White Marble Kitchen Countertops

Photo courtesy of Kitchen and Bath Ideas

I am often asked questions about marble countertops in the kitchen, specifically about the durability of them when I am working with clients on their kitchen design. The fact of the matter is that they are more porous then granite, softer and stain more easily. But….they are gorgeous! Every decision that you make when you are considering a material for your home will have it’s pros and cons. Marble will stain- so if you want perfection then don’t use it. But it is so rich looking, light and bright, and has interesting veining patterns that are so exquisite that I think it is worth the trouble. Besides, perfection is boring anyway! What ever happened to patina – getting better with age and showing some character? Here are some amazing kitchens with marble counters for you to drool over – including my own kitchen!

Photo via Kitchen and Bath Ideas

This is the sink area from the same kitchen as the first image. It looks like carrara marble was used for this countertop, backsplash and sink. The warm dove gray cabinets, brushed nickel hardware are an incredible combination. this kitchen is elegant, rich and unique. I love that sink!!

Photo courtesy of Icon Stone and Tile

Bianco Carrara is one of the most popular choices for kitchen counters. It is bright white with blue-grey veins. Carrara is readily available and one of the less expensive marble choices. Also, Carrara tiles come is a huge variety of shapes and sizes, so if you want to pair your countertop with a matching tile backsplash this is a great option.

Photo courtesy of Icon Stone and Tile

Calacata marble is a little bit warmer in tone then the carrara. It is bright white but the veining is gray and beige so the overall effect is softer. It has distinct veining patterns that move across the slab. It’s also important to note that marble is available in a polished, shiny finish or a honed, matte finish. The polished finish is more stain resistant then the honed. However, the polished finish is more likely to etch then the honed if acidic products are left on the counter, like lemon juice. Marble cleans easily with a mild soap and water mixture.

Photo via Kitchen and Bath Ideas

The backsplash in this kitchen is finished with a slab of marble like the countertops. The look is simple and since there are some other important elements like the tin ceiling and checkerboard floor it makes sense to keep the backsplash simple. The Wolfe 48″ range looks great in here too.

Photo courtesy of Kitchen and Bath Ideas

A marble backsplash was also used in this kitchen to complement the marble countertops, but instead of a slab, tiny subway tiles were used. This creates an interesting texture, and is also less expensive then a solid slab. The open shelves have also been clad in marble. Notice the island countertop is a different, darker stone material in this kitchen. This is something to consider if you want to have counters that will be more stain-resistant in another area of your kitchen.

Kitchen design by de Guilio Kitchen Design

Here is another great example of using marble in just a small quantity in your kitchen. This furniture style island has a beautiful slab of marble with an ogee edge that makes the unit look like an antique credenza. The rest of the countertops are a darker color with a really simple square edge. This treatment makes the island stand apart making it the feature.

Kitchen design by Christopher Peacock Cabinetry photo via Home Porfolio

This kitchen was in an ad for Christopher Peacock Cabinets and has been in all the design magazines. Again, the marble countertop is only used in a small quantity around the perimeter of the cabinets and as a backsplash detail. The light cabinets and counters are a dramatic contrast to the rich wood floors, island top and stools.

Photo courtesy of Kitchen and Bath Ideas

There are many options when it comes to countertop edge profiles. This countertop has an ogee edge detail which makes it feel more traditional and furniture-like. A contemporary kitchen would look better with an extra thick, simple squared off profile.

Photo courtesy of Kitchen and Bath Ideas

Marble countertops can work in contemporary kitchens too. I love the interesting furniture style islands in this kitchen. The white marble tops are such a nice contrast to the rich, dark stain on the lower cabinets and island detail making this room feel crisp.

Photo courtesy of Canadian House and Home Magazine

This sleek, contemporary kitchen has marble counters and a backsplash that pop against the dark Macassar ebony cabinets. It’s a dramatic combination and shows that marble can also be paired with wood cabinetry.

