Here in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, we can speak to two trends that are very hard to ignore. Firstly, the client is extremely conscious of the environment and the foot print that products leave before they are ever installed in their home. Secondly, is the “smart” kitchen where devices and appliances “speak” to each other machine to machine or “M2M”.

The easy availability of “green” building products now allows consumers to be more conscientious. They are able to show concern about air quality by requesting non-toxic, low-VOC finishes. They can incorporate energy efficient lighting, water-saving faucets and more sustainable materials into their design requirements. Bamboo is being used in flooring and cabinetry. Wheat board is selected in place of plywood. Reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood is being requested more often.

From our perspective, natural stone is a highly abundant material, inherently “green” and more affordable than ever before. We now offer “Danby” marble from Vermont, which enjoys the much coveted “Greenguard” certification, as a product that has met some of the world’s most rigorous and comprehensive standards for low emissions.

On the “smart” kitchen front, technology has gone far beyond simple energy efficient appliances. The homeowner can manage many aspects of their home from their computer, tablet or smart phone. You can already adjust the temperature in your home, manage your DVR and check your home security remotely.

Appliances can also be programmed to communicate with each other to perform a variety of inter-related tasks. Microwaves, refrigerators, blenders, food processors, coffee makers, etc. have all been revolutionized. Even that kitchen essential, the cook book, may be on your e-reader device of choice.

All in all, a more environmentally friendly and technologically efficient kitchen welcomes our clients when they come home.

One thing you might notice is that the joints are no longer perpendicular to the slope but rather they are vertical joints. There is a good reason for this!

What is Compound Helical Geometry?

Compound helical geometry occurs when a curved geometry is sloped and the radius of the curvature changes along the length of sloping curvature.

Like helical geometry, the slope introduces a twist into the geometry that allows the architectural elements to remain level at all times. Unlike helical geometry, the radius change introduces a vertical tangent plane that must be considered when fabricating the helical pieces that cross this plane. Please consider the following illustration.

The green lines represent the flat plane geometry of the compound helical staircase above and the red lines are the helical lines that the decorative panel assembly follows up the staircase. The cyan planes are the vertical tangent planes that occur where the radius changes to a new radius.

Here’s the same construction geometry with the 3D model added so you can see the relationships in the final design. If you look closely you can see the geometry extending beyond the ends of the decorative panel assembly. The details of the decorative panels have been omitted for clarity.

The piece on the left has vertical ends and the piece on the right has ends perpendicular to the slope.

Notice how the left end of the vertical joint piece follows the vertical tangent plane where the radius changes. The piece with the joints perpendicular to the slope doesn’t follow the vertical tangent plane. This awkward relationship to the vertical tangent plane unnecessarily complicates the geometry of the piece.

Not only that, but there’s more waste material taken away from the domain block of the perpendicular joint piece than there is from the vertical joint piece making the vertical condition more economical to fabricate.

I hope these blog posts about staircase design considerations have been helpful to you. If you’re fascinated with geometry like I am, you might consider reading more about it in the excellent book, Architectural Geometry by Bentley Institute Press.

What is Helical Geometry?

Helical geometry occurs when a curved geometry is sloped. The slope introduces a twist into the geometry that allows the architectural elements to remain level at all times.

If you tried to use flat curving pieces on a slope they would start to lean to one side and the error is cumulative. In other words, the longer the run of sloping curvature, the more those flat curved pieces would start to lean.

Helical curved pieces will remain level throughout the run of sloping curvature regardless of its length. Please consider the following illustration.

The green lines represent the flat plane geometry of the spiral staircase above and the red lines are the helical lines that the wall caps follow up the walls.

Here’s the same construction geometry with the 3D model added so you can see the relationships in the final design. If you look closely you can see the geometry extending beyond the ends of the walls.

How are Helical Pieces Made?

Helical pieces require a specified radius and a specified slope. The radius is to the centerline of the element and the slope is determined by the tread length and riser height of the staircase. The following illustration shows one of the helical wall caps from the staircase above.

Notice the twist in the piece that is highly evident in the lower left view.

