Master Landscaping
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A pool is one of the most calming and soothing design elements you can add to your home. A pool provides pleasure, a fun setting for children to play and splash, and an opportunity to entertain poolside and share a beautiful setting with friends and family. The sound of water is always inviting and today’s pools ensure there will be a water feature – a fountain, a waterfall – in almost every new pool.

While there are still many traditional rectangular pools in this area, particularly in older, established homes, the newest trend is to mimic the landscape and create pools in all sizes and curving shapes that present a softer look, surrounded by decks, patios, gazebos, even temple-like structures that serve as a sheltered area for poolside relaxing, dining and entertaining.

Many of the pools being built today are more than just a pool. They are an extension of the back of the home, featuring outdoor cooking, entertaining and dining areas and lush landscaping, appropriate to the region where the family lives with their pool.

These settings are an elaborate and functional addition to one’s back lawn. People are creating, with the help of pool builders, exterior designers and landscapers, their own island of nature’s paradise.

Creating a regal look

Beto Garcia moved to Oklahoma City from San Antonio 24 years ago to join Blue Haven Pools, which was established in 1954. As general manager of the company, he has designed and built more pools than he can remember. Today, he is very attuned to the changing trends in pools and the landscaping, the outdoor cooking and living areas and special water features, which people want today in and around their pools.

“People are now wanting natural looking pools or ponds – something that can give you that outdoorsy feeling like a spa or a retreat,” Garcia says.

He cites a new look in different interior finishes in pools and a new technology. “In the old days, we put colored dye into the final interior finish,” he says.

Now, Blue Haven and other companies are achieving a spectacular effect that involves miniscule glass beads or glass tiles that come in a range of nature’s water colors,” Garcia says, “These beads or tiles are not affected by the water chemistry or the sunlight, which often gives an iridescent glow when the sun hits them,” he says.

“Whatever color you have chosen to dress your pool will give you either absorbing (black) or refracting (white) light.

This magnificent color lets homeowners imagine they are in the Caribbean, the South Pacific or Mexico,” Garcia says,

A year-round pool

Caleb McCaleb is president of McCaleb Homes, a second generation company founded by his father, Neal. Caleb’s home, which backs up to Lake Arcadia, has one of the most spectacular pools in the area.

“We wanted to create a graceful flow of water and designed a waterfall at the top that flows into the pool, which has a free-flowing shape. The back of the pool has an infinity edge that flows into a lower pool area, which also has an infinity edge, which is one of the latest trends in pools. When McCaleb Homes hosted its Dream Home Tour last year, he said nine of the homes featured had an infinity-edge pool.

The McCalebs also added a creek so it looks like the water is coming through the creek into the pool. They also added a salt water filtration system – another trend – in place of the traditional chlorine. “It’s soft, like a comfortable bath and doesn’t burn your skin or eyes like chlorine,” McCaleb says.

Today’s pools are using more natural materials, especially a lot of flagstone around the edge of the pool, where people like to sit. His beach-entry pool also features a tiny rock from Australia – pebbletech – that is mixed in the plaster. It’s not a loose sand material, but rather a plaster for finishing the pool. A lot of stamped or stained concrete is also being used around today’s pools, he says.

Two years ago, the McCalebs added a fire pit on the back side near the pool and also added more evergreens and a lot of cypress trees. “We wanted a northwest style of landscaping to complement the pool, he says.

McCaleb never closes his pool, “I think pools are eyesores in the lawn when they are closed down and tarped over. I use my pool all year long. The pool is the focal point of the back lawn, along with the outdoor kitchen and comfortable seating and I like a year-round landscaping look around the pool.”.

Antonio Aparicio, owner of Aquascape Pools, designed the McCalebs’ pool. Aparicio’s forte is designing pools that are unusual and he always complements the setting nature has provided. He likes to give each custom pool “its own special touch.”

New pool cleaning devices

Guy Shipley of Cardinal Architect Pools has been building custom pools since 1959, so he’s seen many changes in pool design and construction. He likes the look of the new free-form pools, the popular water features and the endless look of the infinity or vanishing edge.

Creating unusual looks for pools is one of the favorite things he likes about the business. “Every pool we build also has an automatic-style cleaner. A lot of the people who have automatic cleaners wouldn’t even know how to vacuum. The old pool sweeps have definitely gone by the wayside,” Shipley says.

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Take the best in efficient, affordable home construction, figure in the latest in home automation and add in a cache of green-friendly brainstorms and you’ll get an idea of what the Museum of Science and Industry’s new “Smart Home: Green + Wired” exhibit is all about.

