Since wood is porous, it should be regularly cleaned with an antibacterial cleaner. Managing Experience: If you are a Window Cleaner that oversees more junior Window Cleaners, this experience can increase the likelihood to earn more. Glass blocks — as a window or shower wall — usher in light but maintain privacy.Along with countertops and backsplashes, cabinets are a key design feature in a kitchen or bathroom — hiding your dishes or cosmetics or displaying your crystal or towels. Spray water on the stain with a spray bottle in a light mist, and using a clean white towel, work from the outside of the stain to the center. Contrasting colors — dark wood with light stone — bring attention to each. For example, birch veneer cabinets and a sideboard painted dark green would suit a handsome Arts and Crafts kitchen. Shiny surfaces such as those made from polished granite will bright­en a small, dark room. More glamorous granite and marble can deliver a Roman bath persona particularly if the tub and floor wear the same material. Sultry, gray granite would complement impeccably designed maple cabinetry in a modern kitchen.

A beautiful countertop and bright backsplash are crucial to designing the kitchen of your dreams. Countertops and backsplashes are the work-horses of the kitchen, and in addition to their utilitarian functions, these highly visible surfaces are expected to be good-looking. On the next page, learn how to select countertops and backsplashes that are functional and beautiful. On the next page, learn how to select cabinets that match your overall design scheme. Base-coat the design Periwinkle Blue with a 5/8-inch brush, and use a 3/8-inch brush to shade the “insides” of the flowers with Blue Ink (see photo for the detail). A few hand-painted ceramic tiles (your favorite herbs, fish, flowers?) scattered on a sea of manufactured tiles set a theme for an entire room. To transform your walk-in shower into a romantic grotto, consider dark-colored ceramic tiles or, to foster a sense of luxury and to keep you within budget, ceramic tiles resembling tumbled marble and quarried stone. Dryer sheets are supposed to keep clothes from creating static electricity; if you don’t use one, you might have to peel your clothes apart as if they were glued together.

Some ingredients that protect people from illness-causing bacteria are not good for the bacteria that keep a septic system working properly. A good buddy for stainless steel, cement holds its own in a contemporary setting. Other options include shiny, hygienic stainless steel — ideal for dedicated cooks who covet a restaurant ambience — and glass. A quarter-inch-thick glass counter is dramatic and easy-care. The counter where you prepare meals, where the kids set their homework, and where friends prop their elbows during those long heart-to-heart talks can help influence the way your kitchen feels and looks. For example, tile would be a good choice for a breakfast counter. Liable to chip or crack if someone drops a weighty dish, however, tile is more likely to be used as a secondary work surface. Whether you want to install them yourself or hire someone else to do it for you, make sure to ask how a particular product is installed before investing in new gutter guards.

Want something graphic? Dark grout will give pale tiles an interesting gridlike appearance. And even if video games are considered a sport, who would want to watch them? And tiles that resemble quarried stone and terra-cotta are dynamite in a rustic kitchen or a Craftsman-style kitchen. Diamond-shaped tiles are fun as accents. Tiles in many colors and patterns afford endless opportunities for being creative and staying on budget. Laminate, the most popular choice for kitchen and bath countertops, is available in hundreds of easy-to-clean waterproof colors and patterns. Now that you’ve got your living space arranged, you can focus on the kitchen — the heart of the home — and the bathroom. If you choose not to stack your front-loading set, you still have the added benefit of extra storage space on top of the units, unlike top-load models. As an added kicker, you’ll benefit from a 2-year warranty, allowing you to buy with total confidence.