As you can see, helical staircases are more involved than straight staircases. They might use standard profiles like the BA-303 Balustrade in the straight staircase example, but the base rails and hand rails become custom helical pieces.

Baluster and Newel Post Considerations
There are two things to keep in mind when designing straight run balustrade staircases.
First, the balusters will need to be taller for the sloped conditions so that they can be field cut by others in place.
The second consideration is the newel post at the bottom of the stairs. It will need to be slightly taller than the standard newel post in order to receive the sloping balustrade. Please consider this illustration.

Notice that the field cut baluster and the newel post at the bottom of the stairs are taller than their counterparts in the level balustrade.

Wainscot Molding: Wainscot molding types create additional design opportunities by adding both depth and character. There are many styles to choose from, from a simple chair rail molding to a counter edge depending on the type of wainscoting. The following are several applicable architectural stone molding types for wainscot:

1.Multi-purpose edge
2.Counter edge
3.Bar liner
4.Greenwich chair rail
5.Park Avenue chair rail

Cornice Molding: A cornice is basically a horizontal decorative sculpture. Originally, a cornice was used on the exterior of a building, crowning the top edge of the structure and helping to drain rainwater away from the building. Today, cornice molding adds a decorative element to the home’s exterior façade and also contributes inside the home over windows, doors and at the wall ceiling juncture.

For a high-impact focal point the cornice molding can be custom made to emulate almost any design style from classic Victorian to ornate Rococo. On the other hand, a simple cornice molding adds a light decorative touch to a modern interior.

Molding Basics
Baseboards: The vertical finishing element where the wall meets the floor. A typical home uses baseboards from 2″ to 6″ high. With stone or tile, this molding caps the floor tile with additional necessary detail.

Surrounds: These are pieces that “surround” an element such as doors and windows. They can also work to finish shower doors, water fountains, mosaic backsplashes, etc.

Chair Rails: Approximately 30”-40” above and parallel to the floor, chair rails are not only a decorative detail but will protect walls from sliding furniture, and are commonly used in the dining room. The width can run from pencil thin to a larger band. This molding may also be used to cap off wainscot (more on this and cornice molding in the guide, Part 2).

Crown and Corner Moldings: Incorporated where the wall joins the ceiling. They are used to add more interest and depth to the room. Larger rooms with higher ceilings can truly benefit from the visual impact provided by crown and corner moldings.

Molding Types in Application
Architectural stone moldings have been incorporated into almost every interior and exterior design plan from historic European motifs to modern crisp design. These moldings and trims help complete the space. In part, this is achieved by connecting different elements such as wood, marble, travertine and tile, thus creating an esthetic statement and an artistic expression.

Depending on the project and the size of the room, designers have a large array to choose from. There is also the option of customizing a pattern or size. Tumbled, honed and polished are amongst the most common finishes. The following illustration demonstrates several product options:

1.Bead Liner
2.Bar Liner
3.Small Bar Liner
4.Large Bar Liner
5.Chair Rail
6.Large Chair Rail
7.Rope Molding
8.Counter Edge
9.V-cap Molding

Selecting the right molding to coordinate with the style of your design plan is a mission critical need. Your client may love deep crown molding and a center medallion on the ceiling, but this would probably not work in a contemporary or ranch style home. A modern home should have plain moldings with little detail. Traditional homes look wonderful with deep baseboards and wide casings. Elegant period style homes are enhanced with very detailed decorative moldings.

For more information on architectural stone molding types, click here: Architectural Stone and Tile Molding Types — Part 2

Natural Stone Flooring
In modern applications, vein-cut travertine planking is commonly found in many rectangular sizes. They can be used as a uniform, single-sized option, or by creating patterns mixing different sizes and layouts.
Today, the design professional is receiving more and more requests from clients for a cleaner, less cluttered plan. A travertine stone plank in an oversized 18” x 36” fits the bill. This larger unit architectural stone creates a minimalist feel through less jointing. It lends itself well to larger interiors and its’ facial dimension contributes to the natural beauty of the stone’s pattern. It’s also easier to maintain by virtue of joint minimization. The finish on vein-cut travertine can be either honed or polished.

When vein-cut travertine is laid in a grid pattern, the result is a cohesive high-impact style that adds depth and height to the room.

