5 minute read
Unexpected Uses for Stone Surfaces in Your Home
STONE MART:
Unexpected Uses
for Stone Surfaces in Your Home
by Shari Held
STONE SURFACES aren’t just for countertops. Get creative and try using stone for desktops, shelving, tables, accent walls, and more!
“People often come here searching for material for their countertops,” says Kaelyn Van Camp, Marketing Manager for Stone Mart, a wholesale supplier of natural stone and engineered materials. “When looking for stone, there are many ways to incorporate it throughout your home or office. I’ve seen stone used for accent tables, reception desks, wall art, coasters, business cards holders, flooring designs, etc. – people get very creative.”
Stone can be used as the focal point or accent piece in any room. Consider using a slab of beautifully patterned marble for a desktop or designing a spectacular coffee table made of quartzite. Many people use stone for their kitchen backsplashes, so imagine how stunning a stone accent wall would look in your foyer or living area. A great way to display your artwork or collectibles is on floating shelves made of stone. You can even have it cut into shapes for framing or add backlighting to display the stone as a work of art!
One thing you will need to consider is weight. Stone is heavy and requires proper support. If you opt for floating shelves, you’ll want to use support brackets or beams that will adequately support their weight. Van Camp suggests talking to your fabricator or contractor to determine the best stone and proper support for your project.
Another thing to consider is whether you want the stone to make a bold statement or blend into its surroundings. Either way, you are sure to find just the right piece from the vast selection at Stone Mart.
So, get your creative juices flowing! Ask your fabricator or contractor about visiting the experts at Stone Mart to find the perfect stone for your project.
STONE MART 8215 Zionsville Road Indianapolis, IN 46268 317.991.4253 stonemartmarblegranite.com
GREENIMAGE LANDSCAPE & DESIGN:
GO WITH A PRO
THE ADVANTAGE OF HIRING PROFESSIONAL LAWN MAINTENANCE
by Christy Heitger-Ewing
If you’ve ever tried to cut or color your own hair, then later decided to pay to have a licensed stylist work on your locks instead, you’ve likely experienced the noticeable difference a professional can make. It’s not surprising. Not only are hair stylists skillfully trained but they also have logged hours upon hours of experience in their field, and it shows in the result. The same is true when it comes to lawn maintenance.
While it can be easy to talk yourself into DIYing lawncare in order to save money, it’s worth considering what you are missing out on by not hiring a pro. For starters, your yard has the potential to look so much nicer. This is because expert lawncare services not only mow but they also edge, clean up grass, and create those striking “stripes,” which improves curb appeal.
“This is what our guys do, day in and day out,” says Dan Weingart, owner of GreenImage Landscape & Design. “They’ve got an eye for quality.”
One of the big differences you’ll see in professionally maintained yards are the manicured edges. Homeowners who choose to spread mulch themselves often do not take the time to put in a nice edge in the beds because disposing of debris and creating that distinctive edge is rather labor intensive. Weingart’s team, however, comes in and in the matter of a day, edges all the beds, which includes putting in a nice clean curved or straight line; that result alone is eye-popping.
Another plus for hiring a lawn service is that they are trained to identify and treat certain issues like a lawn fungus before it gets out of control. A perfect example of this are the brown spots that pop up in the summertime. It’s not unusual for a homeowner to assume that such a spot is a result of hot, dry weather so to remedy it, they water their lawn more. In reality, however, that brown spot may be a fungus, which is exacerbated by dousing it with H20. This is where an expert’s eye comes in handy. “Our guys are on the properties we mow every week,” says Weingart. “We also have an operations manager that visits the properties once a month to identify potential issues. Plus, if you’re an existing customer and have a concern, you can call our office and we’ll jump on it very quickly.”
The operations manager also identifies potential opportunities for a homeowner to improve the aesthetics of their land.
“A lot of people don’t know what to do with their yards because it’s so much to think about,” says Weingart. “It’s almost like paralysis by analysis. We have the ability to help make your property even more beautiful by presenting you with options.”
Another wonderful perk to hiring a lawncare company is essentially buying yourself personal time. After all, we all only get 24 hours in a day. How do you want to spend it? When you come home on a Friday afternoon, the last thing you may feel like doing is spending hours over the weekend mowing your lawn, edging, and pulling weeds.
“There’s a ton of value there when you look at it from the aspect of savoring your personal time,” says Weingart, who has found that the younger generations (those in their 20s and 30s) are eager to hire him.
There are also those people who truly do love mowing. They find the activity cathartic, like gardening. “If that’s the case, go for it,” says Weingart. “We can help you with other services like clean-up and spreading mulch.”
Whatever your yard maintenance needs, get your time back and get wow results from the pros at GreenImage. Learn more online at greenimagelandscape.com.
– DAN WEINGART Owner, GreenImage Landscape & Design
Landscape services provided by: GreenImage l a n d s c a p e & d e s i g n GREENIMAGE Dan Weingart LANDSCAPE & DESIGN dweingart@greenimagelandscape.com 4195 Millersville Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46205 www.greenimagelandscape.com 317.288.2921 greenimagelandscape.com (317) 564-8280
