#antique brown granite

[todayintentacles]

Walk Out Basement Example of a large arts and crafts walk-out vinyl floor and beige floor basement design with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

[catalaans]

Home Bar Atlanta Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor wet bar remodel with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, black backsplash and marble backsplash

[candisaccola]

Atlanta Wet Bar Home Bar Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor wet bar remodel with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, black backsplash and marble backsplash

[bejoga-kitajiko]

Basement - Craftsman Basement Example of a large arts and crafts walk-out vinyl floor and beige floor basement design with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

[lucianaurtiga]

Basement - Walk Out Inspiration for a large craftsman walk-out vinyl floor and beige floor basement remodel with gray walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace

[sati-exports]

Colonial White Granite Countertops Poland | Sati Exports India Pvt Ltd

Discover Sati Poland's Colonial White Granite Countertops. This granite is ideal for adding timeless elegance to any kitchen because of its lovely traditional white colour. Learn why Colonial White is the best option for your new countertop, from its impact-resistant durability to its simple upkeep. Colonial White is a beautiful stone that is easy to clean and maintain and is an excellent choice for kitchen countertops, backsplashes and other applications. Its consistent grain pattern makes it a perfect choice for modern or traditional decor. It is also one of the hardest granites available, making it extremely durable and resistant to scratches, stains and heat. Its neutral white colour makes it easy to match with any kitchen style, whether it is traditional, contemporary, or something in between. The white colour also emphasizes any other design elements in the kitchen, such as stainless steel appliances or coloured cabinets. The natural white colour also helps brighten up any dark kitchen areas, while the texture of the stone adds an element of texture and depth to any space. With its low maintenance and long-lasting durability, Colonial White is an excellent choice for any kitchen countertops or other stone surfaces.

[zinaaatjuh]

Enclosed Kitchen

[the-scandalorian]

two

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader Rating: E, 18+ Word Count: 5.1k Warnings: sort of dubcon due to intoxication; alcohol and drug use (by both reader and Joel); mention of reader’s hair being long enough to tangle his fingers in (no details otherwise); smut (fingering, oral, spitting on her pussy, p-in-v); grief and angst Note: There's no part one out yet; this is the second of a potential series of loosely tied oneshots that are coming to me out of order.

The living room is blue. All the surfaces, the shelves and the antique piano, are coated in a thick layer of dust. It feels wrong to disturb anything in this house—in this perfectly preserved resting place—so you tuck yourself into the corner of Bill and Frank’s old couch, out of the way, toe off your boots, and pull your knees up to your chest.

Ellie thunders up the stairs and shuts herself in one of the rooms, gone at the first opportunity for privacy.

Joel doesn’t disappear. You expect him to take the other bedroom and close the door. Instead, he watches you settle onto the couch and drops heavily into the seat beside you. He leans over the armrest and opens a cabinet, retrieving a bottle of dark liquid.

His casual knowledge of the space speaks to how much time he’s spent here, to the depth of his friendship with Bill and Frank. It makes you sad; it makes the room dark. It makes jealousy sour your stomach. Joel has people: a place to fit in this fractured world.

Had. He had people.

There are paintings on the walls: landscapes, still lifes, portraits. Mostly of Bill, you think. With that glower? Definitely Bill. Joel did say Frank was the nice one. 

The likenesses vary in style. There’s a gradient from careful, detailed studies to less refined renderings with loose, painterly brushwork. All of them, in their own unique way, capture the same steely gaze—the spiteful tenacity that must have fueled their survival for decades. 

You ignore the many versions of stern eyes watching you.

The worn fabric under your fingers is scratchy, the upholstery splashed with roses, the hard back of the couch draped in crocheted blankets. It’s dated, the whole place frozen in time while the world fell—falls—apart around it, chaos kept out by a chain link fence and Bill’s gritted teeth. A bell jar in a hurricane.

You wonder if Joel and Tess ever considered leaving the QZ permanently for this place. If that was ever offered. You imagine it would have been almost…idyllic.

You look up at Joel. He’s holding the unopened bottle in his lap. His sharp profile is limned by the soft moonlight filtering through the window behind him. It catches on the silver flecked in his hair and beard.

He knows you’re watching him. He says nothing. He’s thinking about the letter.

About Tess.

You’re trying to think about anything else.

You study his face. Even like this, anguished and lined, filthy from the road, with a half-healed slash across his cheek, he’s handsome. He has rugged good looks, with those brown eyes and that granite-cut jaw. The natural pout of his bottom lip. In a different time, a different universe, he could have been an actor, a model—the face of an ad campaign for a devastatingly masculine cologne. Those big, veined hands modeling watches on the pages of a fashion magazine.  

He wouldn’t have. It wouldn’t suit. But he could have.

It’s strange to think about what he could have been.

Instead, he’s here. The peaks of his knuckles are split and scabbed, the valleys a mottled black and blue, their edges fading to a sickly yellow. His skin is rough and dry—it snags when he runs his hands absentmindedly over the denim of his jeans. His palms are calloused. You know because when shit gets serious, he grabs your wrist or your forearm or your bicep—never your hand—and shoves you behind the wall of his body or pulls you along as he takes off at a run. His middle is thick and soft, his shoulders broad and strong. He’s going gray, and fuck, it looks good on him.

You study him because it feels inconsequential. Your presence feels inconsequential. To him, you think, you’re just another ghost in this house.

Or maybe he is.

A small part of you is braced for him to break, to buckle under the weight of Bill’s last words—the words that are hanging over this house like a storm cloud. Anyone else would.

Joel won’t, though. You watched him stalk away from the burning capitol building with white-knuckled stoicism, and you felt sure that he was already too utterly broken to break again.

Like molten metal, bent and hammered and folded over on itself, again and again and again. Until it’s shatterproof. 

