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I am delighted to welcome GRANT GIBSON as my guest blogger this week. After a stint in New York gaining professional design experience, he set up his own business in San Francisco in 2002. Grant has participated in the San Francisco Design Showhouse and was named one of the “10 Designers to Watch ” by Domino Magazine in 2009. Grant travels, writes and photographs for his own blog.
A custom sink for the garden room. This format provides a drain board, backsplash and place for a wall mount faucet. This is a honed material. Sealing is required once a year for correct maintenance.
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I simply love stone. From counters in the kitchen to fireplaces in the living room, stone is the perfect material for nearly every room of the house. Its beauty lies in its variation and imperfections, its organic range of shades and tones and its environmental qualities. It is available in countless modules from 1″squares to large 4′ x 7′ slabs. It can have straight or ‘antiqued’ chiseled edges and textured surfaces. It is durable, versatile and easy to maintain. Like a chameleon it can blend in with its surroundings; it can be sleek and modern or rustic and traditional. And, while this post extols its praises for all manner of residential installations, you will find stone in airports, hotels and commercial spaces.
Simple bright white "subway" tile is a good choice for this space. It is a neutral background for everyday essentials.
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The word “backsplash” has become synonymous with renovating, remodeling or creating a new kitchen. It is part of the essential elements of the design. In fact, it can become the defining moment for the ubiquitous white kitchen. However, I have been thinking that tiling the backsplash is not enough in a space that should be easily maintained with a quick wash down. The solution is to tile the entire kitchen.
This is the photo that started me on the quest for dark cabinetry in the kitchen. It is clean and fresh with modern accents. The white floor adds brightness to the space.
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The new or renovated all-white kitchen has become ubiquitous! I was recently on the jury for New York Cottages and Gardens design awards. It was difficult to find the definitive winner in the kitchen category. They were all well designed, functional and attractive. But, it was hard to distinguish one from the other with their Carrara marble counters and matching backsplashes. With that in mind, I went looking for examples of kitchens where dark cabinetry, tiles, counters, walls or floors added a bit of drama.
