Marble is a pricey material everyone loves, and you can imitate the luxurious stone with the cheaper, marble-look porcelain tile. It's stellar as a backsplash, accent wall, ceiling, or floor.

If you're seeking a unique wall accent, just look to your floors. Textured flooring can make a superb wall covering for a contemporary twist in any room.

My introduction to building a stone wall, like beginnings in so many homesteading skills, came unexpectedly, urgently, and at the wrong time. It was a rare clear morning during a rainy spring in ...