He’s leaning forward, his elbows braced on his spread knees. Even on a soft couch, he doesn’t fully relax. He drops his head into his hands and scrubs one over his face. Then he reaches into the pack by his feet and rummages for something. A little plastic baggie. He just holds it for a minute. You watch him decide.

It’s safe here. As safe as anywhere can be. And Joel hasn’t slept in days.

He shakes two white pills out of the bag and chases them with a swig of whiskey, knocking the liquor back with a quick tip of his head, squinting against the slight after-burn. You extend your open palm. He shakes out a couple pills for you without question, without even looking up. 

He passes you the bottle, and you down them. One harsh gulp.

It’s real whiskey, with a label and everything, not something homemade. Not top-shelf quality by any means, but it’s better than anything you’ve had in a long time. It should be sipped and savored. Back in the QZ, you could have gotten a hefty stack of ration cards for this one bottle—even half empty. It doesn’t matter now.

You take another drink and hand it back.

You watch as a glazed calm gradually slips over Joel’s troubled expression and he finally sinks into the give of the couch cushions, letting his head drop back. You watch as the pills soften his edges. Just barely. They erode a little of the hard, calcified layer he must have started building the day of the outbreak. It grants you a fuzzy peek into the Joel before. His shoulders lose their tension; his fists unclench. If you squint, you might be able to see the Joel who drank with his buddies and winked at women at the bar. The one who drove a pickup truck with the windows rolled down in the summertime. 

You sit in silence as the haze takes you too, creeping up the back of your neck like a warm tide until you feel just numb enough. Any and all troubling thoughts are caught and trapped, restrained like moths in amber, so all that’s left in this blue room is pleasant quiet.

You’re just starting to feel drowsy and loose when he turns to you, wanting. Joel shifts in his seat and fixes you with a look—the first time he’s looked directly at you in an hour or more. The usual bite of his penetrating gaze is muted, the crease between his brows deep with feeling; his brown eyes are big with a question. A need.

It’s the tiniest chink in his armor, a momentary blip of him without a mask. A second of vulnerability, so foreign on his stoic face that the urge to soothe him is visceral. It jumps up the back of your throat.

This is Joel breaking.

He’s asking you for something—for distraction, for comfort. To be put back together.

You unfold your limbs and climb directly into his lap.

He makes a low, approving sound when you straddle his spread thighs and drops his head to your chest to inhale deeply against your shirt. If you weren’t buzzed, you might flinch away. You’re filthy, sweaty and dirty from days on the road. Neither of you have taken advantage of the shower yet. You can’t smell nice.

Joel does it again, though, chasing the comfort by burying his face between your tits, his hands tightening on your hips, his long fingers slipping inside the back pockets of your jeans to grip your ass. He pulls you down against his lap. Hard.

He’s hungry for it this time, watching the place where your body meets his, denim against rough denim. Like he’s imagining the way your naked body will fit against his.

He remembers himself for a moment, looking up at your face. “This okay?��

“Yeah, Joel,” you say. “I want it.”

“Good.”

His forehead drops lightly against your sternum as he moves you against him. He guides your hips into a slow grind. Your knees sink into the plush of the old sofa cushions, your hands braced on his shoulders. 

If he were anyone else, you’d have kissed him already. You settle for pressing your face against the side of his neck, dragging your nose up the column of his bared throat. He smells like sun and sweat and pine, like the dry, dusty road and something else...something distinctly him. It's subtle. It makes your mouth water.

He holds you tight, a strong arm wrapped around your back. You run your hands over his biceps, over the hard lines of his muscles, his shoulders—feeling what often distracts you when he crosses his arms over his chest and the fabric of his shirt pulls taut.

Joel is content, for now, to lift his hips, just barely, into the steady roll of your hips. You think about last time—his clinical, efficient approach. It was all deliberate movements and quick work. He'd made a growled promise that it would only ever happen once.

And yet.

This time, he seems to be letting himself enjoy something, reveling in the pleasure. That alone feels like an unaffordable indulgence, like if you drew attention to it, you’d scare it away. 

His big hand slides heavily up the curve of your spine, a needy drag, and back down again, settling on your lower back, urging you harder. Faster.

More.

It feels good. You rock your hips, grinding yourself into his lap, where he’s full and hard now, thick and straining against his fly, and you groan together when he adjusts his legs wider and pushes his hips up to meet you, letting you get at his clothed erection a little easier. The metal button on your jeans clicks against his belt buckle as you move.

He turns his head to set his teeth against your shoulder, biting with no pressure, and breathes hot against the fabric as you ride him, his chest expanding on a sharp inhale as you drag your core over the stiff arch of his cock and chase the embers of pleasure sparking low in your belly.

All at once, it’s not enough.

Joel grunts and grips your ass, fingers digging into your soft flesh, and he half-shoves, half-lifts you backwards as he straightens, setting you on your feet in front of him. You make a squeaked sound of surprise at the sudden movement, clutching his biceps for balance as you find your footing, and the corner of his mouth twitches up into the barest beginning of a smile. You smile back at him, radiant.

Smiles.

The pills are hitting. It’s all a little delirious.

The moment feels surreal, like this dated living room has been snatched from the current of time and set down on solid ground. Just for a moment. Just to let you both breathe.

It evaporates quickly. His stern expression returns.

“Bedroom,” Joel says with a bossy little jerk of his chin.

You snatch the half-empty whiskey bottle from the coffee table and head down the hall.

There are two spare bedrooms in this big, white house—the one upstairs that Ellie disappeared into and a second down here on the first floor. It’s situated down the hall from the locked door. You try not to think about that room. Try not to wonder if Joel and Tess shared this same spare room when they used to visit.

There are too many ghosts here tonight.

You pop open the bottle and drink deep, and Joel shuts the door behind him with a quiet click. He stoops to switch on the lamp on the bedside table.

