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Cottage Supply Company Blog featuring our latest home improvement projects!

Choosing the Right Tile: Ceramic vs. Porcelain vs. Stone
 

Choosing the Right Tile: Stone vs. Ceramic vs. Porcelain

Choosing tile for your home can be an overwhelming process. There are so many different types and styles that it can be hard to know where to start. Here is a brief overview of the differences between stone, porcelain, and ceramic tile that will hopefully give you a good starting point when making your selections!

S T O N E

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Stone tile can tolerate heavy foot traffic, doesn't attract dust, and creates a naturally elegant look. While natural stone tile is often the most expensive option and can be more likely to get scratched, it can add significant value to your home. There are many different types of stone tile, like marble, limestone, and more, that all have their own unique characteristics and advantages.

C E R A M I C

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Ceramic tile is typically the most economical tile option. It is somewhat more susceptible to moisture infiltration, but as long as the face of the ceramic tile is glazed well and in good condition, it will resist water. Ceramic tile comes in many different shapes, colors, sheens and textures. We love a ceramic tile if you are looking for a more organic, handcrafted feel!

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P O R C E L A I N

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Porcelain tile is denser, heavier, and more impervious to water. It’s a great choice for indoor use as well as outdoor use in milder climates. If you are hoping for the look and feel of natural stone, but want something more cost-effective, porcelain tile is often made to look like marble or other natural stones and can be a great alternative.

We hope this gives you a good starting point for your tile selections! We also have an experienced team of tile experts at our Pelham, Tuscaloosa, and Downtown locations who would love you help you select the perfect tile for your home. Feel free to stop by or contact us here to set up an appointment!

 
Emily Kuhn
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
 

Hardwood flooring has always been considered the cream of the crop as a residential flooring choice. It has the ability to give an elegant, timeless and natural look for your home.  In more recent years, Engineered hardwood flooring has become increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional solid hardwood flooring. We’ll be sharing a few reasons why we love engineered hardwood flooring!

When choosing between a solid hardwood and an engineered hardwood, there are a couple of things to consider. 

One of the biggest advantages of solid hardwood flooring is the flexibility to refinish it years later by updating the stain color or finish (high sheen vs. low sheen). You can also make repairs like buffing out scuffs or scratches.

 However, sanding and finishing your floors can be a very disruptive process. The sanding process creates a large amount of dust, and can take a few days for the stain to cure.

If you live in an area with high moisture, or were ever to have a moisture problem in your home, solid wood can be prone to warping or buckling. Attempting to spot fix a few boards is possible, but it can be very difficult to match a stain and sheen of a floor that has been installed for years. This could mean having to sand and finish an entire room or area to get the new wood to blend in.

In recent years, many people have found engineered hardwood very attractive because it shares a similar appearance to solid hardwood, but cuts out some of the hassle that comes with solid hardwood installation and is also made to be more preventative against warping. 

The most common type of engineered hardwood is prefinished by a manufacturer. This means installation can be much quicker and less dusty. If spot fixing is ever required, homeowners may have extra pieces of flooring from installation that would match the finish and sheen of the rest of the wood. You can also typically order more of the same wood for other areas of the home to match in later projects.

 While solid hardwood is made of one solid piece of wood with a tongue and groove side, engineered hardwood is made of several layers of ply with a wood veneer on top. The multiple layers of plywood create excellent strength and durability beneath the surface. The strength of the layers helps to prevent any water or moisture that comes from below from getting through to the surface of the wood.

Depending on your space, installing solid hardwood flooring may or may not always be feasible. For any areas that are above ground level, you have the flexibility to install a solid hardwood or an engineered hardwood. This includes any home that has a crawl space or any upper level floors in a home. The wood subfloor on above-ground levels allows you to nail down or glue down your hardwood.  Areas that are on ground level or have a concrete subfloor make installing solid hardwood much more difficult. In this case, engineered wood floors are a great option because they do not have to be nailed down.

