Grant and Laura Clouston see the light in basement Edinburgh apartment

SEEING potential in some properties can require a huge amount of imagination. In December 2009, when builder and developer Ian Murray viewed an A-listed garden apartment at 31a Heriot Row in Edinburgh’s New Town for potential clients Grant and Laura Clouston, he needed all the imagination he could muster.

The previous owner had been a taxidermist and 31a was his home and workshop. Each room in the basement level flat had one tiny access window, and all were boarded up so there was no natural light.

Ian is managing director of the Edinburgh-based SI Construction, which specialises in everything from refurbishments to extensions and new builds. Grant Clouston, had asked for his thoughts on the property. Was it possible to transform a tired, gloomy, partially subterranean apartment into a vibrant, design-led, aesthetically exciting second home for himself and his wife, Laura? And could Ian tackle the project, working closely on the design concept with Grant and Laura, while the couple were based 3,600 miles away in Dubai?

The answer to both questions was yes. Looking at this immaculate interior, it would be easy to overlook the work required to create this five-bedroom home. Number 31a is the lower two levels of a Georgian townhouse and, because the building is A-listed, various permissions were required before work could begin.

The property was rewired and replumbed, and new drainage was laid. Light wells were built at the front, with large iron grilles inserted into the stone patio, pulling light into the two guest bedroom suites.

The master bedroom was reconfigured to create an en-suite bathroom behind a wall of bespoke storage. This involved losing some bedroom space but it improved the proportions, while adding wardrobe space and a striking en suite. French doors were also installed here, opening onto a stone patio and the rear garden.

There was substantial structural work involved in the refurbishment, both at basement level – especially the master bedroom – and above in the new L-shaped kitchen-dining-living space. The most problematic task was removing the wall between the dining-kitchen and the snug, as this wall formed the main spine that extends up the townhouse. Ian says: “The structural work to achieve this opening was staggering.”

The kitchen-dining-living area, the master bedroom suite and the drawing room at the front were the three areas that took priority in Laura and Grant’s brief to Ian. “We both had quite a clear vision of what we wanted, and in particular with the kitchen, which Ian created exactly as I wanted,” says Laura.

Ian, Grant and Laura shared ideas via the Dropbox app, enabling Ian to take progress or product photos on his iPhone and share them with the couple, which in turn allowed Grant and Laura to upload images for Ian to view. Between them they shared just under 4,000 photos during the whole process.

“It was a fantastic way to watch the photographic progress and milestones that Ian was achieving,” Laura agrees. The couple, who have a nine-month-old son, Henry, and a daughter due in May, scoured online sites and magazines for design ideas, plus, as Laura says: “Living in a city full of amazing interiors and architecture gave us inspiration.”

The kitchen was inspired by photos the couple spotted online, and reproduced in detail, down to the handles and chrome edging under the worktop, by bespoke kitchen designers Murray & Murray. The cabinetry is painted in Strong White by Farrow & Ball (the company’s paints were used throughout), and contrasted with dark walnut cabinetry and Ceasarstone Misty Carrara worktops, while retaining the original range was part of the planning consent.

The bold chrome pendants came from Marks & Spencer, and the couple added individual touches, as with the colourful mismatched dining chairs from Annie Mo’s. Laura says: “Opening up the kitchen and snug absolutely made it for us; it’s our favourite room.”

KVS Interior Design creating and executing interiors

KVS Interior Design's Tina Margrander, ASID, NCIDQ and Design Assistant Julie Oswald, ASID, NCIDQ are creating and executing interior designs for two model residences being built by McGarvey Custom Homes in Quail West.

One of the models, McGarvey's Bardane villa in Quail West's La Caille neighborhood, is nearing completion.

The Bardane's two-story great room floor plan offers 3,788 square feet under air and includes an oval-shaped foyer, four bedrooms, a study, a staircase leading to the loft, three-and-a-half baths, a gourmet kitchen, a free-form pool, spa and landscaped pool deck and a covered outdoor living area.

The model includes an optional outdoor kitchen and fireplace as well as an optional wine cooler in the kitchen. The large master suite has a sitting area that opens to the outdoor living area and offers golf course and water views.

The classic-transitional design style features a color palette that includes light, creamy backgrounds with chocolate browns and aqua blues as well as gold and white contrasts. Tropical style art selections include a piece by Quail West resident Carol Weber. A combination of classic and clean-lined furnishings mixes wood tones with painted pieces to bring character to an interior design that is sophisticated, elegant and comfortable.