You drop the corked whiskey onto an armchair and reach for the top button of your shirt, eager to avoid an awkward interlude, eager to please him.

There’s something about Joel that makes you desperate to be wanted by him—something more than just his gruff appeal or the situation you’re in together or the fact that his care promises some measure of safety in this world of scarcity. It has everything to do with how he acts around the people that are his. More than just protective. Possessive.

This want is practical. And it’s not. 

It’s animal too.

He rounds the bed and stands close, stopping your hand with his. You look up, and he inclines his head toward the bed.

“Lie down.”

You move to listen, but he stops you. 

“Wait.”

He bends to grip the bottom edge of the bed frame, and Joel grunts as he slides the whole thing a few inches away from the wall. The feet squeak along the hardwood floor.

He straightens and nods. “Alright, go on.”

The image of him arched over your body, fucking you so hard and deep that the headboard knocks against the wall—thump, thump, thump—sets your heart racing. You scramble up the bed, and he takes his time unlacing his boots then follows with a slow crawl, watching you with dark eyes. With intent so potent it makes you want to look away.

You don’t.

He’s here this time.

As present as either of you can be when you’re a little high. Just the barest edge of sedated. You imagine your own eyes are glassy, lacquered in the low light of the shaded lamp. Joel’s don’t seem to be, though. He’s alert.

He crowds you further up the bed, and you scoot back until your head hits the pillow. He makes space for himself between your legs and reaches for your collar. You watch his deft fingers work quickly down the line of buttons on your shirt.

His eyes flick from his hands to your face and back. There’s naked want there—desire etched into his hard features. You’ve never seen him like this. You’ve only seen him two ways: serious or furious.

This is something else. This is intoxicating.

Your head is starting to spin.

He gets your shirt open, helps you shuck it off, and pulls your bra off with a practiced ease. His large, warm hands palm your breasts as soon as they’re free. He’s immediately fixated, and the attention sends a flush of heat over your bare skin. He tests the weight of each, kneading lightly, his mouth parted in muted awe as his fingertips sink into the give. He tweaks your nipple between two fingers, one and then the other, and watches, satisfied, as they pebble for him. He studies your reactions to his touch, eyes lingering on your face as he plays with you, as if your response is as important to him as the feel of you. 

He takes his time. Unhurried. Like you have all the time in the world.

Joel leans down suddenly and licks a warm stripe up the line of your sternum, through the valley of your breasts, and your body reacts to him: you arch your back into the heat, your hand automatically burying itself in his thick hair, your lips parting around a moan.

His tongue.

You must taste like salt and sweat, and yet, he looks a little smug when he pulls back, his lips quirked in a half smile.

“You like that?”

He looks young when he smiles. You can see thirty-year-old Joel in that look. Unburdened Joel. Fifty-year-old Joel without the trauma.

The margins of your vision start to smudge as you look at him; colors bleed freely in the dim light, his features running like wet ink. His smile melts away. You feel off-kilter, like you’ll slip off the solid plane of this mattress and drop into nothingness if you don’t hold on. You fist your hands in the comforter.

A hand frames your cheek. You can’t focus your eyes. Your lashes flutter.

Joel says your name, concern woven between each syllable.

Once. Again.

He drops his weight onto you. The spinning stops, and your hands release. You meet his eyes.

“Joel—”

You remember last time—the first time you fucked, the smothering weight of his hand on your mouth when you said his name—and you bite your lip before you can say anything else. But he doesn’t react to it this time. He’s too lost in it.

It feels good to be lost together.

“You alright?” he asks, his brow pinched not in anger or distress, for once, but in naked concern.  “Too much?”

You're not sure if he's asking about the pills and the booze or the pace or just...him.

“No, no.” You shake your head. “I’m good now.”

There’s so much care in his eyes that it feels like he’d give you anything you want in this moment. Like he’d lie down and hold you if you asked him to. You’re seeing him without his hardened front, and it makes you shiver. You slip your fingers around the back of his neck and pull his face down to yours, taking the thing you want most. He bends for you willingly.

His lips are a little chapped, his facial hair scratchy. You’re expecting a light kiss and a retreat, a concession. You’re not expecting his whole body to respond—the press of his chest against yours and an arm slipping under your shoulders to force you closer. You’re not expecting to be enveloped by his wide frame, for your back to be lifted a couple inches off the mattress in his urgency to hold you tight. You’re not expecting his tongue to slip between your lips first—to lick across the roof of your mouth in an utterly invasive, possessive way that makes you gasp.

He coaxes your shocked body into a response with careful waves of his tongue, consuming you with hungry lips and searching, grasping hands. Gentle teeth worry your bottom lip, soothed by the pass of his tongue. His nose nudges tenderly against yours as he kiss kiss kisses his way across your cheek.

He pulls back, fixing you with a serious look.

“You sure you’re okay?”

You can see him so perfectly in the before for a second. How he might have asked you the same question in some mundane situation, helping you to your feet after a stumble with a steadying hand on your shoulder. The dip of his accent and the color of his eyes would have spelled the end for you. You would have been a goner.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m good.”

“You wanna stop?”

You tighten your fingers in his shirt and shake your head. “No.”

He nods, sweeping light fingers across your cheek, and leans back in.

You fumble blindly with the buttons of his shirt as he kisses you, working as quickly as you can in the tight, shifting space between your bodies. When you have it almost all the way open, he sits back on his heels and yanks it off the rest of the way, tossing it off the bed. You tug impatiently at the hem of the white t-shirt he has on underneath, but he goes right for the button on your jeans, popping it open and ignoring the zipper completely. It comes down on its own when he hooks his fingers in your belt loops and jerks the denim off your body. Your underwear goes with it.

You reach for his belt buckle, but he stops you.

“No,” he says, stern, not unkind, “I’m gonna make you come first.”