Typically, engineered hardwood is more cost-effective due to lower material cost and installation costs. In addition, engineered hardwood comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors to fit any style. Stop by our Pelham, Hoover, or Tuscaloosa locations to see our selection of beautiful engineered hardwoods and get started on your next project!

 
Emily Kuhn
Full Home Renovation | Birmingham, AL
 

We are excited to share with you all one of our latest full home renovations!

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This home is a total transformation. Every surface was given a facelift, and we are thrilled with how it all came together. These stunning vaulted ceilings are one of our favorite aspects of this home.

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Our team worked with the homeowners to create the kitchen of their dreams— new cabinets, countertops, tile, and all the finishing touches. This space is classic and bright. It’s the perfect backdrop for any culinary masterpiece.

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The living space is centered around a cozy fireplace, making it a warm and inviting space to gather.

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The dining room completes the main room. We love how open and bright this space is!

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Down the hallway from the main room are two beautiful guest bedrooms and a bathroom.

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We absolutely love the warmth and character of the guest bathroom. The floor to ceiling textured tile adds so much charm to this space.

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The master bathroom is truly a work of art. The focal point is a gorgeous bathtub with the the shower cleverly tucked away behind it.

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Off of the master bedroom we added a beautiful covered porch. It’s the perfect spot to take in this home’s beautiful surroundings.

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Before

Before

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Before

Before

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The exterior of this home got some major upgrades as well! We added several awnings to add more character and function, and the whole home got a fresh coat of rich, black paint.

Like what you see? We’d love to help transform your house into the home of your dreams. Contact us here to get started!

 
Emily Kuhn
Master Bathroom Before & After
 
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We love hearing from happy customers and love this beautiful bathroom transformation!
“We are so happy our neighbors recommended Cottage Supply Co. for our master bath renovation. After meeting with Greg and Stephanie, we knew immediately we could trust them with our home. Their expertise and knowledge was apparent. We were given an accurate estimate, a detailed scope of work, and realistic timelines. We knew exactly what to expect. Both Greg and Stephanie were easy to reach and very responsive to our questions and concerns. The entire crew was so careful while working in our home. Our bath looks amazing! Best quality of workmanship by far. Everything is perfect! Can’t wait to complete the hall bath renovation with your crew. Thank you Cottage Supply Co. —The McMurrays”

B E F O R E:

A F T E R :

 
 

Before hearing about us, the McMurry’s had already installed a new vanity and countertops. They hired us for the remaining work. Getting the new tile under their furniture style vanity was a challenge, but we think it turned out beautifully! Another unique aspect of this space that we love is that the shower bench flows seamlessly into the tub deck.

We’d love to work with you to create the bathroom of your dreams! If you are interested in a quote, contact us here!

 
Emily Kuhn
Bluff Park Home Renovation
 

Today, we are sharing one of our latest home renovations! We love how this lovely home has turned out, and we are excited to share it with you all.

Located in the heart of Bluff Park, this home had so much great potential! With great bones, like lots of natural light and plenty of space, we were able to transform this home to fit our client’s style and needs.

The kitchen features a neutral color palette that highlights the lovely grey tones in the Cambria Summerhill Quartz countertops and range splash.

Our clients found this amazing antique door and we restored and fashioned it into a custom sliding door! It adds so much character to the space.

The kitchen leads into a living space featuring a beautiful fireplace. The fireplace add a nice, cozy vibe to this open concept space.

We removed the old stone on the fireplace and replaced it with a dark gray brick to modernize it.

The dining room is painted in Benjamin Moore Hale Navy. We love how it adds depth and warmth to the space.

The kids bathroom is such a fun spot! Wallpaper, patterned tile, and a thoughtful layout make this the perfect shared kids bathroom.

The master bathroom is serene and classic. In the shower, we installed custom quartz shelves that add some character and convenience to the shower.

In the back of the home, there is a half bath and a laundry room. Our favorite feature in these spaces is the fun hexagon tile!

Throughout the home we also installed Rev Wood Select: Fulford Natural Hickory flooring, refreshed all of the paint, and installed new windows!

