can be a bold and rewarding design choice, but the potential for unseemly clashing is real. With a room as important as your kitchen, you want the space to feel inviting, stylish, and functional all at once. Before diving head-first into mixed wood tones, research the different ways to avoid a potentially ugly contrast. Kitchen flooring, backsplashes, cabinets, countertops, and even light fixtures all have the potential to be transformed with a wooden facelift.

The gloss and color-pop of lacquer is a refreshing alternative - it achieves a playful vibrancy with modern sophistication. There are plenty of perks that come with lacquer finishes, too. For one thing, lacquer can be applied almost anywhere, from an accent kitchen island to your dining table to the material for all of your counters and cabinets. It introduces and strengthens the room's color scheme, also contributes some fresh texture with its sleek, shiny finish.