Creating beautiful things from ceramics comes naturally to Paul Burns. He grew up in a family where everyone painted and threw pots and created murals and mosaics with ceramics, and spent summers making tiles in his uncle's shop. These days, he's the president and Chief Ceramicist at Fireclay Tile, a company comitted to creating beautiful tiles using “old world” methods that are unique, affordable, and friendly to the environment. 

I say, "the more, the merrier" when it comes to outlets in the kitchen. Whipping up a serious Sunday dinner is made a bit easier when you can plug in the mixer, bread maker, and food processor at the same time. But a backsplash spotted with bright white outlets and covers can be kind of an eyesore.

I've been looking really hard at penny tile lately, for the flooring in a client's bathroom renovation. And in the specifications for all of the manufacturers I've come across, it is stated that the tile can be used indoors and out. While I've seen it used quite a bit indoors, I've never once seen it outdoors. So, I went searching for examples of people using penny tile outside and found almost nothing:

At Brimfield, my big score was a 1960's coffee and console table set in a light blonde wood. I snatched up the two pieces for $80 total, assuming they would be fun DIY projects to work on this summer. See, my living room is mostly dark wood, and I thought the pale pieces would never work with my style. But then I got them home, and to my surprise, really loved the fair finish. Inspired by the serene spaces above, I'm going to give the sandy shade a try.

The key to making a table lamp is finding the correct socket set-up and mount. Some readymade kits already exist but, otherwise, you have to figure out what works best for your chosen vessel-turned-lamp base. I myself had a random wooden vase/candleholder that perfectly accommodated a basic globe shade from the hardware store. It was screaming to become a lamp, and I was more than happy to oblige. 

Subway tile is huge for kitchens right now. And for good reason — it looks good in traditional or modern kitchens, with light grout or dark grout. It looks pretty. It looks clean. If you love the look of subway tile but are searching for something just a little different, check out these alternatives from Coverings 2013, the international show that's all about tile. 

This is the second of our reports from Coverings 2013, the show featuring tile and stone from all over the world. Previously, we shared our favorite picks for new tiles with interesting patterns. This installment is all about texture — tiles you just wanna touch. 

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Coverings, the annual show featuring tile and stone from all over the world. I've separated my favorite tile finds into two groups — tiles with interesting patterns, and tiles with fascinating texture. First, the patterns:

Bosch Pen Line Laser Level
• $37.99 (Amazon)
• Bosch Tools

Here's a hi-tech solution for a mundane household task: positioning and arranging objects level onto a wall. A laser line guide beats out the old fashioned vial-style level, allowing alignment of art frames, audio speakers, and other objects from great distances, with hands-off positioning (adhesive mounting kit included), and a magnetic barrel and belt clip designed for toting around after you're done perfectly arranging art onto the wall like a boss.