He waits for your nod, then slides down the mattress and situates himself between your legs, spreading them open with a decisive push. 

You’re naked under his gaze.

You watch, tense with anticipation, as he leans down to part you with the v of his fingers, one forearm hooked over the top of your thigh. He takes his time admiring the natural gloss of your arousal, his face situated so close that you can feel the warmth of each individual exhale on your skin, and then he looks up at you from his position between your thighs.

Without breaking eye contact, he adds to your slick by pouting his lips and letting a line of his spit drip slowly onto your pussy. 

When he did that the first time you fucked, you chalked it up to efficiency, necessity—a way to bypass intimacy by cutting down on foreplay. Now, watching him track the slow seep of his saliva over your glistening cunt with hungry eyes, you realize he just likes it. He’s just nasty.

Joel dips his head and licks through the mess.

Your knees start to close reflexively around his ears at the first direct stimulation against your clit, but he forces your legs open with one hand and the width of his shoulders.

He looks up at your face.

“You gonna keep these open for me or do I need to do it for you?”

He says it in his usual deadpan, but there’s a challenge there, a hint of provocation behind his expression, the buried hope that you might want to fight him in the way he’d like. You tuck that away for later.

For now, he takes your look of surprise as an affirmative and dips his head again, satisfied.

He works his tongue over the aching pearl of your clit with a gentle, targeted flick—up and back, the bridge of his nose pressed hard against your mound—and your mind goes blank. You arch into him, fucking yourself against his face in a languid rhythm, as the tension begins to build in your body. 

He likes it. His throat vibrates with an approving hum.

You grip the comforter as your muscles pull taut, as your thighs tense in his tight hold. You can hear the flick of his tongue and the suck of his lips. The low, wet sounds.

He exhales sharply through his nose and readjusts, his hands forcing your thighs open and up, so he can taste you how he wants—where he wants. Where you’re dripping for him.

The rough pad of one finger rocks steadily over your clit while he fucks you with his tongue, moaning into the heat of your body as he pushes in as deep as he can. His other hand is gripped around the back of your thigh. Bruises will blossom there by morning, a shadow of his hold on you.

You crook an elbow and drop your arm over your face, turning into it to muffle the noises he’s dragging out of you. A whine. A choked moan.

His mouth moves back up, and a finger takes its place, eased inside you with little resistance. He slides it out, and a second joins the first when he presses them back in. They’re thick, and he pushes them deep.

Joel builds your pleasure to a peak—with his hand, with his tongue, with the low sounds grunted in his throat—and it climbs steadily until it breaks. He climbs with you, the cadence of his breath picking up as yours does, his body rocking gently into yours in time with his fingers' movements inside you, his shoulders pressed against the backs of your thighs. The bed is shifting, the mattress springs whining quietly as you writhe. 

You clench tight around his thrusting fingers, their tips curled repeatedly against the spot that makes your heels slip down the bed, and he closes his eyes as he works you through it with the hot lick of his tongue on your clit. 

Through the shock, the tremors, and the slow fade. Until you’re limp.

His voice is a husky drawl, his breath humid on your hip. “Fuck, baby, you feel good.”

It’s barely anything. From him, it feels like a revelation, like a fucking love poem. You reach for him.

“Please, Joel—”

He sits up, kneeling between your legs, and rips his shirt over his head. His heaving chest is flushed. He opens his belt buckle with one hand, the clink of metal and slip of leather loud in the quiet room as it slithers out of his belt loops, and he drops it to the floor. He moves from the bed to kick off his jeans, and when he settles his body over yours again, the only thing left between you is the thin fabric of his boxer briefs.

You can feel the heft of him through them. The strain and the heat. The body-warm fabric pressed against your wet cunt.

He’s heavy on top of you, his hips caught between your thighs, his chest warm against yours, knuckles ghosting over your cheek. You shove the elastic waistband over his ass, impatiently searching for skin.

“Need you to fuck me,” you breathe.

He helps you push the fabric down, gets them off, and holds himself over you with a hand braced by your ear, gripping the base of his cock to tease the head through your folds. He meets your eyes as he catches the tip on the notch of your entrance and starts to sink inside you, dropping his hips forward in a slow, purposeful movement as he drinks in your reaction. You’re wet and aching to be filled, but he’s still a stretch, so he thrusts shallowly against the resistance until the crease in your brow smoothes and your body welcomes him deep.

He drops to his forearms and lets you feel each other. He’s thick inside you, sharp and vital in a way that feels incredible, hugged tight in your heat. Joel dips his head, your foreheads brushing, and he presses his mouth to yours in a light kiss. Sweet and quick. Almost chaste.

He tastes like you.

Then he circles his hips, a slow grind that ends in a controlled thrust—powerful and targeted.

You get to collect little pieces of him while he moves inside you, as his cock kisses the deepest parts of you, as you cling to him. Gray hairs are threaded among the dark brown ones on his chest. His neck is dusted with faint freckles, only visible this close. There’s a shiny pink scar on his left shoulder—a deep cut, old and healed. A much newer one puckers the skin of his bicep. A bullet graze.

He likes to kiss your neck and suck on the supple skin of your breasts while he fucks you.

He gives you a second orgasm before searching for his own, reaching between your bodies to take you over the edge with the practiced ease of his fingers.

He was right to move the bed away from the wall.

He works his way up from a slow, deep rhythm to a pace that has each punch of his hips threatening to drive you up the silky fabric of the comforter. He slips a hand under your back and curls his fingers over the top of your shoulder, keeping you in place as he impales you on his cock, pulling you back down to meet him each time. The pleasure has you pressing your head back into the pillow, your eyes closed tight.

He doesn’t like that tonight.

“Look at me.”

Joel shoves a hand under your skull, tangles his fingers in your hair, and holds you fast. He’s panting as his eyes flick between yours. Searching. Almost…frantic as he starts to fuck you harder, with less control. The mattress complains under your shifting bodies.

