Calacatta Gold marble & Raven CaesarStone Kitchen from MGS by Design

Last year we did the countertops in this beautiful remodel done by Tiek Built Homes.
I'm excited to finally show you the pictures!

Photo by Meikel Reece via Tiek Built Homes

Isn't it gorgeous?!?
Here's a Before picture to show you how dramatic the transformation was....

Photo: Tiek Built Homes

They used polished Calacatta Gold marble on the countertops and for the full height backsplash.  When you have such a stunning marble I really do think you should just carry it on up to the backsplash.  It really shows off the marble, it's a great look.  Plus, it's easy to clean.....no grout!

Photo by Meikel Reece via Tiek Built Homes

The edge detail is a laminated Ogee Square.  I love this edge on marble.

Photo by Meikel Reece via Tiek Built Homes

Photo by Meikel Reece via Tiek Built Homes

For the peninsula the homeowner wanted to use a material that was more durable than the marble, plus they were looking for a contrast.  They decided on CaesarStone quartz in the color Raven.  I love how it turned out!  The Raven is a dark grey, it works really well with the Calacatta Gold.

Photo by Meikel Reece via Tiek Built Homes

The Interior Designer on this job was Caitlin Creer. 
Check out Tiek Built Homes blog for more pictures of this home.  Caitlin & Tiek Built Homes really did such a great job, everything turned out beautifully.

Saturday Link Up!

Carla Aston Designed posted an article recently asking Have Granite Countertops Gone Out of Style?  I obviously don't think so.  Go here to see what she thinks!

The kitchen below has granite countertops and it's definitely on trend.   Not out of style at all.  :)

Traditional Kitchen by Toronto Design-Build Firms Capoferro Design Build Group

White kitchens are still crazy popular.  The article 5 Myths About White Kitchens on Cultivate may help put you at ease if you are on the fence about an all white kitchen.

Photo: Cultivate

I didn't realize glass tile dates back to the Romans.  The History of Glass Tile was really interesting to me.  Definitely read it if you have a minute, it's a quick and interesting read.


Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Whiteout Wednesday: 5 White Kitchens with Beautiful & Unique Backsplash Tile

White kitchens and baths are definitely the hottest trend I am seeing right now. It's also the subject I get asked about the most. From white Carrara marble to white quartz there is a lot to consider when using white countertops.
Whiteout Wednesday is a weekly feature where I show five kitchens and/ or baths that have used white in a beautiful way.
If you have a white kitchen or bath that you would like to see featured here please email me.
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All-white kitchens are beautiful & definitely have their place.  If you are looking to add color  to your white kitchen though, using a fun tile backsplash is a great way to accomplish that.
Today I have five really beautiful kitchens that all have unique & fun backsplash tile.

Source

Tile from Ann Sacks.  Photo: Decor Pad via Palmer Weiss

Photo: Better Homes & Gardens

Photo: House of Turquoise

Photo: Better Homes & Gardens

Whiteout Wednesday: 5 White Kitchens with Marble Countertops

White kitchens and baths are definitely the hottest trend I am seeing right now. It's also the subject I get asked about the most. From white Carrara marble to white quartz there is a lot to consider when using white countertops.
Whiteout Wednesday is a weekly feature where I show five kitchens and/ or baths that have used white in a beautiful way.
If you have a white kitchen or bath that you would like to see featured here please email me.
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It's been awhile!  We took a short summer break and now we're happy to be back.

Whiteout Wednesday is still our most popular feature on the blog (and one of our favorite subjects to talk about).  So we'll keep it going for as long as you all still love it.  :)

Today I have 5 really beautiful kitchens that all have marble countertops.
Enjoy!

Photo: WA Today

Photo: David Mitchell

Traditional Kitchen by Dc Metro General Contractors Thorsen Construction

Photo: Better Homes & Gardens

Photo: Traditional Home

Slab Sunday: Rojo Alicante Marble

Rojo Alicante comes from a bedrock quarry near Novelda, Spain.

It is a red marble with white veining. The white veins are concentrations of white and clear calcite.  The red can sometimes lean more toward orange, pink or browns, so be sure to pick out your exact slabs!

Traditional Bathroom by Minneapolis Architects & Designers David Heide Design Studio

 

Contemporary Bathroom by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Jerry Jacobs Design, Inc.

Traditional Bathroom by Wayzata General Contractors Hendel Homes

Other names for Rojo Alicante include:  Rosa Alicante, Alicante Red, Alicante, Alicate Rosso, Roggo Alicante, Roja Alicante, Rojo Alicata, Rossoalicante, Rouge Alicante and Rosso Alicante.

