Decorative Construction Techniques

Decorative Painting

• For the adventurous homeowner or builder, painting has become more than simply selecting a nice color. Modern techniques have taken wall covering to a whole new level of sophistication to include walls that look like parchment, plaster or marble. Stippling, glazing, pouncing and dragging techniques all deliver different paint finishes, creating textured images of pleasing perfection in the right capable hands. If Old World charm is more the image you're interested in, then an antique finish is what you'll want to consider. Another popular choice is wall and ceiling art with stencils on hand for artists who need some extra assistance.

Plumbing

• Sinks have become works of art in recent years that resemble museum pieces more than a plumbing apparatus for hand-washing. There are copper, stainless steel, mosaic, glass and ceramic sinks shaped in square, oval and any geometric design imaginable. Picking out a sink with so many choices is almost as confusing as buying a new car. With sink prices in the four-digit range for some top-of-the line models, hiring a contractor that you trust with this fragile art piece becomes the real challenge.

Lighting

• A new or renovated home benefits greatly by adding the appropriate light fixtures to complement the overall design. Sconces are one popular choice for a dramatic flair, available in every color and shape imaginable. Tiffany glass has come back on the lighting scene with a vengeance, featuring high-quality glass and heavy leading. Layering light as a design trend in the kitchen is ever-popular and calls for many different types of lighting for different purposes. You'll often see under-cabinet lighting, pendants lighting up an island and inside-cabinet lighting. For a dramatic light source, chandeliers often add ambiance to many dining rooms and kitchens, and are available in more sizes than ever before to accommodate the high ceilings in today's architecture.

Concrete

• The gray, boring concrete of yesteryear is being replaced today with concrete that is modified for decorative purposes through stamping, engraving, coloring, staining and exposing techniques. Stamping concrete uses a template to place a pattern onto the surface that resembles tile, wood, pavers and stone, to name a few. Engraving is a very popular choice for a concrete upgrade, since it is one of the few techniques that can be used on old concrete. As the name suggests, the engraving technique produces attractive patterns perfect for a facelift to an old boring slab.