Hello, Gentle Readers! I got a bit behind schedule, so there’s a lot to tell you!
The countertops are in!!! And I have to say, they’re GORGEOUS.
Let me back up for a moment: I realize that I didn’t give you any insight into how I decided to use a natural stone for our counters instead of an engineered stone, such as Caesarstone or Silestone.
Originally, I DID think I’d go with one of these more durable materials. The Chinoiserie backsplash is going to be the star of the kitchen, and I’ve been vigilant about making sure nothing competes with it. So I was thinking that a smooth and uniform look would be best.
But then I realized that in that design scenario — white cabinets in the main kitchen, white or gray counters, backsplash neutral so it doesn’t compete with the Chinoiserie — the pendulum might be swinging too far into the direction of boring. And the price difference is negligible.
So I opted for marble, which has natural color and pattern variations.
Now. Ideally, if one is using natural stone in one’s kitchen, one sees the slab in person before purchasing. It’s a big investment, after all. So I saw several pieces of different kinds of marble with Richard, Aidan Design‘s amazing countertop guy. None floated my boat, though: I wanted a veiny marble, and the slabs we saw were pretty uniform. We were planning to carry the marble up the backsplash of the butler’s pantry (as well as use it for all of the counters), so I wanted it to be dramatic. Naturally ;)
Sometime after our field trip, Richard sent me a picture of this slab of Calacatta Belgia marble…
…and asked if I could come out to the depths of Virginia to see it. In short, I couldn’t. But it looked perfect, so based on the picture and Richard’s assurance, I signed off on it.
Then Richard sent 2 layout options for me to consider. This may not have been the final design, to be honest, but you get the idea…
See where it says “Full Splash, Do Not Cut?” That’s the butler’s pantry countertop and backsplash; the vein pattern continues from one to the other. Pretty cool.
The cut slabs arrived in our back garden:
And in it went!
Calacatta Belgia marble differs from the popular Carrara in that it’s quite veiny, with warm tones running through it. I’m not sure how well you can see that here.
At this point, we can USE the kitchen, which makes all the difference in the world. Once the floor is stained, we’re in the home stretch.
Bossy color | Annie Elliott interiors is based in Washington, D.C. Outrageously beautiful homes start with color.