The exhibit, which opened this week and celebrates the museum’s 75th anniversary, is a freestanding, fully functioning home — called the mkSolaire — with 2,500 square feet of living space, running water, electricity and heating and cooling systems. To call it a house of the future might be an overstatement, since nearly all of the technologies displayed in this contemporary three-story home are available to consumers right now.

As expected, there are some interesting gadgets on display: a home automation system that tunes into the weather and learns the behavior of the occupant; a security system that lets you view who’s ringing your doorbell while you’re away (you can even let someone in); a plant-watering system that sends a text message from the plant saying “I’m thirsty”; a smart umbrella with a color ring that changes to blue if it’s going to rain and a kitchen countertop compost machine.

Some of the other cool features are: long strips of linoleum-like photovoltaic film (they cost about one-third less than traditional glass solar panels) that are applied to the roof with Velcro; shower tile made of recycled Chardonnay bottles; master bath vanity tops made of old toilets; a dual-flush toilet that regulates the amount of water used by measuring solid and liquid waste; and a rooftop garden. And, as expected, all the walls are painted with low VOC paint.

The home also puts the spotlight on how stormwater runoff can be collected to water the garden and landscaping; how toilets can be equipped to use waste water from the shower and bath; how spray-in foam insulation can completely seal a building and provide better air quality, sound reduction and reduced energy costs; and how strategically placed windows can reduce electricity and heating bills. A survey by Kouba-Cavallo Associates concluded that the Smart Home costs $837 per year to heat and $125 for cooling. (In comparison, it costs roughly $2,021 per year to heat a Chicago bungalow.)

The contemporary, loft-style home showcases the ways people can make eco-friendly living a part of their lives, said Anne Rasford, director of temporary exhibits for the museum.

“The exhibit is about choices and options [for consumers]. We were very deliberate in the choices that we made and wanted to be sure there were interesting stories for each of the products in the exhibit,” she said. “People will be able to see the new innovations in renewable resources, smart energy consumption, and clean, healthy-living environments in a functioning home.”

With the help of experts from Wired magazine, the home became “smart” with technologies that include a full-home automation system that allows homeowners to control heat, window coverings, lighting, security sensors and cameras. A touch screen tracks electricity and water consumption in the home on a real-time basis.

“We’ll have a guide available that goes floor by floor through all the room choices made for the home,” said Rasford. “It’ll also be available online.”

The interior architecture is designed to demonstrate the use of natural light with open spaces and energy-efficient building components. All of the materials in the home, from the windows and lighting fixtures to the counters and floors — tell a story of sustainable engineering and eco-friendly design, Rasford said.

Also, all of the furniture in the home is renewable or reused.

“Some of the furniture is from the Salvation Army. The dining room table is a slice of a fallen ash tree from Michigan,” Rasford said. “The two lighting fixtures above the table are called the Thomas Edison Twins. They’re made by a local artisan, Ted Harris, and are 16-inch wide globes filled with used light bulbs in all colors and sizes. We also have hemp bean bag chairs and are using FLOR carpet tiles in some areas instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. These tiles can be easily removed and washed.”

A team from the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture, Environmental and Green Educators and a landscape architect created the landscaping that surrounds the house. Some of the highlights include a sustainable vegetable garden and rain gardens.

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Theres nothing like smelling the perfume of flowers and witnessing lush greenery right in your courtyard! Outdoor living, with aesthetic utility, is at its best when nature dazzles the eye and nurtures the soul, explains Neera Gulati

Retreat spaces is what I would call them. Landscaping Services  If you have your own land and are building an independent house for yourself and the family, it would be a wonderful idea for you to create a living space away from your main house, which would be a sanctuary you will want to remove from the house to create a sense of privacy and solace. In this busy world, you would love to be away from the busy household chores and create a space outside your house, that is either in the garden area or a backyard. Or if there is space constraint, you could do something in a balcony or a terrace.

One of the most popular outdoor spaces is the outdoor dining room and kitchen. Plans for outdoor dining rooms can range from the basic to the outrageous, depending on your inclination and budget. Merely placing tables and chairs to take advantage of (or to avoid) the sun, with a barbecue set up nearby, may be all you need.

Even so, consider accents to dress up the space, like container gardens and solar powered lights. If you want to go broke, install an entire outdoor kitchen with weatherproof cabinets and appliances to form the ‘walls’ or boundaries of the space which you can then dress up with lively tiles and a dining set, and use a pergola to provide shade and some cover. Outdoor living spaces are often the only access to nature that the modern lifestyle affords. You can create natural spaces at home. It certainly isn’t difficult to build outdoor living spaces. But it does take an appreciation for the ‘divide and conquer’ approach. We take it for granted that our houses are divided into rooms, but the concept for having similar outdoor living spaces may sound odd.

