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concrete, granite, quartz & other Kitchen Countertops
Portfolio of Innovative Countertops ( Continued) back
Old Calcutta
For Dawn Wattles, AKBD, design consultant at Indianapolis, IN-based Cabinetry Ideas, a recent countertop project took full advantage of her client’s love of marble.
“We chose Calcutta Gold Select for the countertop by the sink and Blue Pearl granite on the island, with marble again on the perimeter. While we haven’t seen much marble, it’s definitely coming back,” she says. “This project was driven by the fact that the client just loved the old Roman period and the marble reminded him of that feeling.”
She continues: “I steered him away from using marble near the cooktop area and got him back to granite on that area. We were worried about the heat-resistant properties, but also the durability. We also wanted to conceal the cooktop more and were including a beautiful white marble. If we were to drop a black cooktop in there then it would show up like a sore thumb.”
She concludes: “He would have been happy to do marble on the entire thing because he loved that marble, but it wouldn’t have functioned properly if used that way. It was a lot easier to make it blend, and it created a more unique look.”
Form and Function
When it comes to countertop form and function, there is definitely a sense of chicken-versus-the-egg syndrome, designers note.
Moon offers: “Overall what we’re seeing is a variety of countertop choices based on functional and aesthetic needs. So for instance, we will install a wood top for warmth, like a black walnut distressed countertop, because people want something that is warmer near where they sit. However, if you put a wood top next to a sink, you’re going to have to fix it later.
“So, once you get past the way it looks, then you get to the way it performs,” she says. “Some people want to know right up front how they have to care for a material, or if they have to seal it. Kitchens are fine tuned to the individual – function reigning.”
To that end, she recalls a project she did for a professional chef.
“On either side of the range we used stainless steel countertops because they provide a smooth, sanitary surface for easy prep and clean up. The butcher block top was placed directly across from the range to allow ample chopping space,” she points out. “To complement that look, black granite was used adjacent to the butcher block as well as on the raised bar top,” she adds.
All edge profiles were kept simple so that clean up was easier as well.
“The black granite is also low maintenance while adding an elegant beauty to the look,” she says.
“For people who want a white countertop, but are afraid of one speck of dust showing up, then [deciding between form and function] can certainly become a problem,” adds Rosenhaus.
He concludes: “Ultimately, you want to make sure the countertop wears for legitimate reasons. Have it reflect yourself.”
Multiple Options
As much as designers and fabricators can devise is what is available in terms of materials, Moon notes.
“As a designer, I certainly don’t feel like I am limited anymore, because there are so many things to choose from today. No longer do you have to do everything the exact same way throughout the kitchen,” she points out.
While again referencing the black walnut tops, Moon points out that the look can be buttressed by virtually any other material, including granite and Shirestone, for example.
“More people are definitely moving toward the honed finishes as opposed to the shiny finishes,” adds Rosenhaus. “People are trying to get away from the shiny looks, so they are going toward slate, which is honed, as well as sandstone and limestone.”
He also describes somewhat of a “signature” approach he uses on many countertop projects.
“I think of slate as sculpture because I mold the bowl with the countertop. One recent project in particular has a bowl that is the same as the countertop, while [others] feature slate with a stainless bowl,” he says.
He continues: “Hopefully, the people who are doing the multi-material pieces are not just doing it gratuitously because they want to throw everything including the kitchen sink at the design.”
To highlight the possibilities of countertop materials, Moon recounts one recent countertop project that she completed.
“The primary challenge was that the family wanted to eat at a high bar top and wanted it to be warm like a dining table.
Therefore, we selected wood. On the rest of the kitchen we used granite. The other challenge was to find the right color because they didn’t have any budgetary constraints at all,” she notes.
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