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Cosentino’s new line is slim in stature, big on impact.  Countertops. Walls. Floors. Ceilings. Tabletops. The home’s many surfaces are an integral part of architecture and design, not just for their beauty but also for their functionality. With these surfaces facing the everyday wear-andtear of foot traffic, food prep, and hygiene rituals, it’s important that they also are durable and low maintenance. Cosentino specializes in collaborating with customers to create high-value, innovative surfaces that add beauty and brawn for a variety of applications. Their Silestone, Dekton, Sensa, and Natural Stone lines are the perfect solution for homeowners and designers looking to add style and substance with their surfaces. The Dekton line, available in thicknesses from 4 mm to 30 mm, is created through a sophisticated, innovative process that results in zero porosity and ultra-compaction, making it highly resistant to the elements with the size, lightness, and strength for an array of applications. Available in nearly sixty colors from nine collections, homeowners are sure to find the perfect hue for any home project. “Our amazing countertop and wall cladding products go beyond traditional residential use to also include extended applications such as commercial, cabinetry doors, indoor and outdoor furniture tops, and fire surrounds, to name a few,” Rudi Bruno, general manager of the Charlotte Cosentino Center, says. “Our newest addition, the Dekton Slim line, has brought an even greater depth to our offerings with the highest standards of quality and durability in an ultra-thin construction.” The Dekton Slim’s 4-mm thickness makes it extremely adaptable, offering homeowners and designers an unlimited amount of design implementations from a single product. Because it’s offered in a large, cut-to-size format with slabs measuring up to 126 inches by 56 inches, homeowners will find their surfaces more hygienic because of the need for fewer joints. Currently available in a broad palette of colors from Dekton’s natural and solid collections, homeowners can select surfaces that speak to their home’s personality, ones that blend seamlessly with their aesthetic, or bolder options that inspire conversation. The amount of customization offered by Dekton Slim ensures each application will be a uniquely beautiful and durable choice. Because of its moisture- and stainresistant properties, Dekton Slim is the ideal product for use in bathroom and kitchen applications. In bathrooms, where excessive humidity and exposure to household chemicals are certain, Dekton Slim offers the resilience needed to maintain a healthy, clean, and beautiful space—all with no more maintenance than a soft, wet cloth! Likewise, in the kitchen, where cleanliness and durability are an absolute necessity, Dekton Slim features low porosity and liquid absorption rates as well as a resistance to scratches, stains, and heat damage. “High-traffic and day-to-day use are no match for Dekton Slim. Homeowners love the freedom of being able to live in their home without the burden of high maintenance routines and upkeep,” Bruno says. “An additional advantage touted by our customers is the significant cost savings of going with a product line like Dekton Slim, which, because of its ultra-thin construction, generally results in less quantity of product needed in installations.” And for those looking to spice up other areas in their home, Dekton Slim’s ease of fabrication allows for its innovative use in cabinetry and furniture, featuring doors and tabletops that withstand household traffic and abuse without bumps, scratches, and stains. “With Dekton Slim, our customers’ dreams are limitless,” Bruno says.

TWO DESIGNING WOMEN TRANSFORM A SHOWHOUSE INTO A FORT MILL SHOWSTOPPER.  Who doesn’t love when a chance meeting leads to an amazing creative collaboration? In this case, it was a festive street party less than two years ago at the Southern Living Home Summit in New Orleans that brought together Cary, North Carolina–based designer Vicky Serany, founder and principal of Southern Studio Interior Design, and custom home builder Mary Ludemann of New Old. “We immediately connected and spent the evening discussing building and design as we followed a band marching through the French Quarter,” Serany recalls with a smile. Fast forward to the fall of 2018, and the pair were in Fort Mill, South Carolina, along with Ludemann’s husband and business partner, Troy, visiting the site and reviewing plans for what would become The Bramble, Charlotte area’s first Southern Living Inspired Community, and the 4,200-square-foot Burnham show home. “Troy is a developer and had been wanting to do an intimate, high-end development for some time, he had just been waiting for the right