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More so than other design features, the benefits and drawbacks of choosing vaulted ceilings for your home are clear, immediate, and readily anticipated. Everybody tends to love the effect of a more open living space and the compliments it inevitably solicits. Yet, the increased volume makes heating and cooling more difficult and can often dramatically…

Painting over wallpaper is sometimes tricky business. If your wallpaper is in good shape, is free of any peeling, bubbling, or other loose sections, then this is a relatively easy process. If your wallpaper isn’t in such great shape (which is pretty likely if you want to hide it under a good coat of paint),…

There was a time when acoustic ceiling cleaning simply didn’t exist. The sound-deadening acoustic ceiling tiles are made of a fragile material that would crumble or show spots and streaks when cleaned with traditional methods. When these tiles became too dirty, they had to be replaced or painted over (which reduced their acoustical properties). In…

Wallpaper has always been a popular alternative to painting a room. In addition to traditional wallpaper, there are many types of wall coverings that will enliven a room. Bright fabrics, grass cloth, even cork are becoming popular as unique ways to dramatically change a room’s appearance. Some traditional types of wallpaper: Printed wallpaper is the…

Though the theory of basic wallpaper installation is pretty easy to grasp, many homeowners who have tried their hand at this task have found out the hard way that reading instructions and actually putting up wallpaper are two different things. Of course, the benefits of wallpaper are numerous enough to make giving this job a…

Many people’s first experience with wall art is a photograph or poster. Pictures and posters require little more than a pushpin to put up, no matter how “heavy” they are. As we get older, though, our tastes tend to swing toward wall art that is more substantial (if not in meaning, at the very least…

Beadboard paneling is one of the most popular decorative paneling materials on the market today. It gets its name from the distinctive grooved “bead” that is milled into its surface at regular intervals, and is most often installed as a decorative wainscoting to add texture and contrast to a living area. Beadboard Design Unfortunately, many…

Since the advent of steel I beam structures, the possibilities for what a building can be have vastly expanded. The steel beam is responsible for giving modern architecture the leeway it has and is used in nearly every new commercial construction. It is not a far leap from using steel beams in commercial buildings to…

The tin panel is enjoying a revival of sorts these days. Be it tin ceilings or punched tin panels for cabinetry and furniture, this lightweight, decorative, and great looking building material is catching on with homeowners across the country. Historic Roots Tin paneling owes much of its current success to its historical roots. The use…

To finish a ceiling is, some would say, to have a blank canvas to work with. The unsung wall in any room (Sistine Chapel aside), it is truly the one keeping a roof over our heads. While outside, it’s second nature to look up at the sky, very few do the same indoors. Perhaps it’s…