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Tile installer David Cloutman from DC Tile is installing the decorative, artisanal tile in the new bathroom for the Rowley Victorian. Cloutman explains that he begins at the bottom, setting the tiles along a level line, with a 3/16-inch grout line to hide any irregularities. Cloutman will follow preset lines for each element of the design, including the border tiles, accent line, and field tiles. He is using a premixed standard tile mastic to set the tiles. Bob watches as he sets the pencil-line tiles, the feature-tile border, and another line of pencil tiles to finish this section of the wall. Patience, Bob notes, is critical to a good tile installation.

Bob talks with Brian Heinz of Pella windows about the large, custom double-hung windows that are being installed in the Manhattan Brownstone. In keeping with the original 1890s-style window, they have selected a one-over-one double-hung window. This window is almost as large as can be ordered to allow the maximum of natural light and air into the apartment. These Pella historic replacement windows blend old-world style with energy-efficient low-emissivity technology. Low-e glass keeps heat in during the cold months and locks heat out during the warm months. The all-wood window frames are clad in aluminum on the exterior to keep them maintenance free. The interior features a historically correct ogee profile around the entire sash and a thicker bottom rail as was the style at the end of the nineteenth century. David Kneeshaw of Keywood Installers joins Bob for the installation of the windows. He shows how the masonry opening is framed in plywood that is glued to the original brick then screwed into place. Two-by-six members are then affixed to the plywood to build the frame out to the proper dimensions. Finally, aluminum receptors are cut to length and ripped before being glued and screwed into place as receptors for the new window. The caulking makes for a secure installation that fights off water penetration. These custom windows cost approximately $1,000 apiece and feature the new Vivid View high-tech screens from Pella.

Bob meets with Jonathan Adler and Darren Brown to discuss the penthouse apartment's main living spaces. The two-bedroom apartment is almost a loft with its wide-open floor plan. Unlike most older New York apartments this one has great natural light. The designers are choosing deep earthy tones in the fabrics that will complement the natural brick wall and rustic structural beam. In the second bedroom/office, a skylight helps lighten the room so that crisp colors as well as dark browns can be used to make the space inviting and casually livable. Adler is using David Hicks for inspiration on the office layout colors and lines. The late David Hicks (1929-98) came to prominence in the 1960s with his eclectic style, bold use of color and his mantra, 'Interior Decoration is the art of achieving the maximum with the minimum'

Bob joins the project's interior designer, Jonathan Adler, in the guest bedroom to discuss the decor. Adler used a Lucite shelf to add storage space without making the small room appear smaller. The rug is goatskin and the bed is from the West Elm Catalog, a local Brooklyn retailer that specializes in "urban living". The room is painted in Wheatland Beige from Bob's Signature line of paints. In the second bedroom Adler borrowed ideas from David Hicks to design a sumptuous office. He uses bold patterns, colors and materials to mix pop art with luxury. Bob points out a 1970 reproduction Thonet rocking chair made with chrome instead of the typical bentwood.

Dupont has provided a new product for the solid surface kitchen counters called Zodiaq, which is made of natural silica, quartz, and about eight percent polymer. Zodiaq quartz surfaces are made of a naturally refractive material that gives it a subtle sparkle. It is extremely hard making it resistant to scratches, chips, cracks or dulling and not porous making it hard to stain. The man-made stone countertops are easier to care for than 100% natural stone and are installed in the same manner. In our kitchen the installer used a technique called a mason�s mitre that gives the joint between the pieces additional surface area for the polyester epoxy to bond. The epoxies from Dupont are specially formulated to match the countertops color. David Miller from Desavino and Sons is on hand to explain the countertop installation. One of the unique things about a Simplex house is the exacting consistency of measurements. A digital image is sent from Simplex to the countertop fabricator and they either create a template from the image, or cut the countertop directly from the image provided by Simplex.

Bob and architect Michael Pierce review the elements of DD Allen's interior design for the Miami condo. While the dominant colors throughout are calm whites and blue grays, Pierce stresses that he and Allen choose to punctuate their designs with punches of furniture and color. The magenta Morrison three couch, which is a recumbant three draws the eye as does the purple velvet chair from the 1940s. These strong punches of color are offset by a series of black and white photos by Miami photographer Iran Itzakhan, the Kagan white kidney couch, and the white art deco-style table made by project supervisor David Southard through his furniture-making business, DS Woodworks.

The Miami condo is completed with the last touches to the balcony patio. David Southard, the project supervisor, created a free-standing bench of spruce, painted white with stainless-steel bolts to resist rust. It is topped with a fabric-covered, mattress-like cushion and throw pillows as accents. The floor has an all-weather vinyl rug from the Frontgate catalog and a pomegranate ceramic urn from Tuscany as a color accent, also from Frontgate. A custom pedestal table, made from leftover Formica used in the kitchen and edged to match the counters, has colorful stools that welcome guests to the outside and a view of Biscayne Bay.