At first indeed, the biggest obstacle standing in most people’s way is that it just doesn’t occur to them to divide up a yard so as to maximize their enjoyment of it. The more conscious we become of outdoor living spaces, the more we can tailor them to suit our needs. Having separate outdoor spaces allows you to create mini landscape designs. Just as you can paint or wallpaper an indoor room using a colour scheme unique to that room, so also you can use colour to make individualised statements for each of your outdoor living spaces. But here, instead of paint or wallpaper, you determine your colour scheme when you select the plants you’ll be using for the area. Proper application of colour theory in landscape design can even influence mood and perception.

More the merrier

The materials which you can use for outdoor living spaces can be different from the indoor rooms. For floors, for eg, you could use grass, patios or decks. For the walls, you could use formal hedges, fences or informal hedges. For the ceiling pergolas, decorative canvas canopies, awnings or lawn umbrellas will be great. Keep both aesthetics and function in mind when constructing outdoor rooms. But in areas dedicated to physical activity, if you have to choose between the two, focus on function. Never compromise on safety. You can make up for compromises in aesthetics later, when you accessorize your outdoor rooms.

Below are examples of outdoor rooms and how to put them together.

Pool areas: Landscaping around swimming pools presents specific challenges regarding safety, maintenance and  privacy. You don’t want people slipping on anything, you don’t want to spend all your time cleaning the debris, and you don’t want the neighbours peering in at you. In selecting a ‘wall’ to enclose the area, all of these considerations come into play. ‘Floor‘ in pool areas must be slip-resistant.

Meditation areas: For meditation gardens, (which is a wonderful way to de stress from your busy schedule), privacy is very much an issue. Here reflection, not physical activity, takes centre stage. Aesthetic consideration, consequently, will carry greater weight. Most people find plants more relaxing than hardscape, so consider planting hedges to form the wall of such outdoor rooms. For a floor, consider a combination of natural materials.

In meditation gardens, a ceiling may come in quite handy. Here, you’ll choose between aesthetics and functionality. A vine covered arbour may be more inspiring to gaze up at, than a lawn umbrella, but the latter will keep you and the books you may be reading, dry. If you’d like something more solid than an umbrella, consider installing a pergola and covering it with fibreglass. But water shouldn’t be banned from contemplative outdoor rooms. If there’s any place in your yard for accessories such as garden fountains and waterfalls, surely its here. There is nothing like the soothing sound of bubbling water to put you into a reflective mood.

You could also create an living room outside. Deck it up with cozy furniture, speakers and ambient lighting, with plants of your choice, and you would love to use this place, all the year round.

Nowadays, most people want to live and entertain in a much more informal atmosphere. Guests also would love to gravitate towards the great room, which blends into the kitchen and outdoor living spaces.

These outdoor dining spaces should reflect the informal yet stylish design of the interior great rooms. Create an outdoor retreat that allows you and your guests to spill outside from the room. Don’t be afraid to mix chandeliers and old antiques outdoors, especially in outdoor dining areas. Utilise a touch of indoor style and unify the space by adding outdoor drapes, pillows and rugs to complete the look.

The use of colour, pattern and texture in fabrics is an excellent way to reflect the indoor space. Add colourful elements by choosing flowering plants to accent containers scattered throughout the outdoor living space.  Mix and match materials in these outdoor settings, juxtapose wrought iron with glass, steel with terracotta, wood against woven components. Outdoor living is at its best when nature dazzles the eye and nurtures the soul. Create your perfect casual environment out.

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When the wealthy jet off on holiday, someone has to live in their beautiful homes and look after their animals. Brenda Webb spends a winter caring for precious and pampered English pets.

Imagine spending a few weeks in a beautifully converted barn in the gorgeous Surrey countryside with all mod cons, including cars, at your disposal.

The only exertion involves feeding and exercising the clients’ well-trained field Labradors twice a day. Walking the dogs is a sheer delight in this stunning rural landscape.

Or perhaps a week in a luxurious four-storey apartment on the banks of the River Thames in London, complete with indoor heated swimming pool and a fully equipped gymnasium.

And the chores here? Caring for the owners’ ancient Airedale terriers that sleep most of the time, but tag along for a quiet stroll along the Thames towpath in the late afternoon sunshine.

Believe it or not, I get paid to do this!

Welcome to the world of Animal Aunts a Hampshire based agency that specializes in providing animal sitters for wealthy English and European clients.