location to come along,” Ludemann says. Both firms are known for their casually sophisticated, livable designs. Their goal in this home was to push the limits of design and showcase some new ideas while still creating realistic spaces. “Our buyers want right-sized rooms, not a bunch of cavernous spaces,” Ludemann says. “They want each room to be thoughtfully planned for the type of living that will go on in that space.” One look at the result and it’s clear that this team—with an assist from dozens of participating artisans and vendors—hit the sweet spot of what gracious living and entertaining in the South looks and feels like heading into the next decade: luxe functionality. While the ubiquitous modern farmhouse remains popular, it is quickly evolving and incorporating other architectural styles like craftsman and European. Buyers still request shiplap, but here it’s mixed with bold stone accent walls and modern geometric-print wallcoverings. There’s also less gray and more jewel tones—a trend Serany predicted last year. “We used a warm textural palette with the added drama of the emerald-green color in the main living areas. We saw a lot of emerald green during our visit to the furniture market in High Point and decided it was time to bring this fresh perspective to life,” Serany says. The key starting point was a fabric by Thibaut called Mitford—a lively combination of greens, black, and cream that was used for the window treatments and worked to bring nature indoors. Wallcoverings in smaller spaces like the pantry, laundry, and powder room complement this bold pattern. A pair of swoon-worthy emerald-green velvet sofas by Lee Industries anchor the living room, while a soaring stone wall crafted of thin-cut Tennessee Fieldstone by General Shale serves as the perfect backdrop for a conversation around the fireplace. An open floor plan means all eyes can focus on the dramatic kitchen and its eight-foot-wide custom matte, black metal hood with bronze strapping. Serany’s Southern Studio team designed the range wall, and New Old enlisted Modern Aire Ventilating to fabricate it. “It took eight men to lift and install the hood, and let’s just say it was nail-biting to watch,” Serany admits. The black and antique brass finishes extend to the lighting, fixtures, and hardware. The island, combining custom cabinetry by Walker Woodworking and a waterfall countertop of hand-cut honed Bianco Avion marble, provides plenty of prep space and comfortable seating. Black cowhide counter stools bring in rich texture. Two oversized Hollis Lanterns by Hudson Valley Lighting tie the space together, while a backsplash of white arabesque-patterned tile adds shine and pattern.  Just off the kitchen is every well-appointed home’s best-kept secret: a scullery. A British staple made famous by shows like Downton Abbey, this workhorse is making a twenty-first-century comeback. Large windows and light countertops by Silestone keep it bright, while the cozy feel comes from the stone-toceiling backsplash, graphite-toned cabinetry, and black and white porcelain flooring by Tile Collection. A twenty-four-inch under-counter beverage center by Sub-Zero frees up space in the main kitchen, and a thirty-inch Whitehaven Farmhouse sink by Kohler handles any party cleanup and other behind-the-scenes tasks. Custom shelving in the walk-in pantry, designed by IMPACT Design Resources and stocked by Williams Sonoma, surprises with hanging storage space for kitchen linens, while the laundry room incorporates a built-in dog bed underneath a handy desk that doubles as a folding station. In the master bath, more beautiful details abound, seamlessly blending old and new. A shapely, freestanding soaking tub gets a vintage vibe when paired with a floormount tub filler in champagne bronze. A combination of shiplap and gleaming white tile on the walls and shower extends to the ceiling and provides interest and texture without a lot of color. The charcoal-hued porcelain tile flooring offers a rich contrast. Serany found the wooden chair, which doubles as a towel holder, during a recent shopping trip to the Brimfield, Massachusetts Antique Flea Market. An upstairs guest bath stuns with its sleek pharmacy-style black vanity by Restoration Hardware and a striking abstract wallcovering called Metal Stars by abstract artist Windy O’Connor. Her original pattern continues into the bedroom on textiles for pillows and window treatments. It’s details like these that are meant to inspire, yet still be accessible—things people can take away and incorporate into their own homes. “This home is a style that begs for you to take your shoes off, come in, and enjoy. I think people really like the juxtaposition of the space,” Ludemann says. “Kind of like the oxymoron of New Old—it’s the balance achieved in the differences.