You watch him unravel.

One hand still caught in your hair, he pulls out and jerks himself over you, chasing his orgasm as he watches your face. He bares his teeth when he comes across your stomach in warm pulses, pearly lines dripped over your skin. The pleasure punches a grunt and a hiss from him, his hand squeezing tight around the base of his cock as his whole body tenses and releases, the tug of his fist slowing to a stop as he milks the last drop.

He’s breathing hard as his gaze traces over the spots where you’re painted with him, and something flickers behind his veiled eyes. Before you can really catch it, he scrubs a hand down his tired face and reaches for his discarded shirt. He uses it to wipe the sticky mess off your skin and tosses the crumpled thing back onto the floor.

He settles on the edge of the bed, sitting with his back to you, and you slip underneath the blankets. Now that you’re sated, sleep is starting to weigh at the edges of your consciousness. Insistent.

Joel pulls on his jeans and leaves the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. You hear water running.

You lie there—torn between feeling sure he’s coming back, especially seeing as the rest of his clothes are here, and the creeping thought that he’d probably rather sleep on the too-short couch then blur an already murky line by sharing this bed for something other than sex.

It would be so nice, for once, not to sleep alone.

But you’re used to sleeping alone.

His steps creak on the hardwood outside the door. Too much relief blooms in your gut.

Joel shuts the door behind him and stands at the end of the bed, scratching a hand through his tousled hair. Something about his rumpled appearance, his uncertainty, his half-dressed state is endearing. It’s so rare to see him…undone. He’s studying you, like he doesn’t quite know how to bridge the gap between your bodies now that the lust has dulled. Now that it’s just you and him and a bed.

“You want me to find another room?” you ask, knowing full well that the Texas gentleman buried somewhere inside him would never allow that. He’d leave if he wanted to be alone.

“No,” he says, making a decision and reaching for the light. He shuts it off with a click. There’s a shuffling of clothes, off and on, and he slips under the blankets.

In the dark, it’s easier for him. He gets close. He doesn’t reach for you, but in the quiet black, you can hear him angle his body toward you, settling on his side. He doesn’t resist when you slide closer; his hand rests on your waist when you press your nose into the soft, worn cotton of his t-shirt.

In the morning, he’ll be gone again.

[granite-mart]

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Both Angolan Gold and Antique Brown granites offer unique advantages, and selecting the right one depends on your design preferences and functional needs.

Angolan Gold granite is ideal for those who desire a dramatic, high-end aesthetic. Its striking contrast of black, grey, and gold makes it a standout choice for contemporary kitchens, feature walls, or bathroom countertops. The subtle shimmer of the stone adds an extra layer of sophistication to any interior.

Antique Brown granite provides a warm, inviting atmosphere with its rich brown tones and intricate patterns. It complements traditional spaces beautifully but also offers a striking contrast in modern designs. Whether incorporated into a rustic kitchen or as an accent in a minimalist bathroom, Antique Brown’s timeless appeal enhances any setting.

Why Choose Granite for Your Home or Business?

Granite remains a preferred material for interior design due to its unique combination of beauty and durability. Both Angolan Gold and Antique Brown exemplify these qualities, making them excellent choices for a wide range of applications.

Durability: Granite is naturally resistant to heat, scratches, and stains, ensuring it remains in top condition even in high-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms.

Aesthetic Flexibility: The varied patterns and colours of granite complement a wide range of interior styles, from classic to contemporary.

Low Maintenance: With simple care, including periodic sealing and regular cleaning, granite surfaces maintain their polished appearance for years.

Long-Term Investment: Granite enhances both the functionality and aesthetic appeal of your property, adding lasting value.

Maintaining Your Granite Surfaces

Proper care is essential to ensuring your Angolan Gold or Antique Brown granite surfaces retain their beauty over time. Regular cleaning with a mild stone cleaner and a soft cloth will keep the granite pristine. Periodically sealing the surface protects it from stains and enhances its natural beauty. With minimal maintenance, your granite surfaces will continue to be a focal point of your space for years.

Conclusion

Angolan Gold and Antique Brown granites are two exceptional choices for enhancing any interior. Whether you prefer the bold contrast of Angolan Gold’s black and gold tones or the rich warmth of Antique Brown’s intricate patterns, both stones offer beauty, resilience, and versatility. Their timeless appeal ensures they remain stunning additions to any space, from kitchen worktops to bathroom vanities and feature walls.

Incorporating Angolan Gold or Antique Brown granite into your home or commercial project will create an elegant, functional, and enduring environment. Choose these exquisite natural stones to transform your interiors into spaces that exude sophistication and stand the test of time.

[adamau123]

Explore the Elegance of Cobblestone Tiles and Pavers for Your Home

Ancient streets have a unique charm with their unevenly paved, rustic feel. Cobblestone pavers are a great choice for driveways, walkways, and outdoor areas with high foot traffic. Not only do they enhance the aesthetics, but they also prevent mud and slippery surfaces. Builders, architects, designers, and DIY enthusiasts appreciate cobblestones for their durability, timeless appeal, and ability to infuse any space with a touch of history.

In this blog, you will get to know about the wide variety of cobblestone tiles that are available to you and their advantages.  

 What is Cobblestone? 

Crafted from durable natural stones like Granite, these cobblestone tiles and pavers are renowned for their strength and resilience. Ideal for streets, pathways, and walkways, they can withstand heavy traffic and harsh weather conditions while retaining their charm. With their rugged beauty, cobblestone tiles offer an attractive option for outdoor spaces, making them a popular choice among homeowners, designers, and architects. Additionally, the wide range of colors and finishes available ensures an easy selection process and offers unique and appealing options.

