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
Trends
Materials & Finishes
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Investment
Designing for Resale in Sacramento: A Local Buyer's Field Notes
Material decisions that move the needle in Sacramento, climate, water table, and what local buyers reward.
Design Trends
Soapstone's Comeback: Designing With a Material That Develops Character
Why soapstone is back in 2026 kitchens, patina, mineral oil, dark-stone contrast, and pairing with light cabinetry.
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.
Design Trends
The Material Aging Playbook: Brass, Soapstone, Travertine & What Beauty Looks Like Over Time
How brass, soapstone, travertine, and oak age, a curator's playbook for materials that keep getting better with time.
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.
Design Trends
Porcelain Slab Beyond the Counter: Full-Height Wall Cladding for 2026
Porcelain slab as wall cladding, waterfall islands, shower walls, and the full-height surfaces driving 2026 interior design.
Case Study
Case Study: Bidwell Consulting, Commercial-Grade Selection at Residential Standards
Bidwell Consulting on selecting commercial-grade surfaces, durability, finish, and the standards that hold up.
Cabinet & Kitchen
Case Study: Alex Chernyy, A Kitchen Cabinetry Story
Alex Chernyy's kitchen remodel, cabinet selection, fit, and the partnership behind a clean install.