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A heartwarming episode of "No Demo Reno" on HGTV recently featured our handcrafted 2"x8" Black cement tile. In the season three installment, "Bachelor Pad," interior design extraordinaire and HGTV host Jenn Todryk helped widower Randy Simpson realize the design vision his wife Dawn had for their home before she passed away. Randy shares the house with his oldest son, Brad. His youngest son, Blake, will join them after he graduates college. The project marked Jenn's first all-male reno.

Honoring a Design Dream

Randy, Dawn, and their boys lived in the house for 20 years. When they were getting ready to retire, Dawn watched "No Demo Reno" and started gathering reno ideas. Sadly, she got sick and passed away before they could start the project. Dawn had a very specific wish list for updating their large, outdated kitchen. The two Simpson men showed Jenn Dawn's plans and pictures she tagged online, including an industrial-style vent hood she captioned, "Coolest vent hood ever!" Jenn got emotional as she reviewed Dawn's ideas. She set out to honor Dawn's wishes and create an industrial-meets-rustic cozy living space for "three dudes."

Breaking the Rules

In "No Demo Reno," Jenn offers her clients clever design solutions and saves them money by reconfiguring spaces without doing major demolition. In this case, however, Jenn decided to "break the rules" and honor Dawn's desire to open the kitchen, dining, and living area by removing a non-functional peninsula that chops up the space. Jenn used Dawn's open-concept wishes guide and Randy and Brad's hope for a more modern, larger entertainment space.

Elegant Industrial Elements

An industrial design typically blends wood, metal, stone, and brick. Distressed or antique elements add a rustic feel. Jenn ripped out and replaced the old kitchen cabinets and small island. She removed a window to increase the functional kitchen space and installed a large island with lots of seating.

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Black metal pendants light the island area and hang symmetrically centered across from Dawn's dream dark brown wooden vent hood. Custom gray cabinets flank the hood, and our black cement tile is a gorgeous backsplash that complements the pendants and adds elegant industrial flair.

Whiskey Cabinet Wow Factor

Inspiration for a custom feature piece struck when Jenn spied a collection of bourbon bottles scattered across the peninsula. She enlisted some fatherly advice from her dad in designing a whiskey cabinet to house them. The resulting custom cabinet is stunning! It's the first thing the Simpsons noticed in the kitchen reveal, and we understand why! The weathered brown wood adds rustic charm and matches the oven hood and island. The colorful bottles look striking through the glass doors in the soft cabinet lighting. And our black cement tile offers a sleek contrast to the wood.

Home Makeover Magic

Jenn worked her makeover magic throughout the Simpson home. The kitchen, dining, and living space flows in such a fabulous and functional way. Adding an industrial vibe with a cement tile backsplash offers a fantastic example of how a small amount of strategically placed tile in the kitchen can make a significant design impact. Plus, Randy and Brad's evident joy as they saw Dawn's design dreams shone through in the final reveal. Playing a small part in that happiness is priceless.