Being wealthy is a prerequisite, with fees ranging from $150 a day for a dog and cat to $300 plus for six stabled horses.

On top of that the client pays travelling expenses, food costs and extra fees if the horses need to be exercised ($20 per horse per day).

With an equestrian and farming background, partner David Morgan and I have found ourselves in demand since being accepted as Animal Aunts two years ago.

Spending a few months animal sitting has been a fantastic way to see the English countryside and fill in the time while our yacht Bandit is on the hard.

It’s also intriguing, as you never quite know where you will be sent or what you will be looking after.

We’ve been lucky to have had some fantastic sits in beautiful homes ranging from plush apartments in exclusive London suburbs to rambling houses on grand country estates in the heart of rural England.

Our charges have included all manner of dogs dachshunds, Dalmatians, retrievers, Labradors, Jack Russell terriers, a lurcher, a Great Dane, a Rhodesian ridgeback, Landscaping Services a golden doodle (poodle retriever cross), a labradoodle, setters and a variety of mongrels.

We’ve had top-level dressage horses, hacks and hunters, a stallion, unbroken horses and exquisite show ponies.

Catwise there have been Persians, Siamese, Burmese, Birmin, Rag dolls, a Chinchilla, British Blue, Maine Coones, plain old moggies and an assortment of other creatures such as goldfish, geese, ducks, swans and reptiles.

Being passionate about horses and a lover of the countryside,Landscaping Services  it is the equestrian sits I’ve enjoyed the most, my favourite being a fantastic property in Hertfordshire where the charges are seven delightful dogs and six horses.

The beautifully mannered dressage hacks and expensive show ponies live the life of luxury in immaculate stables with two grooms to attend to their every need, except the early-morning and late-night feeds, a task which fell to us.

We find that most of our clients have a full complement of staff including cleaners, gardeners, handymen, secretaries and grooms.

Our presence is often simply to ensure the household continues running as usual and, most importantly, the animals’ routine is not disturbed.

One client even had a dog walker who came in each day to walk the dog.

Another had a cleaner for eight hours twice a week, making me totally redundant in the housework department no complaints there!

Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to believe that we are being paid to do this.

But, naturally, there have been a few horror stories, including a cat that insisted on peeing inside despite my best attempts to persuade it not to.

Then there was the 10-week-old Rhodesian ridgeback puppy that just couldn’t get the hang of toilet training at least three frustrating times a day there was a mess for us to clean up.

Most English dogs have complete run of the house and sleep on the beds and furniture, which I still struggle with, especially when they leave their fur and hair everywhere.

It’s a big responsibility looking after client’s precious and pampered pooches and there have been a couple of heart-stopping moments.

The worst was when a valuable and beloved Tibetan terrier that the clients had insisted “never strays” ran off at night. I spent several hours wandering the streets on a freezing and foggy December night looking for it, realising that my days as an Animal Aunt were probably well and truly over.

When I finally returned cold and wet the dog was sitting at the back door waiting for me. Needless to say, it never went off the lead again.

