The Journal
Design & Detail
Inspiration, expertise, and insight from our team, covering surfaces, materials, design trends, and everything in between.
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Design Guidance
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Materials & Finishes
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Buyer Guide
Pet-First Backyards: Turf, Paver Gaps, and Shade Strategy
Designing backyards around pets, turf zones, paver gaps, drainage, and shade that actually works.
Buyer Guide
The Small Decisions That Make a Spa Bathroom
Drains, niches, slab choice, and the quiet details that turn a bathroom into a spa.
Buyer Guide
Pedestal vs Mortar: The Pool Deck Revolution & Why Floating Changed Everything
Floating pedestal pool decks vs traditional mortar bed, drainage, thermal movement, maintenance access, and 2026 cost.
Buyer Guide
Waterproof Hybrid Rigid Core: The Quiet Flooring Revolution
Waterproof rigid core flooring, what's true about WPC, SPC, and the quiet revolution underfoot.
Buyer Guide
Outdoor Kitchen Materials: What Ages Well, What Fails
Choosing outdoor kitchen surfaces, porcelain slab, granite, stainless, and what survives the seasons.
Buyer Guide
Fireplace Surrounds Reimagined: Stacked Stone, Slab, and the Quiet Room
Fireplace surround design, stacked stone, slab, and the quiet weight that turns a room into a room.
Buyer Guide
Unlacquered Brass: When Hardware Gets Better With Age
Unlacquered brass at the kitchen and bath, how patina develops, when to polish, and why aged hardware reads more luxe.
Buyer Guide
Caring for Quartzite Countertops: A Long-Term Guide
Long-term care for quartzite, sealing schedule, daily cleaning, and what to keep off the surface.
Buyer Guide
Sintered Stone vs Natural Quartzite: The Material-Science Breakdown Competitors Skip
Sintered stone vs natural quartzite, Mohs hardness, resin content, outdoor performance, and which one earns the kitchen.