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I love the look of natural stone clad walls - both interior or exterior walls. It's a way to introduce texture and detail to an otherwise bland room. It's also a way to merge interior and exterior areas.

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Rock cladding is a thin layer of natural stone that can be applied to a wall to enhance living spaces, and is used as an alternative to traditional stone due to its affordability.

Manufactured stone cladding has a couple of advantages, it is cheaper than a stone wall and it’s much lighter, requiring no additional support. This is why many designers are now opting for this on a new project. The stone veneer is extremely popular for other reasons as well. It can create height as well as a modern look in a new house.

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While some prefer to clad outdoor walls where they look stunning when used to cover walls, provide a backdrop for waterfalls and for create dramatic pool surrounds, rock cladding lends itself extremely well indoors. The effect of the stone cladding or stone veneer is dramatic.

In a lounge with a fitted fireplace, or even a free-standing fireplace, a rock wall is the perfect element to combine the beauty of stone and fire. Beautifully textured with just a hint of roughness, with clean, simple and aesthetically pleasing lines, they can transform a plain, uninspiring wall into a stunning feature wall.

In bathrooms, rock cladding is not only waterproof, it can be used to create an organic feature in a Zen bathroom, or add cool sophistication in a contemporary bathroom.

Add a rock wall to a dining space in an open-plan living space and you have an instant feature wall and backdrop for a dining table.

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Natural stone has a richness of texture and colour that adds a sense of timeless elegance to any indoor or outdoor living space. Guaranteeing durability and versatility, natural stone products can be used to create an integrated look of enduring style.

Whether you use the stone cladding, stone veneer or rock panels when you are giving your property a face lift, you can be sure that if it’s used cleverly then it will be a definite talking point for years to come.

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With the property market struggling to achieve equilibrium, wall cladding can provide the materials for trendy, new house without having to move.

Where to buy rock or stone cladding:

Durastone

Wonder Rock

Village Stone

Art Rock

elEM Stone Masonry

Stone Sensation

Smart Stone

Judging by the number of requests received from readers, the mobile workshop storage is definitely a great space-saving storage option, so I've got the plans for you to get cracking on making this unit.

You will need:

16 and 35mm wood screws
24 of 6mm carriage bolts
4 castors with brake
2 casters without brake
2 piano hinge 1500mm length
3 handles
Rust-Oleum polyurethane spray varnish
Steel shelf braces
2 disc tumbler cam lock
24 of 6mm lock nuts and washers
2 door latches
24 steel shelf supports TOOLS
Drill/Driver and asstd drill and screw bits
Router or Dremel Trio and 6 + 12mm straight bits
19mm Forstner or MAD bit
Orbital Sander and 220-grit sanding pads 

CLICK ON IMAGE TO OPEN PDF DIAGRAM

CLICK ON IMAGE TO OPEN PDF DIAGRAM

Here's how:

Start with the doors

1. Have all the individual sections cut to size at your local Builders Warehouse.

2. On the inside face of the side pieces, rout 12mm dadoes 10mm deep to receive the shelves, where dimensioned on Drawing 1. Then, rout 19mm rabbets 10mm deep across the ends of the sides to accept the tops and bottoms. Now, rout a 12mm rabbet 10mm deep along the back edge of the sides, tops, and bottoms, to receive the back (D).

With the edges of the door-frame members flush, clamp the assembly together with squaring braces. You can make simple braces from scrap plywood.

3. Glue and assemble a door sides, top, bottom, and shelves, as shown below, using squaring braces to keep the assembly square. With the glue dry, sand the door frame surfaces and edges using 220-grit sandpaper. Repeat to assemble the other frame.

4. From 12mm plywood, cut the backs (D) to size. Sand them with 220-grit, and remove the dust. Glue a back in the rabbeted opening in each door frame, and clamp it securely all around the frame.

5. From 12mm plywood, cut the vertical spacers (E) and horizontal spacers (F) to size. Glue and nail the spacers inside each door to the back (D), where shown onDrawing 1.

6. Spray the inside and outside of the doors with Rust-Oleum Polyurethane spray varnish.

7. Cut the pegboard (G) to size. Screw to each door spacers where shown.

Build the centre cabinet

1. On the inside face of the sides, rout 19mm rabbets 10mm deep to receive the bottom shelf and top and rout a 19mm dado 10mm deep to accept the centre shelf, where shown on Drawing 2. Rout a centred 19mm groove 10mm deep in the sides to accept the divider, as shown in Photo B below. Using the same setup, rout the mating grooves for the divider in the bottom and centre shelf.

