Materials
Paint finish matters more than paint colour
The same colour in three finishes produces three different rooms. Almost all paint disappointment is a sheen problem.
Materials
Wood, stone, plaster, paint and how surfaces age in a real house.
21 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 1 of 2
Materials
Materials that age well and materials that only look new
Everything in a house is on a trajectory. Choosing well means choosing what you want it to look like in ten years.
More in Materials
Materials
Grout is the weak point in every tiled surface
Tiles do not usually fail. The joints between them, and what is behind them, do.
Materials
Board width, species and finish are three separate decisions in a timber floor
People choose a wood floor by colour and then live with the consequences of three specifications they never considered.
Materials
The wall behind the paint decides how the paint looks
Two rooms painted the same colour look different because one is on fresh plaster and the other is on forty years of history.
Materials
Stone worktops are four different materials sold as one idea
Granite, marble, quartz and sintered surfaces behave so differently that liking the look tells you almost nothing.
Materials
Wallpaper does things paint physically cannot
It is not a more decorative paint. It is a material with thickness, pattern repeat and a completely different failure mode.
Materials
Metals in a house tarnish, corrode or stay put, and it is worth knowing which
Brass, copper, steel, chrome and iron all change over time, in different directions and at different speeds.
Materials
Carpet is an acoustic material that happens to be a floor
The reason carpeted rooms feel calm has less to do with softness underfoot than with what happens to sound.
Materials
Silicone is a consumable and it is supposed to be replaced
The black line around a bath is not a failure of the house. It is a maintenance item that nobody was told about.
Materials
Microcement and polished concrete are finishes, not floors
The seamless look depends almost entirely on what is underneath and who applied it, which is why results vary so much.
Materials
Upholstery fabric is chosen by touch and worn out by friction
The fabric that feels best in a showroom is often the one that pills, fades or flattens first at home.