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The Citadel Journal

Design & Detail

Buyer guides, brand deep-dives, and the practical detail behind every surface we sell. Written for Sacramento homes, useful anywhere.

A living room wall lined floor to ceiling with warm oak acoustic slat panels behind a linen sofa Latest · Buyer Guide Do Acoustic Wood Slat Panels Work? Read the story →
A walk-in shower with large pale porcelain wall tile, a tiled niche and a brushed brass rain shower head Bath The Best Tile for Shower Walls: Porcelain, Ceramic, Stone and Glass The best tile for shower walls compared: porcelain, ceramic, natural stone and glass, plus tile size, grout and how t... Read → A white fireclay farmhouse sink with a brass faucet beneath a sunny kitchen window Bath & Kitchen Kitchen Sink Materials: Stainless Steel, Quartz Composite and Fireclay The best kitchen sink material for your kitchen: stainless steel, quartz composite and fireclay compared for durabili... Read → A slim white ductless mini split mounted high on the wall above a reading chair in a calm, sunlit bedroom Buyer Guide What Size Mini Split Do I Need? BTU by Room Size What size mini split do you need? A BTU-by-room-size chart, the factors that push the number up or down, and single-z... Read → A modern patio of large light stone-look porcelain pavers with a lounge chair and potted olive tree Buyer Guide 20mm Porcelain Pavers vs Concrete Pavers: Which to Choose 20mm porcelain pavers vs concrete pavers compared: looks, stains, fading, slip resistance, installation and where eac... Read → A kitchen island in white quartz with bold gray and soft gold marble-style veining and a waterfall edge Buyer Guide Calacatta Quartz: Which Looks Most Like Real Marble How to choose a Calacatta quartz that reads like real marble: veining, background tone, finish, edge and layout, with... Read → Wide natural oak hardwood planks running through a bright living room, shot low along the grain Buyer Guide Engineered vs Solid Hardwood: What Is the Difference Engineered vs solid hardwood explained: construction, stability, refinishing, where each can be installed, and how to... Read → Two wood-look floors meeting at a doorway: oak-look laminate in a living room and lighter vinyl plank in a kitchen Buyer Guide Laminate vs Luxury Vinyl Plank: How to Choose Laminate vs luxury vinyl plank: what each floor is made of, how they handle water, wear and sound, and which rooms su... Read → A white veined stone vanity top with an undermount basin and brass faucet in a softly lit bathroom Bath Quartz vs Marble Vanity Tops: Which Belongs in Your Bathroom Quartz vs marble vanity tops compared: stains, etching, sealing, looks and cost, plus how to choose a top that fits t... Read → White shaker double-sink bathroom vanity with a marble top seen straight on against the full wall, a tape measure on the counter Bath What Size Bathroom Vanity Do I Need? What size bathroom vanity do you need? How to measure, standard vanity widths, heights and depths, and clearances for... Read → A walnut slab cabinet door beside a cream shaker door with a flat recessed panel, both with brass pulls Buyer Guide Shaker vs Slab Cabinet Doors: How They Differ and Which to Choose Shaker vs slab cabinet doors, compared: construction, look, cleaning, and which kitchens each style suits, with the d... Read → A kitchen wall seen straight on: base cabinets with a stone counter, wall cabinets above and a tall pantry cabinet at the end, all in warm white shaker Buyer Guide Standard Kitchen Cabinet Sizes: Base, Wall and Tall, With a Chart Standard kitchen cabinet sizes in one chart: base, wall and tall cabinet heights, depths and widths, and how to plan ... Read → Finished staircase with wood-look vinyl plank treads and matching stair nose on every step, white risers and a black metal rail Buyer Guide How to Finish Stairs With Vinyl Plank or Hardwood: Stair Nose and Treads How do you finish stairs with vinyl plank or hardwood? Stair nose options, one-piece treads, and the details that mak... Read →
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