Category Archives: Guest Blogger Series

Guest Blogger Series

Guest Blogger Series: Profile of Triangle Tile & Stone of NC, LLC

Are you thinking about updating your bathroom or remodeling your kitchen? At Design Lines Ltd., we often utilize key industry partners when designing the perfect solutions for our clients. One of those valued partners is Triangle Tile & Stone of NC, LLC.

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Owners, John and Kelli Naramore, took over the business in 2001 with the idea of creating the best customer service. “I have worked with Kelli and John for 8 years and together we have completed some very beautiful tile installations…and have had fun doing it!” says Judy.

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(From left to right: Kelli, Laura, and Emily.)

Immediately within the showroom you will find a vast collection of handmade tiles, glass, metal, glazed tile and natural stone products including marble travertine and limestone and did I mention a very personable staff who will help you with every detail!

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Check back with us on September 17th as Triangle Tile & Stone of NC, LLC and Design Lines, Ltd. brings you “5 Tips When Selecting Tile.” Stay tuned! Better yet, tell your closest neighbors, it just might be worth sharing!

Guest Blogger Series

Guest Blogger Series: A Morning with Laura from ROCKin ‘teriors


People like Laura Grandlienard from ROCKin’teriors make our visions a reality. Designers design and our incredible team of fabricators and sub-contractors take our drawings and specifications and “make it happen!”

Alongside with her incredible talent to find and fabricate the most unusual stones, Laura does all this while being socially responsible both in her manufacturing process as well as the products she uses.

Efficiency is the bottom line. From displays which allow clients to navigate through selections with ease, to the maintaining high production standards within the warehouse, ROCKin’teriors is all about being “simply green.”


I spent the morning with Laura at the ROCKin’teriors studio in Fuquay-Varina and quickly felt at home. Laura’s approach is very personable, informative and down to earth. You can tell right away that she has a passion for the products only mother nature can provide.

“I have known and worked with Laura for years and I can always be confident that our projects will be handled with care and expertise.” Judy Pickett,FASID, owner, Design Lines, Ltd.

Do you know the process of how stone becomes a countertop? Go ahead and stop by the studio where you will find a picture story. It is a unique and an eye-opening experience. Who knew!

ROCKin ‘teriors work was recently displayed at the 2009 Green Home Tour presented by Stock Building Supply. Click here to see our recent post for more information about the home.


Guest Blogger Series

Guest Blogger Series: A Conversation with Stark Carpet’s Tim Cohen

A few weekends ago, I visited Charlotte for the weekend and ventured into the Stark Carpet Showroom. Searching for the perfect living room rug for a client (with the inspirational Clarence House Fabric in hand), I asked Carpet connoisseur, Tim Cohen for his thoughts—


All of the sisals, cowhides, and Tibetan rug solutions we came up with are beautiful, but speak different languages as far as aesthetics go.

Selection No. 1: Stark’s Natura Sisal in Gold, bound in a black cotton border, layered with a beautiful zebra printed cow hide. To me it says: this room is casual, earthy, and textural, with a bold splash.

Tim had the following to say about the practicality of this solution:

“Sisal fiber does not clean that easy but the secret is using a sisal that is forgiving by it’s pattern, texture and color. When you have that, sisal can be the greatest catalyst for a space by being neutral yet having a voice.”

of adding the cow hide rug to the mix:

“[Cow] hides are easy to live with because spills just bead on the surface , remember the animal lives outside and water just runs off it’s back. “


Selection No. 2: A beautiful Tibetan rug in a traditional trellis pattern. This rug is rooted in tradition- but the open design (we’d call it the abundance of negative space) allows a room where it is placed to be layered with more pattern.


Selection No. 3: A contemporary gold dotted on deep aqua field. This rug changes the aesthetic entirely—truly a conversation starting rug. “Playful” comes to mind.

As we discussed my multiple choices in rugs (and the mood each selection set), Tim left me with these words of wisdom, “Tibetan rugs are hand knotted in mostly transitional designs so they are easy to fit into a room scheme today as so many people are mixing contemporary furnishings with tradition. They last forever and the wool is exceptional so it is easy to clean. “

Which rug selection do you prefer? What statement does your rug say about you?


Guest Blogger Series

Guest Blogger Series – Neuwave Systems: Saving Time, Money, and the Environment through Home Automation

As a guest blogger, I would like to first thank Design Lines, Ltd. for having Neuwave Systems on their blog. They have been a great company to get to know and I personally love what they have done for my home as well as other clients in the area.

The topic today is about Home Automation! What used to only be for the rich, is now available to most hardworking homeowners. The best part is that you can save time, money, and the environment by integrating your home. Home automation would be defined by Neuwave as the act of interconnecting your everyday functions into one system.(TV’s, Lighting, Temperature, Music, Movies, and Security)

Think about your day: you wake up, turn off the alarm clock, turn on the lights, maybe turn on the morning news, go to the bathroom and turn on those lights, maybe turn on music or news in the bathroom, turn down the heat, get the kids up, arm the security system, and head to work; and that’s just the morning! What if you could have your house set to your lifestyle instead of your life set to your house?

Since money is the most pressing issue of the day, let’s start by how to save money with home automation. Your number one cost to run a home is of course……energy. By integrating your lights, you are able to make sure when you leave that every light in the house is off, or when you come home that not every light has to be on. Also, lighting control allows you to set the levels of each light when it comes on and you don’t have to burn it at full strength. We have seen people save $50-$100 a month just by adding lighting control. By integrating your thermostat, you are able to adjust your temperature from your remote control or even your computer if you are away.

Time is money, and more and more people don’t have “Time”. What if you could have extra time added into your life? Most of us end up in bed reading or watching TV; what if you could press one button and have your house “go to sleep”? No more getting up to turn off that pesky hallway light, or making sure the security system is armed. How nice would it be to wake up, and have the temperature just right, the coffee brewed, the news on, the weather report ready and the kids out of bed without any effort? Neuwave Systems can give you the time, it is up to you what to do with it.

As you can see, by cutting down on energy consumption you have done your part to saving the world. Every little bit helps and, and the best part is how easy it makes your life! When we design an Automation system we typically use Control 4; a very affordable system that allows you to be as simple or intricate as you would like.

The best thing is that you can add more control as you go and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to learn the system. From Grandparents’ to Grandkids’ anyone can control the system. If you are wondering, the entry level package is $700, and that will control TV’s and Music with on screen navigator and a universal remote with LCD read out. If I can answer any questions, give us a call!

(Photos courtesy of Neuwave Systems.)