Painted Floors

I'm totally into painted floors. They sound impractical, but if done the right way, you can get a really cool look that looks even cooler as it wears. These oak floors were once stained very dark. They sanded them down, painted them white and then put down a polyurethane similar to the finish they put on professional basketball courts to make them really durable.

In the right space, these floors could make a crazy statement. I really like the white that this family did in their beach house. I could also see a these done in a cooler grey tone with the white trim. The painted brick detail behind this dining set is pretty kick ass too. Looks like it could have been an old fireplace.

(via Coastal Living)

Sink in the Wall, Really?

I can't say I've seen this before and I don't know if it would pass code but it's a pretty cool idea if you have a tight space to work with. One small issue you may run into is if your little one decides to turn the water on for fun without pulling the sink out and then bolts.

photo via Better Homes and Gardens

Another Chapter

Here's a picture of my grandfather in the early 1940's with his first company truck. You can see the Capaldi name on the side. He looks so proud. I stopped by to see him this week. 94 and still sharp as hell. Whenever I see him, it reminds me of the history of our company and how you can never forget where you come from. Have a good weekend.

Decrepit Beauty

Check out the wall treatment in this house designed by Debra Cronin. It's hard to tell the exact method she used to craft these walls, but I'm really digging it. It might take a bit of getting used to by some, but I think this could make for a really great detail in a study or powder room. Why not give it a try?

(via Desire to Inspire)

Using Debris to Handcraft Tile

There is a company based in San Jose, CA producing and crafting some super cool sustainable tiles using recycled glass bottles. The company is called Fireclay Tile and I came across their Debris Series today while researching an interior remodel project. If you're looking for hand crafted and homegrown you should check them out. They offer more than 112 colors in both gloss and matte finishes and have a huge range of design options.

Here's the Debris Series featured in a kitchen backspash they supplied for a remodeled green home in San Francisco. I love the shade of green (or Kelp as they refer to it at Fireclay) against the black tops and bright white cabinets. It even works so well with the small accent of wood countertop they used next to the range.

(photos via Kitchen & Bath Business and Fireclay Tile)

Telephone Poles Repurposed

We live in Birmingham, Michigan in a part of town not typically known for its sprawling grounds. When we built the house, we knew we'd want some outdoor living space, but wanted to keep it as private as we could given the lay of the land. What we came up with was a pergola. And, to give it a little character, we decided to utilize old telephone poles as the support structures.

To anchor the poles, we fabricated tumbled paver bases, filled them up with concrete and then topped them off with some river rock.


We ended up planting a couple varieties of grapes and within a couple of years, we have the perfect canopy for the space. However, we have yet to have fresh dolmathes from my Greek wife.


We used a combination of 2x8's, 2x12's and 2x2's to tie all of the telephone poles together. It really makes for such a perfect hang out spot. As a matter a fact, I wrote this entire post, beer in hand, out here on the patio. Summer living.

Stained Glass

Check out this stained glass window for sale at a local salvage yard. It's an arts & crafts piece from Chicago circa 1915 and is on sale for $245, which is a total steal. I could totally picture this in a Tudor style house as a little accent window in a staircase facing the street. Or, with its statement black frame, it would look cool in a bathroom or even as a transom in a hall archway.

(via Materials Unlimited)