"The furnishings reflect simple lines with light fabrics and finishes to give the home a fresh feeling," said Margrander. "The combination of the simple wood tones with painted accent pieces provides additional interest in spaces throughout the residence."

Ceramic tile floors, crown molding, distinctive ceiling treatments and other elegant features and finishes are found throughout the Bardane.

The kitchen includes raised panel wood cabinetry, granite countertops, under-cabinet accent lighting and a Bosch stainless steel appliance package.

Granite or marble countertops are also found in the master bath along with his-and-her vanities, a tiled walk-in shower, a separate tub and his-and-her walk-in closets with built-in cabinets.

The four-bedroom with study Casa Fiore is being constructed in Quail West's Sunnyslope neighborhood. This home features cutting edge architectural details, ceilings that soar to 20 feet and floor-to-ceiling windows that amplify pool, golf course and lake views.

A soft-modern design style plays clean-lined neutral furniture pieces with darker finishes against accessories and artwork. Windows are stacked all the way to the island kitchen's 25-foot ceiling. The natural light enhances the room's rich palette that includes taupes and backsplash details that compliment lighter toned walls.

"McGarvey Custom Homes is known for its attention to detail," said Margrander, "and that will be evident throughout the Casa Fiore. The clean-lined trim package will include beamed ceiling details, 12-inch baseboards and two-piece crown molding around the perimeter and in the ceiling coffers in the dining room, kitchen, leisure room and master bedroom. A morning bar in the master suite, indoor and outdoor fireplaces with pre-cast concrete surrounds, a wet bar and a five-car garage with a motor court will be included. Mud-set stone flooring with numerous inlays and details will be featured in the kitchen, dining room and leisure room. Decorative stone or ceramic tile will be used in the bathrooms.

The study will be finished with hardwood flooring and will include custom built-in cabinetry. The leisure room will feature a custom built-in entertainment cabinet. An airy island kitchen will be equipped with a Viking and Sub-Zero appliance package. The breakfast nook will feature a view of the outdoor living area and pool and include a built-in breakfast bench. All of these features and finishes work beautifully with our soft-modern design style."

The Casa Fiore is perfectly suited to Southwest Florida's outdoor lifestyle. An outdoor living area will include an outdoor kitchen with a 36-inch grill, sink and refrigerator. The 615-square-foot pool will feature a heated spa. The pool deck will be surrounded by an aluminum fence.

Houses get historic look at salvage warehouse

Walk into the building at 908 23rd St. and you might find several 1880s solid oak church pews or an antique roll-top desk or a marble fireplace mantle from the old Hutchings Sealy Bank.

Doors, windows, shutters, handrails, crown molding, bead-board, baseboard, chair rails — you name it — it’s here. Walk out back and peruse the assortment of claw foot tubs, porcelain sinks, wavy glass window panes, roofing tile, brick — there’s even a prefabricated commissary house from the early 1900s.

Welcome to the Architectural Salvage Warehouse, which is supported by the Galveston Historical Foundation and sales from donated items.

The building was constructed in 1909-10 and housed the staff of John Sealy, whose mansion was across the street.

Matt Farragher, project coordinator of preservation services, is the overseer who works in tandem with Joe Janota, warehouse manager.

Farragher, who divides his time between the warehouse and foundation, originally is from Ohio. He said he fell in love with Galveston on spring break while attending college in Indiana. He joined the foundation’s staff in August 2007.

“I answer questions from residents and work in the resource center where builders or residents come to get restoration help with an historical project,” said Farragher, who has a master of science degree in historic preservation. “I take pleasure in teaching future generations the importance of their heritage.”

Janota, born and raised in Oregon, visited his aunt and uncle in Galveston and liked it so much he moved to the island. He has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, but his time as a park ranger ignited his interest in historic preservation. He manages the warehouse as well as owning his own construction business.

“This is a great place because it provides a place for locals to come and find resources for their houses,” Janota said.

The warehouse also helps to keep materials out of the landfill.

Although most items are available only to island residents, he does make exceptions with smaller items if the buyer is from Galveston County. But the main objective is to keep all salvaged items on the island, Janota said.

“We also give classes upstairs,” Farragher said. “We do hands-on teaching and focus on how to finish your floors, research your house, do environmentally friendly maintenance, and how to historically design your landscape. We had a course this past session where we gave instructions on how to clean up cemetery stones and had a work day there.”

The majority of items the warehouse receives include doors, windows and furniture.