Samples of vein-cut travertine can be seen in Materials Marketing’s Latte and Vintage stone products.

Designers’ Quick Guide to Decorative Bathroom Tile

● The Big Picture: You may need help with selecting the right color, pattern and texture and matching supporting elements such as lighting and hardware as they relate to the materials being considered.

●Attention to Details: As designers, you often need help introducing special details that give the overall design a very finished appearance. For example, the moldings, custom details and surrounds that will help complete your overall design.

● Consider the Material Finish: While deciding on your color palette, the finishes should also be taken into consideration: Honed, Polished, French Quarter, Chateau, Antico, Pillowed, Suede or Rustic. This will enhance and speak to the basis of the décor.

● Add Impact with Mosaics: You also may consider incorporating customized mosaics in stone, glass or ceramic. They can create focal points on a wall, “rugs” on a floor, insets, borders and decorative liners as appropriate.

●Create Patterns: Various materials can be used to create large patterns, small patterns, interesting shapes and complexly blended finishes.

● Material Performance: Be mindful of the technical characteristics of the materials, specifically porosity and slip resistance. It is necessary to understand the reaction of tile and stone to the environment in the decorative bathroom.

●Go Green: More and more homeowners prefer eco-friendly materials. Today’s construction standards point out how important it is for materials to contribute to LEED certification by having “green” characteristics in the manufacturing process. Ask about these criteria!

● Work with an Expert: It’s paramount to work with someone who can provide the knowledge of every architectural material and its application in regards to space, climate and sustainability.

Baths are not renovated frequently, so it is smart to take the time to design and construct your space for longevity; even if that means allotting time for a custom product and budgeting for the help of trade professionals to make it all come together…….perfectly!

Tile Style
In the tile genre, white is the dominant field color, but we saw a noticeable resurgence in hand painted and embossed feature items. Rectangular shapes are in every producer’s product arsenal, whether in classic are elongated forms. Also notable is the continued mixing of mediums in mosaics when glass is paired with stone. These points again reinforce the business intelligence we are able to garner in our showrooms.

International Flair
As might be expected at such an event, the multi-cultural diversity of the exhibitors plays a significant role. For example, it is a considerable point of interest to observe how a Far Eastern producer and a Middle Eastern producer might interpret the same general product category. As a company, we can take many lessons from this internationalism. Coverings has always provided this perspective!

MML Vendor/Partners

In keeping with the rich innovative history of our vendor/partners, we were very impressed with what we saw at Sicis, Pratt and Larson, ADEX and Oceanside Glass. All four of these groups not only offer us sound business alliances, but furnish invaluable design insight. This year, our new strategic relationship with Vermont Quarries, created a great buzz within our organization over their Danby white marble. Their exhibit at the show was spectacular.

We look forward to Covering in Atlanta, GA next year.

Architects, designers and builders have been using Danby marble in the construction of American homes, federal buildings and national monuments for decades. It can be found on and around Pennsylvania Avenue in our Nation’s capital, from the Lincoln Memorial and Congress to parts of the White House. However, it is probably most recognizable as the headstones in Arlington National Cemetery.

This marble is very popular for kitchen countertops and flooring. It has been transformed into spiral staircases, water fountains, fireplace surrounds, etc. It is also commonly used for the bath in showers, flooring and vanity tops. Aside from its natural beauty, one of the reasons that Danby marble is incorporated in home design is its natural stain resistance. As evidenced by our national landmarks, the stone performs with great longevity and is eco-friendly, carrying the coveted Greenguard certification.

The stone marketplace is trending towards lighter colored stones in all design. Danby marble is therefore wonderfully positioned as a leader in architectural stone materials. Having such significance in the country’s history and its patriotic role in our society, the inclusion of Danby marble in the home is poised to gain in popularity in American home design.

Due to the exceptional performance and sustainability of Danby marble, it can be selected for usage in almost all climactic conditions. From the hottest summer days to the most brutal winter nights, this stone has demonstrated its longevity in every climate. To find out more about this American marble and national treasure, watch the CBS “Sunday Morning” segment here: http://www.imdb.com/video/cbs/vi826318105/