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Very excited.
Not just gardeners either anyone interested in the arts and architecture, in other cultures and ways of seeing the world, or in doing business with China.
Or just wanting a nice backdrop for a formal function.
The garden, now in the last phases of construction on former railways land behind the Settlers Museum, and 11 years in the planning, is set to open to the public in May.
Thanks to input from Shanghai experts in traditional garden design and construction, the complex will be one of the most authentic outside China.
The import of high-quality materials, including 45 containers of rock, plus thousands of roof and paving tiles, carved woodwork, prefabricated joinery and reproduction Ming dynasty furniture, plus skilled artisans, has historical resonances with the building of Larnachs Castle in an earlier era.
And just as a castle showcasing the wealth and taste of a colonial Scotsman is today a major Dunedin tourist attraction, the Chinese garden is set to become as great a drawcard and community asset.
Plus it has the advantage of a central city location.
And it will have an important role in further enhancing friendly relationships between Dunedin and its very-much-bigger sister city, Shanghai.
The project grew out of an idea floated by descendants of Otago Chinese settlers at the time of the Otago 150th anniversary celebrations in 1998, which for the first time acknowledged a Chinese contribution to Otago settlement.
Historian Dr Jim Ng, founding chairman of the garden trust, says the Kiwi Chinese involved in these activities proposed the garden as both something to gift back to the city and as a way of creating a permanent memorial to their forebears.
It therefore relates as much to Southland as Otago, as the first of the Chinese settlers were the miners invited here by the Provincial Council in 1865, when the south was one unit, and eventually one of the largest Chinese settlements was at Round Hill.
Dr Ng says the garden concept appealed to the present-day Chinese community because it was non-confrontational, something everyone could appreciate, was open to interpretation in many ways and was a challenge an achievable one, he says.
It had all sorts of positive overtones.
Current trust chair Malcolm Wong adds another consideration. Chinese New Zealanders want their heritage to be known for more than a plate of won-tons and for laundry, he says.
About 400 old families donated a substantial sum to kick-start the project, followed by an appeal to Dunedin businesses, then to major funders and planning began.
Auckland architect-gardener Bruce Young designed a garden that could be constructed by New Zealanders.
Then along came Mr Jianzhong Hu of the Shanghai Museum, an expert in classical Chinese architecture and gardens.
To everyones surprise and delight he has gradually assumed a godfather role to the project, fired with passion at the idea of creating something of perfection in this tiny outpost of Chinese settlement and he has similarly enthused top Shanghai designers and the head of the citys largest construction companies.
They have brought otherwise completely unaffordable assets, both intellectual and practical, to the project.
While still faithful to the original design, it now represents the garden of a gentleman scholar of southern China, a rather nice touch in a university city.
It embodies high ideals, sophisticated notions of harmony, a rich mythology and an elegant, ordered way of living and thinking, especially about human interaction with the natural world.
It is an enclosed garden, where buildings and ornamentation are as much a feature as plants.
All construction is in neutral tones to enhance creative contemplation, with none of the flashy scarlet or gold Westerners might associate with Chinese design, as these were imperial colours.
However, there will be splashes of plant colour, especially in autumn.
Historically this would not be a garden the general public would ever have been permitted to poke around. In this respect authenticity is not being upheld, and some modern town planning regulations about disabled access have also had to be incorporated.
But in all other respects it is meticulously detailed to be as authentic as possible, in ways no Kiwi construction crew could handle. All the woodwork, for example, is assembled entirely without nails.
The city council will operate the garden after completion and entry will involve a fee.
However, the council sensibly proposes selling season tickets for a moderate $15, allowing all who appreciate its qualities to take refuge there from the bustle of the city to contemplate the finer things of life.
wMy next column will discuss the plant selection and challenges of gardening the site.

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After a 32-year reign as undisputed king of waterproof-breathable fabrics, Gore-Tex stands to be dethroned by a couple new products.

Though not exactly new, eVent fabrics are just starting to gain a solid foothold in the world of outdoor apparel. Used in high-end tents and bivy sacks for years, and some specialty apparel, only recently has the cost dropped enough that the eVent membrane could be used in broader circles.

Like Gore-Tex, eVent is a microporous membrane that allows water vapor to easily escape, yet blocks liquid from passing through. Unlike Gore-Tex, the eVent membrane also repels oils, dirt, detergents and other common chemicals that can plug the microscopic pores. Since Gore-Tex by itself can’t repel these contaminants, it requires a very thin shield of polyurethane over the microporous membrane. Unfortunately, this coating reduces breathability. Since eVent works without the coating, it breathes far better than Gore-Tex, allowing more sweat moisture to escape while still being 100 percent waterproof.

British Columbia-based Westcomb incorporated eVent into its line a few years ago, and its iMirage jacket sets a lofty standard for all-mountain rainwear. The iMirage features a trim cut with a nicely contoured hood. The combination of the highly breathable eVent fabric and well-positioned pit zips proved highly effective. As a hiker prone to sweating, I kept dry in an iMirage even when slogging up steep slopes in the Glacier Peak Wilderness during warm rain showers. I found the jacket’s tapered athletic cut a tad tight for my nonathletic body, but for trim hikers, the fit is perfect.

The addition of an iPod control panel on the sleeve of the iMirage was a nice bonus for the 20-something hiker who also tested the jacket for us. He loved that he could control his music while leaving the iPod safely stored away from the rain. The iMirage jacket sells for $379 (U.S.). More information: www.westcomb.com.

The new kid on the block looking to overthrow Gore-Tex, and even eVent, is Schoeller textiles’ new c_change membrane (www.schoeller-textiles.com). This unique product is truly a 21st-century innovation. The membrane’s properties change with changing environmental conditions! Jackson Hole-based Cloudveil utilizes c_change in its Koven Plus jacket. This lightweight shell boasts sleek styling and a great universal fit, yet the highly functional jacket’s design takes a back seat to the innovative fabric from which it is made.