2. Sand the parts with 220-grit, dry-assemble them and verify they fit correctly. Then, glue and clamp the parts together, again using squaring braces to keep the assembly square. When the glue dries, apply the finish.

3. Measure the openings between the bottom and centre shelf (I) and between the centre shelf and top (J). Cut eight pieces of shelf braces to length to fit the bottom openings and four pieces to length to fit the top opening.

4. Position the four braces for the top opening on the sides (H), and mark the mounting-screw hole locations, as shown in Photo C. Then screw the standards to the sides. Following the same process, mount the four outer standards in the bottom openings. Then, mount the four inner standards to the sides, using the 19mm spacers to position them parallel to the divider (K).

5. Position casters on the bottoms (B, I).

Mark the centre of the casters mounting-bolt holes, and drill holes through the bottoms at the marked locations.

Bolt the casters to the bottoms, as shown, making sure to locate the casters with a brake where shown.

Hinge the doors to the cabinet

1. Align the doors and the centre cabinet on a flat surface with the back side facing up, and clamp them together.

2. Centre the hinges along the door/centre-cabinet joints and secure with screws. Now, set the tool cabinet upright on the casters.

Add the shelves

1. Glue and clamp the edging to the upper and lower shelves, where shown on Drawings 2 and 4.

Centre the edging so it overhangs the shelves by 3mm at each end. When the glue has dried, sand the shelves and trim with 220-grit and apply the finish.

With the finish dry, clip the shelf supports in the shelf braces at the desired locations, and install the shelves on the supports.

Install the locks and handles

1. On the front of each door, mark the centre point for a hole to receive a disc tumbler cam lock, where dimensioned on Drawings 1 and 5. (Note that the two lock installations are mirror images.)

2. Using a 19mm Forstner bit or MAD bit and a backer board to prevent tear-out, drill the lock holes through the doors.

Remove the screw attaching the cam to the back of each lock, and remove the cam. Install the locks in the holes as directed in the manufacturer’s instructions. File a notch in each cam where dimensioned on Drawing 5a. Then screw the cams to the locks.

3. On the back of the centre cabinet’s front side (H), mark the centre points for wood screws that engage with the locks’ cams, where dimensioned on Drawings 2 and 5. Drill pilot holes 12mm deep at the centre points. Then, drive in wood screws to the depth shown.

4. On the front of the doors and centre cabinet, mark the screw-hole locations for attaching the handles, where shown on Drawings 1 and 2 and then attach.

5. Clamp the doors snug against the centre cabinet at the front. Engage the lockable draw latches in the mating clips, and position the pieces on top of the tool cabinet, where shown on Drawing 6. While holding a latch and clip against the cabinet, carefully release the latch lever and mark the mounting-screw hole locations in each piece. Repeat for the other latch. Screw the pieces to the top.

Now, to mount your tools and organize hardware in the cabinet.

A garden shed is considered to be a smart investment as it offers various different uses as per your needs and requirements.  These versatile small buildings can be used as a place to keep all your tools or as a private office.  Wide varieties of sheds are available in the market with different sizes, colors, styles and designs.  A garden shed should always be selected as per the size of the garden.  A small shed will not go well with big sized gardens and similarly a big shed is not feasible for small gardens.  If you have limited space then wide variety of small garden sheds are also available in the market.  There are many factors which should be considered while selecting the shed for your garden.

The type of material used in the manufacturing of the shed is an important factor while making a selection.  Wood, Vinyl and metal are the three main types of material which are used. Wood painted sheds are available in variety of colors which looks natural and can be selected as per your choice.  Metal sheds provides more utility whereas vinyl sheds are easy to take care of.

Different styles of small garden sheds are also available which should be selected as per the location and the placement of various elements.  Some of the styles include gambrel barn style, saltbox styles, gable styles and others.

In small garden sheds where space is limited it will be a good option to hang the items from the walls or the ceilings.  You can place your long gardening tools like shovels, hoes and rakes on the wall and can hang the additional containers on the ceiling with the help of the hooks.