Photo: Classic Design Stone.

 I love this gorgeous kitchen from Baker Marble and Granite.  The edge detail with the mosaic tile is awesome! 

Mediterranean Bathroom by Bonita Springs Architects & Designers Sater Design Collection, Inc.

Traditional Kitchen by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Jerry Jacobs Design, Inc.

Rojo Alicante is available in 2 cm and 3 cm slabs.

6 Kitchens with Full Height Backsplashes

Today I have six beautiful kitchens with Full Height Backsplashes.
Full height splash is just what it sounds like.....we take the stone all the way up from the countertop to the bottom of the cabinets.
Full height splash is usually the most expensive backsplash option (unless you buy a fairly expensive tile). This is due to the labor and also the extra material we need to purchase for the splash.

Photo:  Momax Marble.

Photo: 386 Real Estate.

A lot of people really like the full height backsplash option because there are no grout lines! I've never met a person who likes grout.
Some people choose this option because it gives the kitchen a unified look.
I have also had clients who love their stone so much that they want to see it vertically, they feel it's not justified only on the countertops!

Above photo from Houston Luxury Highrises.

I've done a couple of jobs that the countertop material has been concrete or stainless steel and we've put a granite or marble full height backsplash with it.
The first time we did it with concrete countertops I really thought it was going to be ugly.  They chose a gorgeous granite that looked like a painting and the concrete was really simple.
This way they didn't compete with each other.  Luckily I was wrong and it turned out to be amazing!

Above photo from Pacific Kitchens.

I love how they went all the way to the ceiling in the photo below from Drury Design Showroom. It may be too much for some people, but this granite is definitely a work of art and I love seeing it being shown off.

Photo: Drury Design

 My favorite photo of the day comes from Kitchen Details and Design.  The granite is called Wild West (there are A LOT of different names for this granite, so don't waste your time correcting me). Everything in this kitchen works so well and it isn't too busy at all.  Love it!

Kitchen Details and Design

Slab Sunday: Blue Louise Quartzite

Blue Louise quartzite is quarried in Brazil.

It's hard to find a more dramatic stone than Blue Louise.  Even if you wouldn't ever use this in your own home I think most people will agree it's absolutely stunning.  It's stones like these that just take my breath away...especially when you really stop and consider it comes from the earth.

Asian Kitchen design by Other Metros Design-build Grayling Construction

Photo: Stone Fabricators

Blue Louise is often sold commercially as a granite but technically it is a quartzite.
Quartzite holds up much better in kitchens than marbles do because they aren't calcium based stones, quartzite is composed of silica.  Silica does not react to acids like calcium does, so you won't get the etching that occurs with marble.
All this being said, quartzite is more porous than granite though.  This is why I would prefer that slab yards label the stones as what they actually are.  Customers need to know exactly how the stone will behave.
Quartzites are still a great choice for a kitchen.  They will stain easier than granite, but I personally haven't come across a stain that we couldn't get out.

Photo: krailler

Photo: Smithdesigns

 Blue Louise can change dramatically in color and pattern from bundle to bundle, and even quite a bit from slab to slab within a bundle.  So be sure to select your exact slabs!  This material is so expensive that you want to make sure it's exactly what you want.

Photo: The Stone Cobblers

Photo: Precision Marble & Granite

Blue Louise is a lot to look at.  My advice is to make sure that your cabinets, flooring and everything else in the room are kept very simple.  The kitchen below is a perfect example of how this stone should be used.

Photo source.

Other names for Blue Louise include: Van Gogh, Azul Portofino, Luisa Blue, Blue Louisa, Blue Louise, Blue Luise, Louis Blue, Louisa Blue, Louise Blue and Luis Blue.

Photo: Smithdesigns

Blue Louise is available in 2 cm and 3 cm slabs. 

Bianco Antico Granite Kitchen from MGS by Design

A lot of times we see the oh-so-popular Bianco Antico in cooler colored kitchens. 
We did this install and it was fun to see the change of using the Bianco Antico more with browns and warmer tones.

The slabs were 2 cm.  The homeowner selected a 1 1/2" Half Moon edge detail.  This is definitely one of our most popular edges.

Hello, that's me in the reflection of the microwave.  Nice.

We did windowsills out of the Bianco Antico in the Kitchen and the adjoining Dining Room with the same 1 1/2" Half Moon edge.

*All images property of MGS by Design.*