appearance
It's amazing what can happen when you begin to look at the world through open eyes and with an open heart. More often than not, things that were once taken for granted or that
You'd think that having lousy-looking deck drains was inescapable, given that about 99.9% of them look like a thing you'd find in your shower. Whether you're using PVC or brass grates, they disrupt the surface of any decking material and to my way of thinking are an unnecessary eyesore - nearly criminal when they interrupt the look and texture of a beautiful expanse of stone. It just doesn't make any sense to draw that much attention to the drains. That's why I decided to develop a deck-drain detail that doesn't break up the visual lines of the deck. It's extremely simple - and it's something you can
Good design isn't the sole province of any one country: It's something that happens around the world in response to local flavors and textures and the needs and desires of people who live there. Most of these watershape markets are absolutely minuscule by comparison to the U.S. market - but in each location you'll find clients who are just as interested as their American counterparts in commissioning watershapes that reflect high aspirations, suitable affluence and
For some time now, watershapers have exploited the fact that naturally occurring rocks and boulders can enhance the appearance of their work. Whether used in conjunction with artificial rock or alone, you appreciate the fact that rock comes in a never-ending variety of shapes, sizes and textures - and that they can be used to add both surprise and individuality to designs. For the most part, however, designers and builders have tended to work with common local stones - fieldstone, granite or river rock - that limit their palettes when it comes to color, visual appeal and expressiveness. It can indeed be an epiphany for those who've used common stones to come across material that includes complex mineral and crystalline structures or fascinating patterns of stratification that are the product of eons of metamorphic activity within the earth's crust. With this awareness comes the realization that the palette is virtually limitless and that rockwork can now easily be found to echo the colors and exceptional nuances found in