To truly test the vaunted properties of the new material, we wore the jacket in hot, humid conditions in North Carolina and in cold, rain-soaked Olympic rainforests. We snowshoed on Mount Rainier and hiked through the Columbia River Gorge. And we found the fabric maker’s claims far too modest. The pores of this “intelligent” fabric close up when they get cold, helping to seal in heat, but when hot and humid, the structure opens up, allowing the jacket to breathe better than any waterproof-breathable garment I’ve ever worn.

Currently, Cloudveil is the only widely distributed brand in the U.S. market to use c_change, but expect to find it in more jackets soon. In the meantime, the Koven Plus is an outstanding shell suitable for any mountain activity. It sells for $439. More information: www.cloudveil.com.

Dan A. Nelson,

special to The Seattle Times

Freelancer Dan A. Nelson, of Puyallup, is a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books. For the purpose of review, gear manufacturers lend products, which are returned after a typical use of four to six weeks. There is no payment from manufacturers, and they have no control over the content of reviews. Contact Dan with gear-related questions at gearguy@adventuresnw.net.

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MARATHON, Fla. A 75-pound stingray killed a Michigan vacationer when it flew out of the water and struck her in the face as she rode in a boat in the Florida Keys, officials said.

Judy Kay Zagorski, of Pigeon, Mich., was sitting in a boat going 25 mph when the spotted eagle ray, with a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet, leaped out of the water, said Jorge Pino, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, on Thursday.

The 57-year-old woman’s father was driving the boat on the Atlantic Ocean side of Vaca Key, Pino said.

“He had absolutely no warning. It just happened instantaneously,” Pino said.

The impact likely killed the woman, but it was not immediately clear if she had any puncture wounds from the ray’s barb, Pino said. An autopsy will determine an official cause of death, Pino said.

Spotted eagle rays can weigh up to 500 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 10 feet. They are known to occasionally jump out of the water but are not aggressive and use the venomous barb at the end of their tail as a defense mechanism.

The rays are protected in Florida waters and are typically seen swimming on the water’s surface.

“Rays jump to escape a predator, give birth and shake off parasites,” said Lynn Gear, supervisor of fishes and reptiles at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada, Fla. “They do not attack people.”

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The kitchen countertop is important to the final look and feel of a kitchen. There are many considerations to look into when deciding on a countertop. One must be aware that prices for kitchen countertops vary, and some can be as cheap as $10 per square foot, while others can cost more than $100 per square foot. Appearance and functions are some of the main concerns when making a choice.

The most affordable types are laminates, which range in price from $10-$40 per square foot. Although they’re not as durable as some styles, they are fairly easy to install. Luckily, they are not expensive and can be replaced easily, as they do wear out quite easily.

There are also a wide variety of colors and textures to choose from. Some provide very good stain resistance and ease of cleaning. The refurbishment of such countertops can be completed over the weekend. It could be simpler to replace the plywood beneath it also, instead of wasting time trying to ready the older material.

Another style, that is in the middle price range, is ceramic tile. These can cost as much as $50 per square foot, although some can be as little as a few dollars. They’re relatively easy to install new, but present some challenges when trying to replace or repair. It can be tedious to separate old pieces that have been stuck together for quite some time.

The biggest headache ceramic tiles poses is grout as it is hard to clean. They might crack ever so often although they are considered quite lasting on the whole. When this happens, they are usually left alone since they are so difficult to replace. Due to this, such countertops can look worn and used before long.

They are very resistant to heat, staining and scratching, and can last a lifetime if cared for properly. They are also very easy to clean.

One of the more recently conceived types is styled concrete. This kind usually runs around $50 per square foot. It has a range of colors and it is highly resistant to heat.

It is advised that you engage a professional to fix the countertop for you. It is heavy and usually needs sealed a few times before use. It does need quite a long period for it to dry.

Another mid-priced option gaining popularity again is stainless steel. It is priced at the region of $50 to $60 per square foot. It is easy to clean, however, scratches show up easily and it gets discolored over the years.

Marble material has been popular for many years. It’s a bit more expensive, running around $75 per square foot. This countertop can look in tip top condition if you bother to seal it often. It can be stained easily if it is not sealed well. This type is also available in a variety of colors and patterns.

If you have budgeted enough, you can consider using granite as a kitchen countertop. Prices can be exorbitant but it can be priced as low as $80 per square foot. It must be sealed often, however the look and sturdiness is worth it. Installation can be a bit trickier and should probably be done by professionals. This will give the final result less visible seams.

Engineered stone is a nice mix of modern technology and traditional looks. This type is in the middle of the price range, usually $50 per square foot or more. The choices of patterns resembling stones are varied. It is a good chance for you to get creative with this style.