We hope you enjoyed this home tour! If you are looking to start your own home renovation you can contact us here to get the process started!

 
Emily Kuhn
Homewood Remodel
 
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We are so excited to share this amazing remodel with you all! Before we began, this house was dated and dark. By opening up the space and adding new flooring, paint, lighting, and so much more, we were able to modernize and brighten up this home.

The biggest change we made was removing the wall between the kitchen and living space. This created one large open room that houses the kitchen, dining, and living room. To do this, we added one extremely large beam in the ceiling that spanned the entire room for support. This allowed us to remove the entire wall, while still maintaining the integrity of the house.

The kitchen is truly the highlight of this home. It features a neutral palette with warm wood details. One of our favorite touches is the custom woodwork on the island!

By removing the mirror, replacing the railing, and updating the flooring, paint, and light fixture, we were able to completely transform this entryway!

These new wood floors add so much warmth and character to the home!

Bathrooms are such a great spot to play with fun tile!

This master bathroom is truly an oasis! We love how the black tile and hardware perfectly accent the warm tones in the wall color and shower tile!

We are so pleased with this transformation! If you are hoping to transform your own home, we’d love to help. Contact us here.

 
Emily Kuhn
Easy Home Paint Projects
 
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Easy Home Paint Projects

While we are all spending more time at home during these crazy days, this is the perfect time to work on some home projects you’ve had on your mental to do list or to infuse your house with some fresh color and joy! To help get you inspired, we thought we’d do a quick roundup of some of our favorite easy paint projects!

walls

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

The obvious choice to make a big statement in your home is to pick a room and paint the walls! Benjamin Moore has an incredible collection of colors for any style. If you don’t know where to start with selecting a color, we’d suggest taking a look at Benjamin Moore’s color trends from 2019 and 2020 or check out our blog post about choosing the right white paint for your home!

Furniture

Give an old piece of furniture new life with a fresh coat of paint! If you aren’t up for adding bold color to your walls, painting a piece of furniture in a fun color could be just what you need to brighten up your home without feeling overwhelmed by color. Unsure of how to paint a piece of furniture? Here’s a great guide from Benjamin Moore.

Chalkboards

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

A chalkboard wall could be just the thing we all need to stay a little more organized while most of us have much less structure to our days right now. A chalkboard wall is the perfect spot for a daily schedule, meal plan, or a fun activity to keep your kids busy while you are working from home!

Fireplaces

Another great spot to add a little bit of color is your fireplace or mantle! We are loving how staying home more adds a lot of coziness to our days. Making your fireplace more of a focal point is a good way to add even more coziness to your home (hygge anyone?). Even if you don’t have a functional fireplace, you can add a lot of ambiance by lighting candles on a freshly painted mantle!

Half painted walls

One trend we are loving lately is half painted walls! This is such a fun way to add some visual interest and color to your walls. Here is a great tutorial on how to achieve this look.

Cabinets

Cottage Supply Company

Cottage Supply Company

Cottage Supply Company

Cottage Supply Company

Cottage Supply Company

Cottage Supply Company

I don’t know about you, but we’ve been spending a LOT of extra time in the kitchen lately! Adding a new color to your cabinets is a great way to freshen up any kitchen! Looking for something dark and bold? Try Benjamin Moore Night Shade 2116-10 (bottom right). Looking for something bright, but not overwhelming? Try Azores AF-495 (top right). Benjamin Moore has a great tutorial on how to paint cabinets. Check it out here.

Doors

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

Potentially the easiest job on this list is to paint a door! To add a different vibe to your curb appeal, try adding a fun color to your front door. For a quick and easy splash of color inside, paint the inside of your front door to make a fun statement in your entryway!

During these unprecedented times, we are doing all we can to help make your homes a happy and joyful place for you all! In order to promote safe social distancing, we are offering free same day delivery and pickup on all paint and sundry orders at our Pelham, Hoover, and Tuscaloosa locations. In addition, we will also be offering 10% off of retail price for paint and including one free roller cover for each delivery or pickup order! Click here for more details.

