msrose the product i used on the fireplace is called DAP All-Purpose Stucco Patch. It's in a red, black and white container. My husband had it in the garage from our old house which was stucco on the outside. It is in a 32oz container. I have no idea if it comes in larger sizes. It's very thick. I actually rubbed it on with my hands and wiped it off. Very messy technique. I wouldn't recommend it. But, I didn't want it really thick. Wanted some of the brick to show. The other reason I did it by hand was because of the grout lines. I felt like i had to rub it in there really good. There is probably an easier way but as thick as that stuff was, I don't know. I just did it on a whim. I am no professional (LOL) for sure (Im in the IT business, definitely not a decorator). I then painted over it with really watered down flat paint to tint it off white. Hope this helps. Sorry I don't know any more about it. Some of the pros on here may be able to add some suggestions to this. I am so glad i did it! I have gotten a lot of compliments on it in person. Here are some additional pictures below. The floor brick you can see in the 2nd one is what it looked like before I put the stucco on it.

There's a ton of information online comparing dyes vs stains. I just did a quick google and this guy sums it up pretty well: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodnews/march_2006/alan_noel_march.html The two dyes I've used are Moser and Transtint. Moser is a powder you mix with water, and transtint is a liquid that you can mix with water or some other solvent (I forget what exactly, since I always use water). I buy them from Lee Valley and Rockler. Using water as the solvent raises the grain slightly and requires a light touch of knock-down sanding afterwards to smooth the wood back out. To be honest, I'm not sure you'll be able to capture the iridescent quality of the mahogany with a satin finish. I suspect the satin is breaking up the reflectivity of the grain that causes the iridescence. But it's worth some experimentation if you're up for it. Take your gloss-finish sample and rub it with steel wool to see if it softens the glossy look enough for you. Buy a few grades of steel wool and work your way down from finest to coarsest to see if you get a look you like. If you've ever used a "corrective" type of car "wax" like a polish or glaze, you can also try that instead of the steel wool (assuming you have some laying around). A very fine sandpaper like 1000 or 600 might also do the trick (might want to wet-sand if you go that route). I've never personally used Waterlox so I can't comment on how many coats you need. If it's being applied with a brush then usually 2-3 coats are sufficient. I found another article on mahogany here you might like. I'm glad to see that the author also recommends finishing with gloss then softening by hand-rubbing (always like to see confirmation that I'm not full of cr*p, lol). http://www.craftsman-style.info/finishing/071-mahogany.htm I do feel obligated to point out that my viewpoint is that of an "artisan" versus "contractor/production". Your contractor may well reject these suggestions as too labor intensive or fussy.

It does look great, just a little more subtle than Asian Tiger. So glad you like it. countrygal 905 - Marmoleum is made from natural raw materials while vinyl is chemical based. Marmoleum is a good choice for a number of reasons, especially if you prefer natural products. Think of buying your flooring at the grocery store as opposed to the gas station. In addition, the colors in Marmoleum are softer and more natural looking than vinyl. Here's a link with more info: Here is a link that might be useful: Marmoleum

Arch, MacDonald has so many tartans (it’s a big clan) you can have every color there is! My grandfather was a Fletcher so I use that as well. Plus I really love the Ancient Mackenzie, but it’s hard to find. Tvq1, I like black, but the dresser is black, the couch is black and the kitchen cabinets will be black (one big open space) so I was trying for some color. As to the gauntlet grey I wanted dark, so it worked for me. I really wanted to paint the cabin black but hubby said no! This was our compromise. I painted my old house mindful grey, which is the same strip just a few shades lighter. Here’s a pic of the house in mindful grey with black fox shutters. It’s a pretty grey.