Neal's Home Remodeling and Design Blog

Updated: 10/10/17 | Original Post: 6/14/16

Using stone as an accent inside the home is a popular design choice. That natural look and texture of stone juxtaposed with interior decor creates a casual look, but also injects the timelessness of a rustic architectural statement. It's not a one-size-fits-all option, however, and there are several ways to apply it that can drastically change the finished look from one option to the next. Here are some interior stonework design ideas you should know when choosing interior stonework for your home.

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Even if your home came with a finished lower level, the chances are good that it wasn't much to celebrate. The basement is typically a last thought on the builder's mind, so the finishes, layout, and function all tend to be just lackluster enough to have any personality. Which makes remodeling the lower level a great project for customizing and upgrading your home for the needs of your family. Here are 5 lower level transformations from Neal's.

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Original Post 12/8/2015 Updated 12/20/2016

Today, a fireplace can be added to almost any room of the house where you want warmth, comfort and ambiance. Wood, gas or electric fueled fireplaces are versatile in size and structure and can make a design statement. Here are several fireplace design ideas from our portfolio of remodeling projects for homeowners in the Greater Cincinnati area.

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In a previous fireplace design blog post, we reported that outdoor fireplaces and firepits were in hot demand in Greater Cincinnati, and we can state now that this shows no signs of stopping. Having a fire element in your home's outdoor spaces allows you to extend to their use earlier in the spring and further into the summer (and depending on the type of winter we're having, even during the holidays).  Whether you opt for a wood-burning or natural gas option will largely depend on how you wish to use it (and whether obtaining and storing wood is a possibility for you), but either of these choices can be designed in such a way to fit the character of your landscape and the needs surrounding it.

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