 
Emily Kuhn
Randle Home Tour
 
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Randle Home Tour

We are so excited to share a tour of a beautiful Bluff Park home with you today. We recently completed this major renovation and we are thrilled with how it turned out. Not only did we make cosmetic changes to the entire home, but we also added two additions to either side of the house which completely transformed the interior and exterior of this home.

The main living space is filled with tons of light! The walls and trim in the main living area are painted in Benjamin Moore OC-25 Cloud Cover, which just enhances the lovely natural light. Two great features in this space are the custom roller shade window treatments we added to each of the windows and the Calacatta Gold marble we installed around the fireplace.

One of our favorite features in this home is the addition of a vaulted ceiling in the main living area. The ceiling is yellow pine with a custom white wash.

Right off of the den is the first addition, the kitchen wing. We love how bright and open it is, as well as the contrasting shades of Quartz on the island and perimeter countertops.

Adjacent to the kitchen is the dining area and the bar. These spaces perfectly compliment the kitchen and den and add extra storage and entertaining space.

The spectacular wood floors in this home, really tie it all together. We added new yellow pine wood to match the original wood in the house and stained it all with classic gray.

The second addition is the master wing which features, not one, but two bathrooms and closets. Both bathrooms feature hexagon mosaic shower tile and quartz countertops.

The backyard is a perfect spot for entertaining. Kevin Davis, one of our project managers, created a custom wooden shelf outside of the bar window so that food and drinks can be served from the bar.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this home as much as we have!

Thinking of renovating your own home? We’d love to chat with you about transforming your home. You can contact us here for more info.

 
Emily Kuhn
Homewood House Tour
 
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Sally Threlkeld Home Tour

Today's home tour is the beautiful home of local Birmingham artist, Sally Threlkeld. Sally teamed up with our very own Will Casey to redesign her kitchen and multiple bathrooms!

This cozy kitchen has so many charming features.  Beautiful natural light, lovely arches, original built ins, and wooden beams.  The Cream Glazed Brick backsplash with Absolute Black Honed Countertops adds to the intrinsic charm of the space. 

Alabama White Marble was added to an existing butler's pantry that was original to the home.

The stunning powder bath features an incredible Lagos Azul Floating Powder Vanity with a Newport Brass wall mounted faucet.

The upstairs guest bath includes an under-mount tub deck with clipped detail in Alabama White Marble. 

Classic and serene, the master bath is truly a work of art. Surrounding the tub and inside the shower is 3x12 Vintage White Ceramic Tile. Both the shower and the tub feature Newport Brass fixtures by Fixtures & Finishes.

The Alabama White Marble countertops pair beautifully with the Newport Brass fixture and the Benjamin Moore White Dove walls.

We absolutely love how this warm, inviting, and artistic home turned out! 

 

 
Bright, Modern Home Tour | Mountain Brook, AL
 
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Mountain Brook Home Tour

We are excited to share with you some shots from a beautiful, modern home in Mountain Brook, AL. This jaw dropping space was designed by Lisa Flake of Caldwell Flake Interiors. There are so many high impact details in this home, and we were thrilled to contribute to the living room bar area, kitchen, and powder bath.  

Situated in the bright white, light filled living room, this beautiful bar area is topped with Calacatta Reverse Marble. 

The Piece de Resistance in this home is the stunning kitchen.  The white, grey, and brass details are perfectly complimented by Calacatta Gold Marble which is used for the countertops, mitred waterfall island legs, and full slab range splash.

The gorgeous powder bath sink was custom made out of Alabama White marble that is quarried in Sylacauga, AL by AM3 Stone.  The sink is skillfully integrated into the stone and carved out of a thick block of material.  Since AM3 Stone is so close by, we love working with customers to create unique custom designs out of Alabama White Marble! 


Stone: Will Casey, Cottage Supply Company, Synergy Stone
Design: Lisa Flake, Caldwell Flake Interiors
Plumbing: Fixtures & Finishes
Cabinets: Bud's Cabinets, Sylacauga, AL
Builder: Ruff Reams