Sallyann Cox used her creative talents to extend a small bungalow and make the most of the delightful coastal views. Idon’t want to live in a bungalow – I’m not ready for that!’ was interior decorator, stylist and maker Sallyann Cox’s reaction when her husband R ichard suggested it. It was back when the couple were regularly spending a few months at a time sailing around Greece and knew a lock-up-andleave home would fit the bill. The idea became a sad necessity, however, when Richard was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and had to use a wheelchair. ‘We’d looked at so many places, none of which were suitable,’ remembers Sallyann. Finally, and with no real enthusiasm, she went to see a small, two-bedroom bungalow almost untouched for nearly 50 years and had a change of heart. ‘During the viewing, I walked into the cluttered garage and noticed a tiny window on the side – one glimpse at the view and I realised there was so much untapped potential here,’ she recalls. The house itself had effectively been built facing away from ever-changing views across fields to the Salcombe-Kingsbridge estuary much beloved by the couple. ‘I knew that by doing some rejigging to the garage, I would be able to make a special place where Richard could enjoy sitting and watching the ebb and flow of the tides, and the boats down on the water – it would be a nourishing environment.’ In the end, Richard was not able to move in as his illness progressed quickly, but, after his death, Sallyann decided to continue with their plans. ‘It was very hard to be there without him and, for the first couple of years, I didn’t do much at all apart from replacing the bedroom window with French doors onto a little balcony; I had a constant need to get outside rather than be cooped up, so opening up the house as much as I could became a priority.’ Two years later, when she felt able, Sallyann began work on the rest of the house. The garage and carport were demolished and replaced with a sleek extension. ‘I knew I wanted an open-plan space where I could cook, eat and relax,’ she says. The original rooms were reorganised making an extra bedroom and guest bathroom, as well as a large, bright hall where Sallyann makes lighting and mirrors from items she salvages on nearby beaches. ‘I’ve always been drawn to the sea, whether living on it or near it and I’m always out collecting all manner of things!’ Her creative eye has also been used on the interiors. ‘I’ve designed and decorated shops and restaurants in the past, invariably in vivid colours with a Mediterranean influence, but in this house, I’ve been more restrained with lots of neutrals. I decided to think of it as a blank canvas that I could add to or remove from if I felt like a change.’ There are still pops of colour evident in the soft furnishings and the odd wild wallpaper and vintage find. ‘I used to have a lot more furniture and general “stuff” but we sold practically everything when we went off sailing. I had to start again which is surprisingly cathartic, if expensive!’ Renovating the house also proved to be a turning point. ‘It was completed in nine months and I barely had time to think about much else as there were so many decisions to be made but it was good to engage with something,’ she says. So has Sallyann been converted to bungalow life? ‘I actually feel really lucky to live here,’ she says. ‘The house makes for such easy living and with beautiful views, too – it’s an absolute privilege.

The House and Garden Festival at Olympia London is the shopping goal of the period, with an improving system of master talks and exhortation centers to kick begin an undertaking The House and Garden Festival, occurring at Olympia London, is an excellent shopping desti-country incorporating insides, greenhouse and way of life marks nearby reviewed workmanship and old fashioned sellers. Locate the most recent items from any semblance of Arlo and Jacob, Crucial Trading, Orchid Furniture, Thomas Sanderson and Kitchen Architecture. With an advancing system of talks and workshops, it's additionally the ideal spot to become familiar with another expertise or look for counsel about an up and coming venture straightforwardly from the specialists. These incorporate the Expert Theater talks and Expert Advice facilities with BIID experts and RIBA licensed modelers, taking on such themes as getting the best from your engineer, picking flooring, feasible structure and how to utilize customary enlivening thoughts in current ways. See directly for a portion of the features from the program. Floor appear I figure floor coverings ought to sit discreetly and make everything else in the room look wonder-ful,' says the rug architect Sandy Jones. Presently, her plans are becoming the dominant focal point in a review pitching presentation from May 14 to June 14 at the Afridi Gallery, SW3, which has practical experience in twentieth-century structure and old fashioned floor coverings. Seven of Sandy's perky, shading blocked works, mirroring her 27-year vocation, have been recreated for Sandy Jones: Stepping into the Light.Having demonstrated for Mary Quant in her childhood and later filled in as an outfit creator, Sandy went to materials in the mid Nineties. She ended up energetic about African and Asian models – thanks to a limited extent to her inside planner spouse, Chester Jones – and selected on a materials and weaving course at London College of Fashion. She began making floor coverings when a customer of her better half's recommended that two or three compositions in Chester's office would give superb motivation to a rug. 'I made eight for him,' reviews Sandy.Since at that point, she has made floor coverings for inside architects, including Hugh Leslie, and took a shot at lofty activities, for example, a 12 x 12-meter carpet for Claridge's. The floor coverings in this presentation, made in a joint effort with the exhibition's proprietor, Shahbaz Afridi, are made in Turkey from hand-colored, hand-spun fleece. 'The craftspeople don't scour the fleece, so you get a superbly unpredictable completion,' she says. Presently in her seventies, she keeps on taking on commissions. 'A few people simply approach me to structure a floor covering for their space,' she says. 'They don't determine a style and they let me continue ahead with it. I make the plans by destroying high quality papers, shading them and playing with their course of action,' Sandy explains.The display is holding various presentations over the coming months, including a feature of Neisha Crosland's unique craftsmanships in September.