Columbia Showcase Blog

Every magazine that you open you shows it, every dream kitchen on Pinterest has it, they never hesitate to use it on HGTV…so why not marble?

As a kitchen and bath designer in Mid-Missouri, marble is one of the more frustrating topics that I have to deal with. As much as I love the way these kitchens look and want you to have exactly what you’re looking for, I cannot sleep at night if I’m not completely honest with my clients about the hazards of putting this stone in your kitchen. Marble is not an easy stone to live with; it requires careful attention and a delicate lifestyle to ensure that you never have issues with it. If you have children, YOU WILL HAVE ISSUES. It’s not just red wine that will affect this stone; anything acidic will have a similar affect. The acid of a drop of orange juice left on your tops will etch the stone and leave an unsealed spot to snatch up that smear of leftovers that will leave you with a more than likely permanent stain. Glasses of water left to condensate on your countertops will somehow leave a ring that you see every time you step back and the natural light shines in. I’ve even heard of it absorbing the oils from a lotion bottle through the plastic and leaving a permanent ring. It’s also very soft, so even if you are extremely careful with acidic things, it can bruise (yes it’s as ugly as it sounds!) and chip very easily.

      When I first stepped into this kitchen it was all wrong for this beautiful, historic home. The original architectural details were all intact until you hit the kitchen. It was clear that someone had recently replaced the cabinetry and tops (and someone had done a disservice to the home). The first issue with this kitchen was the 48” high half wall/bar peninsula that broke up the space and isolated anyone working in the kitchen from seeing out. The second issue was that the appliances were located awkwardly and the layout was not great for prepping, cooking, cleaning, or serving. My clients expressed that they really wanted to open up the space and rearrange everything. After finding out that a wall they wanted to eliminate was load bearing, they looked to me to come up with a kitchen plan that would open up the space. Some of the obstacles were unsightly soffits that could not be moved, a chimney that jutted into the space, and grill heating units that could not be removed. We ended up moving all appliance locations and gave them a very functional work triangle. We opened up the space by eliminating the peninsula and adding a center island. We also added a doorway to the kitchen that opened up to a hallway which really improved the flow of the house in general. By putting the refrigerator and pantries on one wall, we were able to cover up one of the soffits almost entirely with false doors that went all the way to the ceiling. We went with white cabinets with inset construction and a flat panel door and brought in a rich chocolate stain for the island. We kept a traditional feel with the moldings and details but kept clean lines to give it the simple classic look that the rest of the house had. We went to the ceiling with the cabinets and did glass doors with mullions to break up all the white. We decided on latch style hardware that highlighted the antique meets modern look that the clients wanted. The countertops are quartzite to give that marble look without having to commit to the high maintenance aspects of marble. This kitchen embodies what I love about kitchen and bath design. There were many obstacles that proved to be a challenge. It was a puzzle that needed solving and there was nothing “cookie cutter” about this design. The improvement to the home was outstanding, and most importantly, my clients were thrilled with the outcome.

When it comes to choosing the hardware for your cabinetry, it can be an overwhelming task, as there are so many different options. As a designer, it is our goal to help our clients pick the right hardware to fit their cabinet style and their space as hardware makes a big impact on the cabinetry. We like to think of it as “jewelry” for your cabinetry.

When it comes to hardware, there are a few different questions that we frequently get asked by clients. The first one is whether the hardware finishes need to match the other fixtures such as faucets and lights. The answer is no, they do not all need to match. The finishes need to blend together and complement each other, but mixing various metals and finishes is very common.