“We recently got 10 to 12 doors and about 50 shutters,” Janota said. “We also have a lot of tongue-and-groove, bead-board, siding, flooring, spindles for porches or interior stairwells, picket fence posts — every day is different. People come in and look for specific things and since I see everything that comes in, I can usually keep an eye out for people who are looking for certain items.”

The warehouse operators don’t repair or recondition items.

“Everything here depends on style, size and condition,” Farragher said. “We don’t fix up items beyond basic cleanup and we don’t recondition so we can sell things at an agreeable price.”

Items go well in old houses as well as new, Janota said.

“A lot of people have a preconceived idea that they have to have an old house,” Janota said. “But you can have a newer house and repurpose with many things from our warehouse. Everything here has been loved and needs a little more love.”

The warehouse, which has been in business for 30 years, is open Wednesdays and Saturdays and is available for islanders to find what they need to finish their home improvement projects.

Ceramic Harmony is observing 25 years of old world ambiance in tile and stone

Twenty-five years in business. Twenty-five years of selling tile and stone for bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms.

In the beginning, Ceramic Harmony was a small tile-setting shop at the corner of Airport Road and South Parkway in southeast Huntsville.

Today, it's in a 12,000-square-foot facility at 11317 S. Parkway. Out front, the marquee proclaims, "Old world ambiance in tile and stone.''

There's a large showroom and a fabrication shop, where upscale installations - including a stone hood that's 62 inches long - are made for kitchens, bathrooms and floors.

"It used to be, when we first started, there was hardly any tile 25 years ago," said Werner Stark, Ceramic Harmony's owner and president. "There was standard tile.

"When we came in town, we brought in materials and stone from Italy, Germany and Spain.''

By and by, there was "a lot of ceramic tile in the early 1990s,'' Stark said. In the last 10 or 15 years, he said, the trend was more marble, granite and stone.

"Nowadays," he said, "our business consists of 50 percent stone and 50 percent tile."

Nowadays, Ceramic Harmony is observing its 25-year anniversary in business.

It was started in 1986 by Dr. Klaus and Leka Medenbach. Stark's involvement in the business began that year, after he responded to Medenbach's ad in a tile magazine.

Medenbach was looking for a master craftsman, as Stark recalled. He was plenty qualified, having completed four years of training in Europe.

His roots in the business were deep. Stark's father had operated a similar business in southern Germany, near Stuttgart, and Werner had risen to become its chief executive officer.

But he had always wanted to come to America.

Ultimately, he left the family business to move to Florida. After four weeks there, he returned to Germany, uncertain of where his career was headed.

"You have to have a dream, and it will come true if you stick to it," Stark said.

In his case, it was realized after he saw Medenbach's ad in the tile magazine. He responded to the ad and joined the company within a couple of weeks.

There have been challenges in the company's 25 years.

In November 1989, for instance, the showroom had recently been remodeled when a tornado barreled down Airport Road, destroying the showroom and office.

By 1998, though, Ceramic Harmony's business was such that it needed a larger location. The opening of the company's first fabrication shop on Triana Boulevard in the early 1990s had helped expand operations.

Today, many of Ceramic Harmony's customers are seeking the "wow effect," as Stark calls it. An example is one customer who told him, "I want a (master) bathroom where people come in and just go 'wow.' "

Price of that master bathroom: $80,000, said Stark's brother, Jim, who handles business operations.

"That's top of the line," Werner Stark said. "$60,000 to $70,000 is common."

But there are also the more moderately priced projects.

"Over the years, the customer base is people can't afford $80,000 (bathrooms), but they save up their money and they want something nice,'' Stark said. "They come to us. They know it's done right and ever-lasting, and it looks beautiful."

Home appeared on Property Brothers and Decked Out

One night last December, Raun Kaul was on Facebook and saw an ad for a new W Network renovation show called Property Brothers. He clicked on the ad and read what the show’s producers were looking for. “We fit their description to a T,” Mr. Kaul says. “I sent them an email and they responded right away. We were accepted.”

Mr. Kaul and his wife, Jasprit, got possession of their house on Jan. 7, and filming of the renovation began the next week. It was a three-week process with a reveal date of Jan. 31 and an air date of March 31. Things moved quickly.

The Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, renovated four rooms. “We worked closely with the designer and were pleased with the result. We hired the same contractor and designer from the show to complete the house,” he says.