Small garden sheds should have shelves in them so that small area is available for doing the everyday maintenance of the garden like mixing compost in soil, re potting of plants and others.  These shelves can also be used for keeping journals, books and magazines related to gardening.  In order to keep your small sized shed organized it is a good idea to keep storage bins in it.

Illuminate your summer garden with an enchanting space for relaxing or entertaining after the sun goes down. You can easily transform a garden space into a nocturnal paradise perfect for evenings in the garden.

Appeal to the Senses
Create a sensory experience by making use of three types of plants—night-flowering, night-fragrant and night-reflective. Night-flowering plants will open or bloom at dusk, night-fragrant plants will produce beautiful scents and night-reflective plants have glistening white or silver foliage that glimmers under the light of the moon.

Choose Plants
There are specific types of flowers, plants, and colours that make up the best moonlit gardens. Be sure to stay away from deep, dark colours and focus on reflective colours such as, white, silver, pale yellow and pale pink. Try choosing a few plants from each group and create a well-balanced composition, using a variety of bushes, vines, ground cover and flowering plants.

Night-Flowering Plants

Evening Primrose: White heart-shaped petals open every evening in the summer with a light, lemon and honeysuckle scent.

Angel’s Trumpet: Huge white flowers open at night and remain open into the next day.

Night Phlox: Almond-vanilla scented flowers that bloom at night.

Climbing Hydrangea: Features large white flowers that bloom at night and leaves that change color from pink to gold to dark green.

Night-Fragrant Plants

Lavender: Silvery-gray foliage and a sweet, calming scent.

Night-Blooming Jasmine: Offers an intense night fragrance and is a staple in many evening gardens.

Gardenia: Very fragrant, night-blooming shrub with white flowers.

Moonflower: Trumpet-like blooms unfurl from a vine at night and give off a magical scent.

Tuberose: Super fragrant, tubular white flowers that bloom in late summer.

Night-Reflective Plants

Licorice: Bears furry, silver heart-shaped leaves and works well as an accent in a garden or potted arrangement.

White Verbena: Bears small, white clusters of flowers and is great for creating ground cover or for edging and filling in gaps in gardens or containers.

Lamb’s Ears: A hardy ground covering plant with silver-white leaves.

Maiden Grass: Also known as ‘silver grass’, this is one of the most widely used ornamental grasses. There are many leaf sizes and textures available.

Hosta: Known for beautiful foliage that can contain patches of white, yellow and shades of green that are perfect for reflecting moonlight. 

Celestial Seating
If your nighttime garden is big enough, add a table and chairs or bench for evening entertaining. Light-coloured outdoor furniture such as white or silver will add a wonderful reflective quality to the area. If you’re working with a small porch or balcony, create a potted version of the midnight garden using some of the same plant suggestions and combinations.

Magical Lighting
Garden lighting can be used to enhance and accentuate a night time garden. You can go all out with solar-powered spotlights or keep things simple by putting out luminaries, lanterns or candles while you’re kicking back or entertaining. Either way, lighting can add an extra-special glow and romantic ambiance to your night garden space. For those more eco-conscious be sure to take a look at the Radiant Lightingrange of LED lights for the garden.

Once you have your garden planted, simply wait for night to fall and enjoy! If you populate your garden primarily with perennial plants they’ll re-emerge for you each year, giving you the gift of a midnight garden that’s easy to care for and appreciate.

Pair up Prominent Paints and Rust-Oleum and add a burst of summer colour to your home. Visit your local Prominent Paints Decorating Centre - or paint outlet - and simply give them the codes supplied below. Their expert team will mix up instant colour for your walls.

Then, pop into your local Builders Warehouse and grab a can or two of instant colourburst with Rust-Oleum 2X Painters Touch spray paint.

Decorating your home for summer couldn't be easier!

Cool down a room with shades of blue and keep the summer heat outdoors.

Use Prominent Paints Premium or UltraSatin -Broken White [0305-Y15R] or Palest Blue[S1010-R80B] for walls and trim.

Splash on some colour with Rust-Oleum -Satin Wildflower Blue.

Add a splash of sunshine in a dark room for a space that is welcoming and bright.

Use Prominent Paints Premium or UltraSatin -Soft Yellow [S0510-Y10R] for trim and Soft Mango [S0540-Y30R] for walls.