 Colour Variations of Cobblestone

Discover a diverse range of stones at Stone Centre, featuring an array of shapes, textures, and colors to perfectly match your needs and elevate the ambiance of your surroundings. Explore our captivating selection of Cobblestone tiles and pavers, showcasing an enticing palette of attractive colors.

Raven Black Granite Cobblestone 

With its deep hue and strong texture, Raven Black Cobblestone is renowned for its durability and resilience, making it an excellent option for outdoor paving. These beautiful stones can withstand even the harshest weather conditions. Whether it's for driveways or busy areas, cobblestone tiles and pavers are perfect for heavy foot traffic. Choose between two finishes: exfoliated or split edges, and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space.

 Sesame Grey Cobblestone

Grey cobbles have a stunning pattern of ash grey with a mix of blue- perfect for adding a subtle touch to the outdoor space. It requires minimal upkeep and lasts for a longer period. It is ideal for patio, driveways, pool deck and floor usage.

Summit Cobblestone 

Summit Cobblestone stands out due to its beige and golden hues, together with a soft grey. The unique light colour brings an appealing touch to the driveways, walkways and sidewalks. It is durable and scratch-resistant, so you don't have to worry about cracks and slips due to the textured finish. 

 Plazzio Cobblestone 

The Plazzio Cobblestone stands out from the rest with its distinctive earth-brown hue, creating an antique appearance. Its timeless charm can effortlessly elevate any mundane area into a visually stunning space. Opt for the option with an artificial split finish for a rugged touch.

Ash Grey Cobblestone 

This cobblestone possesses all the necessary qualities to perfectly complement any area. Its vibrant ash grey hue adds a touch of liveliness, making it an excellent choice for streets and pavements. Crafted from a blend of materials, this stone guarantees exceptional durability and longevity.

Original Source: https://adamhebrewau.wordpress.com/2024/06/20/explore-the-elegance-of-cobblestone-tiles-and-pavers-for-your-home/

[stonetilesuppliers]

What Stones Will Be Used To Build An Outdoor Pool?

The area around your swimming pool is one of the essential parts of your pool's cape. Not only is it where everyone congregates while poolside, but it also plays a crucial role in defining your pool's personality and style. Different artificial and natural materials make superior pool decks, but those made from natural stone are unequal companions to sophisticated pool settings. Regardless of your chosen pool design, deciding which natural stone pavers to use for your pool surrounding will make a compelling statement about your taste, status and success. There are different outdoor pool tiles, and everyone has specific preferences in choosing a flooring material. Here are the lists of stones used to build an outdoor pool:

Travertine

Travertine is one of the most prevalent materials for building a luxury pool. This material's prominence for being hard-wearing yet beautiful has been known since antique times. Today, the material is in as much demand as ever, particularly with pool builders who have come to depend on this material's porous nature. Prosperous and lavish looks are an inclination to remain cool to the touch. Because travertine typically soaks water instantly, decks made of it are effectively slip-free. In addition, it can manage all kinds of weather conditions. The pool designers will generally choose a rich and luxurious outlook material for artistic settings. Travertine is commonly found in one of three finishes tumbled, honed and polished.

Granite 

Granite is a complex, compact igneous rock formed by quartz, feldspar and mica. Granite rock is propelled from quartz and feldspar rock. It feels rough and light-coloured. Granite is a form of rigid and enduring material to use for your pool. Granite offers a diversity of colours. The stones have been utilised for centuries till now. Operating granite also shows some level of style.

Limestone

Limestone is one of the world's go-to construction materials. Limestone, generally quarried from regional sources, is robust and can maintain its beauty for years, no matter the weather. Many pool designers construct decks using this material and use its good looks for pool faring. Limestone or outdoor pool tiles are long-lasting and alluring in a warm, loamy way. Limestone can endure extreme weather changes and hold up against constant use. Colours include grey, blue, tan, brown, and pink, among others, and can be cut in various shapes and sizes, making it a stress-free choice of decking for many homeowners.

Bluestone

Bluestone is another kind of flagstone and is primarily used for outdoor pool tiles. Bluestone pavers are durable, non-slip, and water-resistant. Usually blue-grey, this material is commonly finished in one of three ways, such as thermal, which gives a uniform texture. The natural aperture creates a non-uniform surface, and the honed has a highly smooth appearance. Bluestone is an excellent choice of stone decking for an outdoor space covered by natural appeal.

Final Thoughts

In the above section, you can learn about the varieties of stones used to build an outdoor pool. Choose better outdoor pool tiles to add elegance and outlook if you plan to create a collection.

[paveworld]

best traditional paving in uk

In the realm of landscape design and urban planning, the choice of paving materials plays a pivotal role in defining the character and aesthetic appeal of outdoor spaces. Amidst the myriad of contemporary options available, best traditional paving in uk stand out as timeless treasures that have adorned pathways, streets, and plazas for centuries. In this exploration, we delve into the enduring charm and practical benefits of best traditional paving, shedding light on why they remain a preferred choice for architects, designers, and enthusiasts in the modern era.

traditional paving slabs in uk, also known as cobblestones or setts, boast a rich history dating back to ancient times. The Romans, renowned for their engineering prowess, were among the first to use cobbled streets in their expansive empire. These early examples paved the way for a legacy that transcended civilizations, with medieval Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world adopting this durable and visually appealing method of surfacing roads and public spaces.

One of the most striking features of top traditional paving in uk is the craftsmanship and artistry involved in their creation. Craftsmen meticulously shape natural stones, such as granite, basalt, or limestone, into uniform blocks of various sizes. The resulting geometric precision not only adds to the aesthetic appeal but also contributes to the stones' practical functionality in creating a stable and durable surface.

