Filed under: Tile and Stone

Honed Black Granite Kitchen Countertop
Have you thought about installing honed granite countertops during your kitchen remodel? If your house is as busy as most homes, your counters will be used for more than cooking (such as craft projects, games etc). It’s important you pick something that will reflect your personality in its design and care.
Honed Granite Countertops – The Basics
You’ve probably heard of granite counters, but what are “honed granite countertops”? As you can see from the photo taken at our Saratoga remodeling project (above), a honed surface doesn’t reflect the way a polished surface does; it’s more like a matte finish. A lot of homeowners choose them during their kitchen remodel because of their softer, more natural appearance. (more…)
January 29, 2013

Subway Tile Kitchen Backsplash
Do you want to incorporate trends that will last for years to come into your home remodel? Subway tiles are a fantastic design option to consider for your kitchen backsplash.
Why subway tile for the kitchen backsplash?
White subway tiles, as incorporated into our Saratoga remodeling project (pictured), have withstood the test of time. This classic backsplash fits well into almost any kitchen design, whether you’re going for a classic, elegant, charming, modern and/or simple overall look in your home remodel. In addition to providing a clean look that fits into almost any design, the color white in tile and cabinetry is one of those trends that never outdates itself; white can make the room classic and timeless for decades. (more…)
January 9, 2013
As you select tile for your kitchen or bath remodel, one company to consider is Oceanside Glasstile. How practical is glass tile in the home? It’s extremely durable and impervious to water, making it an ideal fit for the kitchen or bathroom.
What do we love about Oceanside Glasstile? In addition to their beautiful, one-of-a-kind handcrafted creations, we admire their dedication to sustainability and community outreach. In fact, their tile was recently selected by our most recent San Jose and Saratoga remodeling projects (pictures above and below).
Oceanside Glasstile creates their luxury glass tile using recycled bottle glass. Their materials are designed to work together in a broad range of translucent and iridescent colors that can be easily combined to provide the homeowner with limitless possibilities for their kitchen or bath remodel. (more…)
September 3, 2012
Bathrooms and laundry rooms experience immense amounts of moisture. Unfortunately, moisture is not your friend when it comes to many materials. The good news is there are options that can add character and remain easy to maintain! One product to consider in particular is a tile baseboard. These gorgeous baseboards are made completely from tile and add character that protects your home from damage.
Installing tile baseboards was one upgrade we included in our recent Saratoga remodeling project (pictured above). Ultimately, the homeowners liked the look they were able to create with the tile and the ease of maintenance in the long run. (more…)
June 5, 2012
Built in soap niches with glass shelves have become a popular bath trend, and it’s not hard to see why. A practical space-saver that’s easy on the eyes, these custom spaces like the one recently installed in a Saratoga remodeling project (pictured right) are perfect for the master bath and guest bath.
One nice feature of built in soap niches is their customizability. They can be large or small and include a glass shelf or not. Remodelista features several different designs that can be a great source of inspiration for homeowners looking to incorporate this trend into their shower. Houzz has a lot of great ideas, too.
Want a few suggestions for incorporating one of these into your home? Contact us and we’ll share our ideas for your shower!
May 11, 2012
When most people think of countertops, they think of the kitchen. There’s another time to keep these versatile surfaces in mind, though: during a laundry room remodel!
A recent Saratoga remodeling project found us designing and building a laundry room in an area that was previously a bedroom. In addition to adding cabinets, inserting a sink and replacing the window, we worked with Bohemian Stoneworks to create a countertop that will fit with the room in both style and function.
(more…)
October 19, 2011
Do you really need to invest in a hot mop shower pan during your bathroom remodel? When it comes down to it, a hot mop shower pan is simply a better waterproofing option than a shower pan liner. Don’t just take our word for it, though! The Ceramic Tile Institute of America recommends this method as well.
How do hot mop shower pans work? Comprised of liquid heated tar and three layers of roofing grade felt, the hot, liquid version is spread over the shower pan. Once it cools and hardens, this tar-like substance seals, waterproofs and protects water from leaking from your shower. (more…)
August 15, 2011
After deciding you’d like to use tile as part of your home remodel, the next choice to make is how to install it. Will you use a mortar bed or a hardibacker board?

At CAGE Design Build, we always use a mortar bed as it holds up much better. Consisting of roofing felt, wire mesh and mortar, a mortar bed has several advantages (more…)
July 26, 2011
We’ve discussed tile maintenance, trends & styles before, but there’s another comparison worth mentioning: Stone vs. Porcelain Tile.
Stone tile is a natural material sourced from all over the world. (more…)
July 6, 2011
Do you have tile in your home? How do you take care of it? Modern homes generally feature tile in kitchens, bathrooms, entryways and more. Although maintenance is fairly easy, caring for your stone and/or glass tile is important and will keep the surfaces clean and beautiful.
(more…)
May 10, 2011
Previous page