Add bold accents with Rust-Oleum - Satin Fire Orange or Satin Espresso.

Relax and unwind with earth colours that bring a touch of nature indoors.

Use Prominent Paints Premium or UltraSatin -Broken White [0305-Y15R] for walls or trim andCool Green [S0530-G40Y] for walls or trim.

Add rustic elements with Rust-Oleum - Satin Cinammon.

Relax and unwind with earth colours that bring a touch of nature indoors.

Use Prominent Paints Premium or UltraSatin -Sunny Yellow [S0530-Y] for walls or trim andAqua [S0530-B90G] for walls or trim.

Boost up the colour with Rust-Oleum - Satin Aqua or Satin Summer Squash.

Let ocean colours cool down a sunny room and add a touch of holiday nostalgia.

Use Prominent Paints Premium or UltraSatin -Broken White [0305-Y15R] for walls or trim andPale Turquoise [S0510-B50G] for walls or trim.

Boost up the colour with Rust-Oleum - Satin Wildflower Blue.

Cheer up a south-facing room with warm, sunny rustic colours.

Use Prominent Paints Premium or UltraSatin -Broken White [0305-Y15R] for walls or trim andBurnt Cinammon [S0580-Y70R] for walls or trim.

Boost up the colour with Rust-Oleum - Satin Paprika.

Take a vacation in your own home with coastal decorating colours.

Use Prominent Paints Premium or UltraSatin -Broken White [0305-Y15R] for walls andOcean Blue [S3060--R80B] for trim.

Boost up the colour with Rust-Oleum - Satin Colonial Red.

If you have an air conditioner in your home or office, it makes sense to ensure that it operates as efficiently as possible.

While you can't re-gas or repair an air conditioner, you can give it a regular cleaning. Not only will this extend the life of an air conditioner, it's also important to allow an air conditioner to operate efficiently.

Air conditioners breed mould

Air conditioners condense water out of the air and when dust is allowed to build up within the air conditioner, this dust aborbs moisture. During the winter months when an air conditioner is not in use - or run on a warm cycle, this dust can become the perfect breeding ground for mould, especially in older model air conditioners.

Wash, vacuum or replace filters

Find out if your air conditioner has a replaceable or reusable filter and clean or replace these filters twice a year, or clean a reusable filter according to the manufacturer’s directions. Before summer and winter is the best time to do this. If this filter is left dirty, the air conditioner consumes more energy. Additionally, it blows dirty air back into the room, causing allergies and respiratory problems.

Clean blower unit fins

Cleaning the ventilation fins will keep your air conditioner operating efficiently and quietly. Use a soft cloth to wipe them and vacuum away any debris.

Check the condenser unit

Cleaning the inside unit is important, but so it regularly checking and cleaning the outdoor condenser unit. The area where the condenser unit is mounted should be kept clean of debris or plant growth.

Remove or trim any weeds or bushes around the condenser that might restrict airflow through the unit.

Use a soft brush and vacuum to clean around the coils from the outside.

Where dirt has caked around the ventilation panels, use a soft cloth lightly dampened with dishwashing liquid to remove and then wipe dry.

If you have easy access to, clean the drip tray below evaporator unit. This tray carries condensation away from evaporator. In extremely humid weather, check condensate drain and pan every other day. If there's much moisture in pan, weep hole from pan to drain line may be clogged. Open weep hole with piece of wire.

I have two drawers in my kitchen that drive me crazy; the two that hold all the larger utensils and cooking gadgets. I have yet to find an organizer large enough to keep spatulas, spoons, and can openers in line. A trip to the hardware store, a couple pieces of wood and some amazing glue... and you can say hello to organized bliss.

You will need:
Small sheet of 6mm plywood or supawood
Wood glue
Tape measure and pencil

Here's how:

1. Measure the width of the inside of the drawer and cut your board accordingly. You can use a cut-off saw, jigsaw or handsaw to do the cutting.

2. Sand the cut edges with 220-grit sandpaper for a smooth finish.

3. Insert the boards into the drawer and align so that it is straight.

4. Apply a bead of wood glue along the front and back of each seam.

Gently run your fingertip over the glue, removing any excess, and filling in any gaps.

Let sit to dry for 24 hours. Everything is held into place simply with the wood glue - nothing else.

Visit: bystephanielynn.com for more ideas and inspiration.