Pavement design plays a pivotal role in shaping the aesthetics of outdoor spaces, transforming them into inviting havens of beauty and functionality. Among the myriad of choices available, three standouts in the world are rainbow sandstone paving, granite, and limestone. These natural stones not only lend a timeless elegance to any setting but also boast durability and versatility. Paveworld, a leading name in the landscaping industry, offers a captivating range of sandstone cobbles, granite, and limestone paving options, each with its unique charm and characteristics.

ivory sandstone paving, renowned for its rich color palette and varied textures, has been a favorite choice for paving for centuries. Its warm, earthy tones range from subtle beige and buff to vibrant reds and browns, allowing for a seamless integration into diverse landscapes. Paveworld's collection of light grey natural sandstone showcases the stone's innate beauty, with options like Camel Dust, Modak Rose, and Raj Green.

One of the standout features of sandstone wall cladding is its natural veining and riven surface, providing a unique, rustic appearance. The stone's ability to weather gracefully over time adds character to outdoor spaces. Whether used in traditional paving slabs or contemporary designs, sandstone paving from Paveworld brings a touch of nature to gardens, patios, and pathways, creating a harmonious connection between the built environment and the natural world.

grey granite paving, an igneous rock known for its strength and durability, is a top choice for those seeking a combination of sophistication and robustness in their outdoor spaces. Paveworld's granite paving options, such as misty silver grey granite paving, Blue Grey, and Midnight Black, exemplify the stone's innate elegance.

Granite's uniform texture and polished surface provide a sleek, modern aesthetic, making it ideal for contemporary landscapes. Its resistance to wear and tear, as well as its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, make it a practical choice for high-traffic areas. From sleek driveways to minimalist courtyards, granite paving slabs from Paveworld effortlessly blends form and function, creating enduring outdoor spaces that stand the test of time.

limestone slabs, a sedimentary rock formed over millions of years, exudes a timeless charm with its soft hues and natural variations. Paveworld's natural limestone paving options, including kota blue limestone, Tumbled Mint, and Antique Yellow, showcase the stone's versatility and aesthetic appeal.

limestone paving is renowned for its smooth surface and subtle color palette, which adds a touch of understated elegance to outdoor settings. Whether used in classic garden pathways or contemporary patio designs, yellow limestone paving from Paveworld offers a sense of continuity and flow. Its ability to be easily shaped and carved allows for intricate detailing, making it a versatile choice for both traditional and modern landscaping projects.

Paveworld's commitment to quality and innovation is evident in its extensive collection of sandstone, black pearl granite, and limestone paving options. These natural stone cobbles, each with its unique characteristics, offer a timeless elegance that enhances the beauty of outdoor spaces. Whether you are looking for the rustic charm of buff sandstone paving, the strength of granite, or the graceful versatility of limestone, Paveworld's range of paving solutions provides the perfect foundation for creating enduring landscapes that captivate the eye and stand the test of time.

[onslowstoneworks]

Choosing the Perfect Countertop for Your Updated Home Design

You are beginning to choose the finishes for your Morehead City kitchen or whole home renovation and are thinking about your countertops. Is gray granite still the color of choice? What if you are considering something more casual or desire a stone that fits in with your seaside lifestyle? Onslow Stoneworks is here to help with some trending options for some of the most popular contemporary decor concepts.

Pairing Classic Granite with Mid-century Open Concept Living

Did you knock down the wall in a 1960s ranch? Your new kitchen features sleek white cabinets, a large island, luxury vinyl plank flooring in wood grain, and cool tiles in calming blues and greens. Fortunately, a classic gray granite full of quartz flecks and a lively texture will naturally complement your updated design. And granite countertops retain their value when it is time to sell your home.

Pale Gray Quartz Provides a Blank Slate for Bohemian Color Pop

You embrace the creativity and bright colors of the Bohemian trend. But instead of going wild with a countertop choice, you may want to look at a light gray or off-white quartz such as Calacatta Jazz or Bianco Novella. The large neutral surface takes center stage in your open kitchen and dining area and is available for you to add a vase of wildflowers, bright linens, and a mismatched set of china from the antique store.

Select a Slab of Dark and Moody Stone for an Industrial Vibe

When transforming the loft space in an old downtown building, you want your countertop to help highlight the architectural features like the exposed brick and weather plank floors. A bespoke slab of soapstone in black or deep green will draw out more of that well-worn look with a wealth of veins and inclusions racing across its surface.

Cruise Through Soothing Samples for Your Mediterranean Beach Scene

How do you give your updated kitchen on Atlantic Beach that year-round vacation vibe? Bring the colors of the ocean inside with a recycled surface countertop in Kashmir or Himalaya that features bright pieces of glass mixed in with its sand-like base. Of course, you can also find a wealth of light brown and beige choices in quartz including Canvas, Bayshore Sand, and Waverton. They await your pale blue dinnerware and collection of seashells for a feast of crab and spotted sea trout.

Discover the Best Countertops in Morehead City at Onslow Stoneworks

Ultimately, the only way to be sure that you are choosing the perfect countertop for your kitchen or bath is to see the slab or sample in person. The experts down at Onslow Stoneworks welcome you to visit their showroom where you can place your cabinet, floor, paint, and tile samples next to your future worktop and make a more confident decision. Give them a call today.

Source URL:- https://emptyengine.com/choosing-the-perfect-countertop-for-your-updated-home-design/

[fanstonehome]

Baxter Lagos Table: A Stylish and Durable Choice for Your Home

The Baxter Lagos Table is a stunning and versatile piece of furniture that is perfect for any home. It features a curved design with three cylindrical legs made of metal or antique brass. The top is available in a variety of stones, including Calacatta Oro Marble, Elegant Brown Quartzite, Geode Granite, Glossy Bianco Gioia, Hydro Rosso Lepanto Marble, Matte Rosso Lepanto, Ocean Storm, Patagonia Granite, Polar White Matt, and Rocky Mountain Quartzite. All of the stones are treated with water-repellent protective oil to ensure a long lifespan.

