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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

MoD Must Haves : Rustico Tile & Stone Cement Tiles

MoD Must Haves
stylish, modern, novel 
for tile lovers


My love of bold pattern has me smitten with Rustico Tile and Stone’s beautifully colored, handmade cement tiles. Awarded with the Best of Houzz 2014 awardRustico Tile & Stone is the leader in manufacturing and distribution of authentic Saltillo tile, Mexican tiles, Talvera tiles, Terracotta floor tiles and Cantera stone architectural features for over 50 years. Now they have launched their new cement tile line with over 150 decorative tiles and 60 solid cement tiles. No matter what application, these cement tiles completely stand out on their own! Their color and pattern draw your eye in, welcome you and make a statement!  





The Cement tiles come in a variety of sizes like 2x2, 8x8, and 12x12 offering lots of design versatility. You can make square and rectangular border designs around a perimeter to frame a floor space or you can create some magnificent 16x16  patterns that go edge to edge of your room. No need for any other decoration as the tile sets the stage for any room!  Rustico also offers a variety of beautiful shapes and colors that combines design and function. There are a number to choose from like the Hexangonal, Octagonal, Colonial and San Felipe. The pool below perfectly showcases the San Felipe shape in a combination of solid cool-colored tiles. Select your color and shape. You can customize what you want!



I am also excited about Rustico's cement tile durability.  Made from Portland cement and not clay like encaustic tiles, they are strong enough to be used indoors or out. The tiles are hydraulically pressed and created with three layers that are visibly seen in the cross section of the tile. The first layer called the concrete tile face is a mixture of highly resistant Portland cement, powered white marble and natural pigments. Wear resistance, color and brightness rely's on the quality of this layer. The second layer is a mortar that reinforces the first layer and provides the ability to withstand compression loads. The final layer is a porous mixture for impact strength. Ultimately, the cement tile is easy to clean, non-flammable, and recyclable. Bonus!




For installation, high quality thin-set such as PermaFlex 500 is recommended for setting cement tiles and an application of TerraNano topcoat tile sealer upon completion to protect them from UV, water, debris, and other stains. The final step is a must to keep the original color variations intact, and maintain their colorful beauty! 






Rustico stands by great customer satisfaction and low pricing. Co-Founder Melanie Ocana of Rustico Tile & Stone adds, “Our business strategy is to offer wholesale pricing directly to consumers. By combining these wholesale prices with steeply discounted freight rates,  our goal is that the ‘delivered’ price is significantly less expensive than their local retail price.  We feel so strongly about the quality and beauty of our products. So, we offer a “Lowest Price Guarantee in the U.S.” 





MANY THANKS to Rustico Tile & Stone!
You can connect with Rustico Tile & Stone on their

Image credits: With thanks to Michelle Symmons

This is a "sponsored post." I only recommend products I believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are mine.This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR. Part 255.


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Friday, April 18, 2014

MoD Product Buzz: Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control

(MoD Design Guru received the thermostat from Honeywell in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine)

Wouldn't it be extremely cool if your thermostat could talk to back to you? "Hello Thermostat, I'm feeling cold. Can you increase the heat? Guess what, the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart thermostat with Voice Control would understand this command and many other complex commands to raise or lower the thermostatic temperature in your home. It is built to listen to your voice! Honeywell has sent me my very own to review and I was blown away! The thermostat is very easy to install and use. Its really fantastic......it's able to interpret spoken requests and learn from them by using your homes WiFi connection. I played around with mine and found  all you have to say to activate the device is, "hello thermostat, make it 3 degrees hotter," and it did it! From more then 10 feet away while folding laundry, I said, "hello thermostat, make it 69 degrees," and it did it! If you want, you can also use it manually but its so smart why do that?! 






Besides the smart technology, I found some nice features: first, you have the ability to change its background color. My kids love this feature! One day they turned it to yellow and the next day it was pink and so on. So go ahead and customize what you want to either match your decor or your mood for the day! Second,  you can link your thermostat to your iPhone or Android with an easy mobile app. So don't worry, if your away on a business trip or on vacation, you can control your homes climate from afar. How great, you will be able to come home to a temperature your heart desires. Love it! 

Wanna WIN your own Honeywell Wi-Fi smart thermostat?

Did I say prizes?

Yes!, enter to win below. Honeywell offered me (1) one to GIVEAWAY! (Entrants must live in the United States and Canada. Before entering the contest, please check if your system is compatible for installation. Read here before entering..) 

Good luck! 
To enter the contest, 
like MoD Design Guru FB page and 
like Honeywell FB page. That's it!




You can connect with Honeywell on their 
WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, TWITTER,GOOGLE+

Image credits: Honeywell

This is a "sponsored post." The company sponsored me in exchange for a review. Regardless, I only recommend products I believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are mine. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR. Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

To get a daily dose of design, find MoD Design Guru on
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

JDR Industry Blogger Awards: MoD Design Guru Best Blogger Architecture 2014

Yippeeee! MoD Design Guru is the winner in the Architecture category in the 2014 JDR Industry Blogger Awards!! I can't thank all of YOU enough for all of your support and taking the time to vote! It means a lot!!  The site earned a badge for display and a $500 prize! The contest really generated a lot of excitement....MDG was really dragging behind in the contest but ended up beating sites that I really admire (wowser)........competitors that are tremendous blogs and online magazines such as Decoist and Designhunter!!



Congratulations to the other winners too!! 

xoxo, Michele

To get a daily dose of design, find MoD Design Guru on