The best features of the house are the red oak open staircase, custom-made German tilt-and-turn windows and a modern fireplace, says Mr. Kaul of Re/Max 2000 Realty, who has co-listed the property with Mark Ianni. The windows are “not only incredible for sound but they keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter. They’re functional as well for cleaning,” Mr. Kaul says.

The chef’s kitchen has a white island and a walkout to a deck. Custom built-ins and custom blinds in the living room, Italian ceramic tile floors in the dining room and built-in closets in the master bedroom are highlights. The bathrooms have floating Philippe Starck toilets and pocket doors.

When filming of the Property Brothers wrapped, that was not the end of their renovation story. “The director of our episode of Property Brothers became a friend. Over the summer he was recruited to another production company and became director of the new HGTV show Decked Out. He thought our deck would be perfect for the show.”

Mr. Raul says he and his wife wanted a “very cool, chic Miami-vibe deck that was an extension of their indoor living space. We loved the white, the stainless steel and the color of our indoor hardwood and [host] Paul Lafrance was able to design an incredible deck that included those features outdoors and much more,” he says.

The 360-square-foot deck has a custom 12-person cabana that has built-in seating and a remote-control awning. The cabana is wired for surround sound and satellite television. A 13×8-foot custom pergola has a remote control awning.

“At night, the deck comes alive with over 95 LED lights, Mr. Kaul says. Stainless steel panelled walls along with custom stone veneer panelled walls are other deck highlights.

Can Technology Rescue the Sprouts Industry?

While scientists are scrambling to pinpoint the cause of the E. coli outbreak linked to bean and seed sprouts in northern Germany, a veteran sprouts system designer believes he has developed the technology that can produce "the perfect sprout."

As of June 20, the outbreak had killed 39 people and sickened more than 3,000.

"If this technology had been used in the EU, those people would still be alive. I have no doubt about it," Lincoln Neal, president of Tennessee-based Quicksilver Automated Systems (www.qasc.com/index.html), told Food Safety News.

According to the company's website, Quicksilver provides state-of the art purification, propagation and processing systems for the largest sprout companies in North America.

Neal thinks the pathogen that caused the E. coli outbreak in Germany likely came in on the seeds, a conjecture that echoes warnings to sprout growers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that seeds are most often the source of most sprout-associated outbreaks.

For that reason, the agency recommends that sprout growers soak the seeds in a strong disinfecting solution, such as 20,000 ppm calcium hypochlorite, before sprouting them.

But Neal, a mechanical systems designer with a focus on disinfection, who describes himself as "a bit of a germophobe," said soaking the seeds in a strong disinfecting solution at the onset just isn't enough because the pathogens can lodge themselves into cracks and crevasses in the seeds.

Those cracks and crevasses, which he said in the microscopic world can be as large as the Grand Canyon, can provide safe harbor for the wily pathogens.

To make things more challenging yet, the seeds have a "somewhat oily surface" that can repel water. As a result, the surface tension on the outside of the seed can prevent the disinfectant from going into the cracks and crevasses in the seeds.

Neal compares that situation to the water that pools into droplets on the surface of a freshly waxed car.

He warns that if a sprout grower only disinfects the seeds at the beginning of the sprouting process, pathogens could still be lurking in the seeds, especially since sprout growers typically soak their seeds in disinfectant for only about an hour.

Neal also said that contrary to what some people in the industry assert,  bacteria such as E. coli can not only hide in the microscopic cracks but can also get inside the sprouting seeds through those cracks.

Neal believes that the solution to that dilemma is easy enough: Use a method that sanitizes the seeds as they're sprouting.

 "We focus on the first 24 to 36 hours," he said of his method

According to the company's information about its Emerald Purifier/Sprouter, the equipment can get rid of embedded pathogens inside the seed shell by repeatedly flushing the inside of the seed hull with disinfectant solution at the moments it "changes, opens, 'morphs,'  and detaches to release the sprout.

"Bacteria-occupied air cups and pockets are flushed out and disinfected," says the company literature. "Full automatic wash cycles occur as the seed pops open and the microbes become exposed."

"We go in when the seed is changing and by doing that we can get into the seed," Neal said. "The machine persistently and automatically washes the product."

Neal said that if the pathogens aren't caught early on in the process, they can get into the sprouts themselves and that no amount of spray misting a disinfectant onto them can reach every square micron of the sprouts.

"Nipping it in the bud early on in the process is essential," he said, adding that persistent disinfection doesn't erode the nutritional value of the seeds and "is in full accord with the life process of the sprouts."