[quarry-asia]

THE QUARRY x ELLE : EVERYTHING THAT MAKES A PROJECT TWO-OF-A-KIND!

It takes two to create a home that truly captures your heart. The fusion of the interior designer's expertise and the client's vision, the blend of passion and understanding, and the harmony between ideas and patience all come together to craft living spaces that breathe life into dreams.

Discover the journey of luxury homes with a unique twist in this collaboration between ELLE India and The Quarry Gallery. Get ready to be captivated by the amalgamation of beauty, functionality, and creativity in the world of home decor and interior design. This season marks a shift from being One-of-a-kind to embracing the spirit of Two-of-a-kind. The collaboration showcases exquisite projects spread across India.

So, what does it take to create a perfect match and design a space that is Two-of-a-kind?

Luxurious and inviting. Unique and inspiring. It’s when the designer's expertise is in tune with the client's vision. When their passion and understanding strike a rare balance. It’s when their journey makes you smile.

We have covered everything – luxury homes, a renowned restaurant, an inspiring office space in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and more. Some whimsical, some warm but each space is designed to reflect a distinctive personality that celebrates the clients' tastes and the designer’s creativity.

Yes, we love curating 100% Italian, 100% natural marble, granite and rare onyx but we also love to see where each of our handpicked slabs goes. From Italian marble flooring to vibrant Brazilian wall cladding to handcrafted tables and more! Through each TWO-OF-A-KIND partnership and project, you will experience the essence of luxury living.

Here are all of our favourites, starting with Italian marble floors in luxury homes!

Floors with the enchanting tones of Grey Grigio and Laas Oro Authentico, create an ambience that resonates with extraordinary taste and timeless beauty of Italian marble. We can even say that The Quarry curated Grey Grigio and Laas Oro Authentico have served as two of the popular flooring choices in The Quarry x Elle series. Grey Grigio adds gentle and grey hues, evoking tranquillity and projecting simplicity, while Laas Oro Authentico exudes warmth with its golden and brown veins. They form a dichotomy of styles, adorning floors with understated beauty, each their way. These floors define spaces that blend modernity and luxury effortlessly.

How can we talk about flooring and not mention the Carrara staircase? Gracing one of the luxury apartments in Mumbai, The Quarry curated Carrara became an artful connection for the home. Enhancing the linear design of the surroundings with its pristine presence and delicate grey veins. The architect and client, could not resist creating unique objet d'arts with this world-famous marble.

Moving forward to Two-of-a-kind Tables.

You will see brilliantly conceptualised tabletops at an office that celebrate the strength of each material and its beauty. The Biancanero table with its black-gold fusion, adds immense charm to the workspace. While, Azul Lapis with its intense blue veins, evokes a sense of energy without overpowering the ambience. Grand Antique Noir, dark yet captivating, makes a bold statement.

There’s more!

Emerald Green, a vibrant and refreshing slab from our Celebrity collection, adds a pop of nature's beauty, as does Avocado Vert with its lively tone. In contrast to these two in the glamorous Vogue – dark and gold with a wonderful texture that embodies chic. All are tables but the materials, colours and designs add versatility and value to each designer’s and client’s vision.

You will love each of these magnificent walls!

The TV walls featured in our Two-of-a-kind series don’t just frame screens, they frame experiences. And the bathroom walls, take interior design to the next level!

The Quarry curated Grand Antique Noir sets a lavish backdrop with its striking black and white veins. This marble is known for the drama and grandeur it creates. On the other hand, Pannonia Blau, commands the room with an artistic display of free-flowing veins in black, white and a hint of beige. Take for instance the Calcite Azul Lata, a serene blue wall that whispers tranquillity. Or The Quarry curated Passione, with its soft green veins, infuses warmth.

Each of these curated slabs of luxury marble, granite, quartzite and more are handpicked from around the world. Exhibiting unique shades and textures. Resonating and transforming the architect and client’s visions to bring you luxury home décor ideas.

With boundless creativity, emotions and ideas The Quarry x Elle’s TWO-OF-A-KIND project stands out in more ways than one. We invite you to experience this collaboration and meet the architects and their wonderful clients. Click here to fall in love once again with everything they have created together. For more inspiration do book an appointment with our curators for a personalised tour of The Quarry Gallery and The Quarry:COLAB.

[efesusstone]

Classic Travertine

Mobile: +905379230748

Travertine, consisting of calcium carbonate, forms around hot springs and in caves. It has a porous structure like a sponge. These pores are caused by the gases that exist within it during its natural formation and then escape. It is generally known as a type of marble, but it differs from marble with its porous structure. It is a building material that has been frequently used since ancient times. Travertines have not gone through as long a formation process as marble and granites. It came to the surface before its formation was fully completed. Travertine blocks are cut in 2 different ways. The first is the cutting style called Turkish cut, also known as vein-cut. The second is the American cut (cross cut). American cutting is the horizontal cutting of the block. If requested, special fillings are used to fill the pores of the travertine. Different alternatives can also be applied as edge processing; In addition to standard straight cutting, chamfer edge process, herringbone edge process, aged antique edge and rustic edge breaking (Chiseled) processes are applied. Rustic edging is the process of roughly breaking edges. As surface treatment, polished surface, aged surfaces (Antique look), honed surface (Matte), brushed surface (Patinato) can be applied. Nowadays, it is especially in demand as tumbled and blasted. Travertines vary depending on the regions where they are mined. The most known is Denizli travertine. Travertine is also mined from Afyon and Sivas. Different color varieties such as yellow, red, grey, brown and beige are also available. Travertine has a much softer structure than marble and granite and this is where its easy-to-process feature comes from. Travertine is generally divided into white travertine and beige travertine. There are two kinds of colors: some call them yellow pebbles and white pebbles. Its main feature is that carbonate minerals have gas in the deposition process and form many holes.