I actually had a marble counter in a flat I lived in in Europe for a while. I knew nothing about maintenance so just treated it like any other hard surface, and it looked fine (and I wasn't the first person to live in that flat, I assure you). It's more common in Europe, and not so much trendy there as classic. But Europeans aren't quite as finicky as North Americans and Australians seem to be about flawless and unblemished finishes.

Hi Kim, I think that Laminate flooring would best suit your needs. It is a super realistic wood-look floor that is scratch and fade-resistant. It has bevels (the definition you normally see between hardwood planks) and has the texture of real wood- so you won't have to worry about it looking "fake." There are also water-repellent ranges out there which are suitable for wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries. You can see our ranges here: https://www.forteflooring.co.nz/product/catalogue/laminate-flooring We do not recommend bamboo, however, if you are looking for a cost-effective hardwood, our Urban Plank range would be perfect for you. It is engineered and has a thinner wear layer which makes it more cost-effective, however, it can still be sanded back 1-2 times if need be: https://www.forteflooring.co.nz/product/catalogue/engineered-wood-flooring  Thanks Kim, let us know if you have any more questions :) - The forté Team

Suzie, hubby and I are just contemplating engineered spotted gum flooring throughout our in-progress new build. He wants matt, I want satin. We have gloss or semi-gloss throughout our current home and love the look but not how much scratches show up. We are struggling to see whole room/house matt finished spotted gum floors - and I'm wondering how you feel about yours? And what did you decide for kitchen? We have a 'lemon myrtle' cupboard door planned for upper cupbaords and white semi-gloss for lower cupboards and benchtops.

When you are running through your thoughts, options, colours, designs, etc for your new outdoor living area, deck or patio cover; we will guide you through three areas of consideration. These are: Design, Materials & Accessories. By considering these three areas whilst you are investigating the options to enhance your home, it should mean that you will ultimately achieve an outdoor living area, deck or patio cover that is function (by functional I mean an area that I can use all year round), meets your budget & lastly looks great. Today, we are going to focus on the first area – ‘Getting the Best Design for your Patio Cover Outdoor Living Area’. So, what are your design options? Flat Sillion Traditional Gable Hipped Roof Dutch Gable Curved How do you choose the best design for your home? Consider the size of the area you want to cover Why? If the area is too small a gable might look out of place for the size of the area. How will it be connected back into your home? Do you have a high eave line or do you have to fix the patio cover above your existing roof line? As an example, you might not want to then install a gabled roof line if the connection point will already be high as then the patio cover will be too high, could look funny & won’t offer much protection. What’s your budget? A gable might not fit. As a very general rule of thumb, a gable can be double the cost of a flat roofed structure, as you have more material required & it takes longer to install. As an alternative you could still get height within your outdoor living area by using a skillion design. Gables: ‘Gables’ can come in a variety of forms – Hipped Roof, Dutch Gable, but the most common is the Traditional gable. One feature that you can include within your gable is to add down lights within the ridge line. This not only cleans up a often dirty or forgotten area but can also make the area more functional so you can use the area in the evening. Think about your accessories early when designing your outdoor living area or patio cover. TIP: If you are considering any form of gable, get the balance right. Sometimes a gable can look squashed if the area is too small or too flat if you don’t get the roof pitch right. Refer back to the existing roof pitch of your home & try to match it; this way your outdoor living area or patio cover will look more integrated rather than a ‘slap on’. Flat: Its flat – pretty simple. Sometimes, people try to make it all to fancy or complicated. Remember the KISS method (Keep it Simple Stupid), as sometimes simple can sometimes be better in your design. Ensure you have enough height to play with if you are leaning towards a flat roofed pergola. If its too low the area could feel claustrophobic & might not get enough air flow. Skillion: I think that a skillion design is sometimes forgotten but can often be the most effective. A skillion is where it is higher at one end & lower at the opposite & it can work really well on a double storey brick wall or even fixed above an existing roof line. A skillion can also give similar benefits of a gable – such as good height & thus air flow, without the cost or complexity of design that sometimes follows with a gable. Curved: Curved patio covers can be used with either a Colorbond or polycarbonate roofing material. We don’t offer a curved design option within our range simply as the amount of homes we just don’t see homes which already have a curved area. To install a curved roof we feel would make it look out of place. I hope this helps you get a better outdoor living area for your home. Remember that all of our material options (detailed below) can be used in any of these design styles. 'Premium Series' Colorbond Insulated Lined Ceilings Louvers Would you like to find out more? Can you entertain our relax outside all year round? Is your BBQ & outdoor furniture always covered? Contact Usto have a discussion about the options available for your home. We highly recommend that you share a coffee with us in our office so you can have a closer look at the products available in our display. We find that this helps our clients a lot as they can get a ‘hands on’ feel for each material option. Our display is by appointment only, so use the link below to book in a suitable time for us to meet one on one to casually discuss your outdoor lifestyle. Book a private consulation in our display - click here