 "It doesn't compromise germination or weaken it," he said.

Looking at another FDA guideline for producing sprouts that involves testing the spent irrigation water that has flowed over the seeds, Neal sees drawbacks. FDA's thinking behind that approach is that if there were any pathogens on the seeds themselves, they would multiply under the warm, moist conditions the seeds are sprouted in. If the testing, which typically occurs 48 hours into the sprouting process, reveals the presence of pathogens, then that batch can be thrown away, thus keeping it out of the marketplace.

But Neal said that as valuable as testing is, sprouting is a "hurry-up" sort of industry when it comes to shipping the fresh sprouts out to customers. For that reason, sometimes the sprouts are sent out before the test results of the spent irrigation water come back.

And even if a test-and-hold approach were adopted, Neal said that if the pathogens are deep inside the seed, the water won't be able to reach them. They could actually be trapped and not be able to get out.

"It's rare, but it could happen," he said.

Then, too, Neal said that even with the safeguards many sprout growers are using, including FDA's  guidelines, a sobering fact keeps emerging: "Somehow these pathogens are getting by these sprouters."

"That's why I think upfront methods must be incorporated," he said. "You've got to come in again and again and again to get the pathogens out. You have to be persistent -- more persistent than the microbes. They've got brilliant programming in them to stay alive."

These pathogens can be virulent. According to the FDA, a single surviving bacterium in a kilogram of seed can be enough to contaminate a whole batch of seeds.

Neal, who says he was called upon by the industry in 1985 to develop a sprout manufacturing package, has focused on modernizing an industry that had previously been more of a "flower-child kind of business."

Fast forward to the present, and Neal says he's probably designed more sprouting equipment "than anyone on the planet."

Back then, immediate questions before him were "How can this problem be solved?" "And where are these pathogens coming from and what's allowing them to proliferate."

When evaluating the potential of his equipment to produce the perfect sprout, Neal said there are no "absolutes in microbiology."

 "But if the sprout growers follow our methods and don't cheat, they can virtually eliminate the pathogens," he said.

Quicksilver Resources Trading Higher on 1.1x Above-Average Volume

Shares of Quicksilver Resources (NYSE: KWK) are trading up 1.8% to $14.87 today on above

average volume. Approximately 2.8 million shares have traded hands today vs. average 30-day

volume of 2.5 million shares.

Spikes in volume can validate a breakout or signify a potential turning point. As such,

SmarTrend will continue to monitor shares of KWK to see if this bullish momentum will

continue.

SmarTrend currently has shares of Quicksilver Resources in an Uptrend and issued the Uptrend

alert on September 07, 2010 at $12.89. The stock has risen 13.3% since the Uptrend alert was

issued.

In the last five trading sessions, the 50-day MA has remained constant while the 200-day MA

has risen 0.56%.

In the past 52 weeks, shares of Quicksilver Resources have traded between a low of $10.53 and

a high of $16.15 and are now at $14.64, which is 39% above that low price.


Atlas Pipeline Partners(APL), owner and operator of natural gas pipeline gathering systems in

U.S., gained 3.4%. Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Atlas to $38 from $35 and

maintained its overweight rating on the stock. The bank sees Atlas's 2011 earnings at $1.68

per share and 2012 earnings at $2.23 per share.

Sunoco(SUN) surged 2.2% last week after reporting better-than-expected quarterly numbers. Net

income increased to $87 million or $0.72 per diluted share for 2010 fourth quarter, compared

to $26 million or $0.22 per diluted share during the same quarter in 2009. The yearly

financial numbers also staged a comeback. Sunoco reported net income of $234 million for 2010

versus a net loss of $329 million for full-year 2009.

Chesapeake Midstream Partners(CHKM) and Quicksilver Resources(KWK) advanced 2.1% and 1.95%,

respectively.

Sinpoec(SNP) gained 1.6%. The company said it has met or even surpassed the operational

targets for the first quarter of 2011. During the week, the company asked its refining plants

to boost gasoline output, says parent China Petrochemical.

Other movers TransCanada(TRP), Weatherford International(WFT), OGE Energy(OGE) and

PetroChina(PTR) were flat, up 0.96%, 0.7%, 0.14% and 0.11%, respectively.

LDK Solar(LDK) was the top loser, plummeting 15.3%. Lazard Capital downgraded LDK Solar to

hold from buy. Lazard Capital expects industry pricing to decline faster than expected, given

the expected policy changes in Italy and Germany.