This material is very durable and heat resistant. Another positive thing to note is that it does not need to be sealed. Stains and scratches should not be a problem either. You can decide to fix up this sort of kitchen countertop on your own, however, the safest way is to engage the services of a professional.

Now you have the information you need to choose the right countertop material for your specific needs. You would be able to find beautiful designs and choices that are lasting to suit the budget you are on.

Tags: quite some time, rta, Services, tiles
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AUSTIN, Texas — Concrete floors don’t usually make the lists of amenities at boutique hotels. Nor do duvet-less beds or sterile, white bathrooms. But for some reason, it all works at Hotel San Jose, where in-the-know vagabonds mix and mingle with loyal locals on the intimate patio wine bar.

Planted on Austin’s funky, up-and-coming South Congress strip, this rehabbed 1930s motor lodge is on the northern end of a string of chic shops, restaurants and bars … and not much else. Downtown Austin is a mile north, about a 15-minute walk across the famously bat-infested Congress Bridge.

Then again, most folks who stay here aren’t too concerned with scoping out the Capitol, the museums or loud and crowded 6th Street. The biggest draw of Hotel San Jose (aside from its tastefully simple decor and the serene grounds on which it’s situated) is the fact that it’s not in downtown; rather, it’s in the heart of one of Austin’s hippest neighborhoods.

The South Congress Cafe and Tex-Mex standard Guero’s Taco Bar (reportedly a favorite of Bill Clinton) are just two spots where locals grab grub, and a bevy of little boutiques and salons sit pretty among galleries, antique malls and second-hand shops. Directly across the street from San Jose is the Continental rock club; farther south is a vintage Airstream trailer that’s been repurposed into a cupcake stand called, appropriately, Hey Cupcake! Needless to say, South Cong on the adjacent patio. San Jose’s staff, while pleasant, isn’t the friendliest in the business, but they’re patient.

ROOMS: There are only 40 of them, and while the decor — simple bedding with Indian-print bedspreads; white walls with tasteful, silk-screened rock ‘n’ roll poster art; heavy, sliding green bathroom doors — is consistent throughout, they vary drastically in size and location. Book a teensy, dorm-style shared bath ($105) and you’ll be sleeping over the lobby, while 420-square-foot courtyard suites ($375) are located on the second story of the courtyard building and feature high ceilings, sitting areas and private balconies overlooking the patio. Save for the three shared-bath quarters, all rooms feature a desk/table crafted from pine, Eames chairs and simple touches like a single flower in a vase and sturdy, stainless steel hangers.

BATHROOM: Like the rooms, the bathrooms are spartan and white. Porcelain white sinks have exposed plumbing; white towels are stacked on simple wooden benches. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Peppermint soap and toiletries from local companies Herbal Soapworks and Sabia neatly line the sill of basic showers covered in white subway tile. White hexagonal floor tiles spill over from the shower into the sink area where they meet that cool, concrete floor. Most bathrooms also contain the only storage area: a single chrome rod for hanging clothes over a built-in bench for storing luggage. Here you’ll also find robes and flip-flops (both available for purchase), and the “mini-bar” — a handmade pine wood-and-Plexiglas box containing the requisite goodies.

KID FRIENDLY: Each of the suites has a daybed that makes for suitable kids’ beds, but in general, San Jose is for grown-ups.

ROOM SERVICE: A handful of breakfast options — granola with berries, eggs rancheros and the like — are available a la carte or prix fixe ($10-$16) for delivery in-room or on the patio from 7 to 11 a.m.

PERKS %26amp; PEEVES: Just when you thought Hotel San Jose couldn’t get any cooler … Traveling musicians receive a 20 percent discount — music to the ears of rockers who make regular trips to Austin for its gajillion gigs and music festivals. The lobby’s DVD library offers an impressive collection of cult classics, rock ‘n’ roll-themed and foreign films for $2; and a pair of bikes are available for rent by the day or hour. There’s even a pool (albeit a tiny one). But there are cons: Rooms facing South Congress tend to be noisy. When traffic dies down at night, the Continental Club across the street is just waking up. And the location — great for strolling — isn’t very convenient for getting elsewhere. Cabs on Congress are sparse.

BOTTOM LINE: Standard rooms run $175 on weekends; suites run as high as $375 on weekends. Tax is 15 percent. Parking in an adjacent lot is free for guests. Two rooms are designed for handicap access.

HOTEL SAN JOSE

1316 S. Congress Ave.

Austin, Texas; 512-444-7322; www.sanjosehotel.com

Tags: amenities, amp, locals, pool, rta, tiles
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live in a small cottage home in a nice location, but my “blah” backyard has too much lawn and not enough privacy from my neighbors. I like my neighbors, but don’t feel like saying “hello” every morning when I am in the yard with my coffee.

