Save / Spend / Skip/Kitchens, Bathrooms, Living Rooms
Natural stone where it actually changes the room.
Not everywhere. In the two or three places your eye lands first.
Real stone is expensive, heavy and needs care. It is also the single material that most reliably makes a room feel like it was built rather than fitted out. The trick is precision: spend on it exactly where it's seen and touched, and nowhere else.
Three places it earns the money
The kitchen island. A fireplace surround. The bathroom vanity top. Each is a focal point, each is at hand height, and each is small enough in area that a dramatic slab is affordable.
The find
FIND
Vivid Slimline Wall Basin Mixer Set 230mm — Matte Black
Why it earns its place: Wall-mounting clears the bench and makes stone look intentional. Worth the plumbing conversation.
from $286 · Austpek Bathrooms
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How to get the stone fireplace look
Full-height, large-format, one material. The proportions matter more than the stone.
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The travertine bathroom without the travertine bill.
One real stone piece. Porcelain that matches. Nobody can tell in the photos, or in person.
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The Hidden Dog Nook: Beautiful Under-Stair Storage Ideas for Dog Lovers
Margaret and Barbara like to be close. Their beds take up room we need in the lounge. An under-stair nook is a way to keep them nearby, with somewhere for their things to go.
Space Well Spent is an independent interiors journal about where money matters in a home — and where it doesn't.