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CANADIAN HOME TRENDS & HOME RENO SOURCE Q How do you recommend what stone veneer a homeowner should choose? There are three types of stone veneer A that are most popular for decorative and esthetic purposes: faux stone, natural stone and dry stacked stone. Faux stone is a precast stone made out of concrete, molded from a natural stone for a natural look. A variety of stone styles can be created using this molding process which offers a wide variety of design possibilities. Faux stone is typically lighter in weight than natural stone, allowing more flexibility in design application as well. Natural stone veneers are made using natural stone for applications where only the most natural look will do. The stone is shaved to a 1-1.5” average thickness. Dry stacked stone is a specific style of faux stone that is popular for its ease of application. Dry stacked stone comes in a panel format that does not require mortar joints between stones. This means application can be done quite quickly and easily. They are the perfect choice if you are looking for a stone product that you can apply yourself on a weekend. - Stone Selex, www. stoneselex.com WE ASKED THE EXPERTS AT HOME RENO SOURCE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOME RENOVATIONS. WWW.HOMERENOSOURCE.COM Q When choosing furniture, where is the best place to start? Your first step will be to select the A piece that will be the focal point of the room. In a bedroom, this is usually the bed, the sofa in the living room, the dining table and chairs in the dining room, the desk in a home office, etc. Once you have selected that piece, other furniture pieces and décor accessories can be selected to coordinate. When selecting your pieces, it is important to keep function in mind as well. It makes no sense to splurge on a bed frame and then cheap out on the mattress, for example. You sleep on the mattress, not the frame! Remember that in a spacious showroom like ours, everything looks very small. Having the dimensions of the room with you is crucial, as well as the arrangement of the windows, doors, vents, lighting, etc. We always recommend bringing samples of wall paints, flooring and pictures of the interior so it is easier for our staff to advise and to match new furniture with existing items. - Smart Furniture, www.smartfurniture.ca Q A What material do you recommend most often for countertops? For most projects, be it a new home build or a renovation, I recommend the use of Quartz for kitchen countertop surfaces. Quartz is a man-made stone that combines 90% quartz with 10% resin to create a surface that offers superior strength along with a number of other benefits that make it one of the lowest maintenance options. Quartz is a non-porous surface that never requires sealing, is resistant to stains, scratches, chips, bacteria and can be maintained simply by cleaning with soap and water! Quartz is a popular choice from a design stand point because of the wide variety of plain and well composed colors available. This allows you to create a modern and fresh look that will suit any interior and any color scheme you can imagine! - Stone Design, www.stonedesign.ca