Many homeowners yearn for a private park in their own backyard for relaxing as well as a practical yard to meet their family’s needs for entertaining and play, says Susan Silva, owner of Susan Silva Landscape Design in Orangevale. There’s a multitude of things to consider before putting a shovel into the ground, so it is always best to start with a plan designed to cover the overall picture, even if you have to implement it in stages.

“Privacy can be easily addressed with trees and tall shrubs, but it’s vital to consider the size of the yard,” Silva says. “In smaller yards, I like to mix varieties of tall, linear shrubs along the fence line and add canopy-type trees so you can see underneath them to other areas of the yard and enjoy the shade they create for the patio area.

“In larger backyards, the choices of big trees and shrubs are endless, but they need to be properly planted in the right locations, always considering their growth at maturity.”

Sometimes the best remedy for a two-story house overlooking the rear property line is a tall trellis or patio cover designed with lattice panels to create immediate privacy. Silva often suggests placing a gazebo in just the right spot, and enclosing it with billowy, outdoor fabric drapes to allow for private dining. Arbors, gazebos, and patio covers all need to be properly placed for the most privacy and also to meet local setback requirements.

When remodeling a yard, Silva says, she looks carefully at existing trees, shrubs and other features in hopes of keeping as many of the original elements as possible while creating something new and beautiful. Many mature plants are worth saving; old patios can often be updated by saw-cutting the edges into new shapes and overlaying new materials onto the old gray concrete.

“I assume by ‘blah’ you mean boring with little interest, color, or movement, and in need of a focal point,” she says. “That’s why I always try to create a feeling of intrigue, fun and mystery into every yard, big or small, to make it truly special.”

One inexpensive and simple idea is to create a curvy path from one area to a decorative gate. Curved paths can be made of flagstone and ground cover, pavers, gravel or even a meandering piece of lawn. The gate can match the style of the home or be an eclectic, artistic, colorful one-of-a-kind feature.

“Whether it leads to a rose garden, a serene fountain and bench, a vegetable and herb garden or even just disguises a storage area, a gate creates a feeling of mystery and the illusion of much more space beyond it,” Silva says.

“Building the gate with an arbor to grow fragrant climbing mixed vines such as pink roses and lavender clematis would increase the color and your pleasure and joy in your yard even more.”

Silva included these elements in the backyard plan she recently completed for Wendy Wells and John Schimandle in Rocklin. Although their half-acre lot backs up to Clover Valley Creek, a fence and a steep hill covered with blackberry brambles blocked their view of the creek. Many overgrown, diseased shrubs camouflaged the majestic oak trees and classic koi pond in their existing backyard.

The remodeling project will consist of tearing out the 40-year-old shrubbery, incorporating new patio shapes and materials, installing a large, open lawn with curved borders, and planting colorful privacy shrubs and flowers. Covering a metal-screen fence with climbing vines will hide a storage shed, while removing the fence and terracing the hill leading down to the creek will open up the yard so it looks and feels larger.

“The highlight of the yard will be a new enclosed redwood deck perched over the creek for meditation and yoga,” says Silva. “A new curvy path made in a colorful mosaic pattern of tiles will wind from Wendy’s yoga hut, past the koi pond, and lead to a new wooden gate and arbor of colorful, fragrant flowering vines.”

The new gate will connect the backyard to the side and front yards, which Silva redesigned for the couple several years ago. Wells says they could only afford to install new landscaping in the front half of their lot the first time they hired Silva. They love the results so much, they know it was worth waiting to do the back.

“If you could see my front yard you would know it was the work of a true artist, Wells says. “When you drive down my street, you see many yards that look nice but very structured with all the standard stuff, while ours has a special touch that catches your eye. We have paved pathways that draw you to the front door of our home, unique plants that no one else has, and people who walk by constantly tell us our yard is so beautiful.”

Shade from all the trees in the side yard kept grass from growing there, so they did nothing with that area until Silva turned it into a beautiful garden of ferns, hydrangeas and other shade-loving plants with a flagstone path in the middle, Wells says.

“From the street, you will be able to see past the intriguing new gate, inviting you into the backyard,” Wells says. “It will be beautiful walking under the trees and feel quiet and peaceful, like you’re in a little piece of the country. It will be magical, I know.”

Tags: backyards, clove, fence, ferns, focal point, front yard, gazebo, grass, gravel, landscape, Landscape Design, Landscaping, maturity, new landscaping, plants, rta, shrub, shrubs, tiles, trees and shrubs
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