Kitchen design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

Just to prove that I practice what I preach, I recently installed lovely honed Calacata marble counters in my own brand new kitchen. Wrapping the marble over the edge of the island really highlights the veining in this slab and Icon Stone and Tile did an incredible job of matching up the pattern so that the vein just rolls over the edge. The honed finish is soft, and irresistable to touch! It does stain but I like the character. It reminds me of antique marble counters in Europe.

Kitchen design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

One of my favorite details in my kitchen is the hidden spice racks on either side of my range. I had my wall built out so that I could squeeze in 4″ deep shelves that are concealed by sliding marble panels that match the countertops. The panels slide across behind the range to reveal the spice shelves.

I absolutely adore my white marble kitchen countertops! Marble is such a lovely surface to prepare food on, and personally, I think the patina that marble gets with age and use adds to its appeal. Generally, I find that when we are working with clients on their Calgary kitchen or home renovations they are attracted to the look of marble but afraid to use it. Marble does require more careful attention then granite, but its worth the effort. I think the above stunning kitchen photos prove that point!

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Family Friendly Living Room

We have some absolutely terrific clients. We really do get to work with some amazing people. The living room concept that I am going to share here with you is for a family that we have worked with several times over the last few years on their Calgary and Canmore homes. Recently, they purchased a new home and the very traditional furniture we used in the last home would not work in this more contemporary new residence. The trick was finding a way to incorporate the rustic casual look of the new house with the traditional furniture style they are drawn towards while still making the room family friendly. Here’s how we did it.

Photo of the Quartet Sofa by Kravet Furniture

Photo courtesy of Kravet Fabrics

Photo courtesy of JoAnne Fabrics

For the living room we started with this sofa, upholstered in a combination of saddle brown leather with the small toss cushions in light blue linen and the larger loose cushions in a mocha colored chenille. Our clients specifically requested the sofa be a combination of leather and fabric so finding a style that would suit this was a logical place to begin. Leather is of course easy to wipe down, looks better with age and extremely durable – perfect for a room where children will play!

Photo courtesy of Duralee Fabrics

The drapery fabric will be this handsome paisley of taupe, brown and steel-blue. It’s the perfect backdrop for the sofa which will sit in front of the window. This fabric set the tone for the color scheme, and the overall look.

Photo courtesy of Kravet

Photo courtesy of Kravet

Two accent chairs upholstered in this cozy chenille will flank the sofa on the right. These chairs will be perfect for curling up in and reading a book! The fabric is durable and the texture is great for hiding stains and wear. The chairs are elegant, simple and comfy with a capital “C”!

Photo courtesy of Lee Furniture

Photo courtesy of Kravet

This living room is large enough to also accommodate two smaller chairs. These will be upholstered in the menswear inspired hounds-tooth pattern. Adding chairs with a wood arm and slightly different leg shape will break up the styles of furniture in this room. The smaller pattern is a great complement to the texture on the other chairs and the solid fabrics on the sofa.

Photo courtesy of Hickory Chair

Photo courtesy of Kravet

The shape of these hassocks is so interesting and they will be stunning upholstered in this fun blue and khaki zebra print. These will sit in front of the fireplace and provide extra seating when the family entertains. Of course I adore anything animal print! I like this one especially because of the unusual color combination. Hassocks in general are really functional pieces of furniture. They can be moved easily around the house, can have storage built-in to them and are nice to look at!

Photo courtesy of Restoration Hardware

The coffee table has to be something that can stand up to the harsh conditions of a toddler! This lovely model from Restoration hardware will look better with more bangs and bruises – a patina of sorts.

Photo courtesy of Vanguard Furniture

Weathered wood is all the rage these days (check out my previous post) and this table sports this finish beautifully. It has a traditional look but with simple lines.

Photo courtesy of Vanguard Furniture

Adding a different material, like metal, lightens up all the wood furniture pieces and provides a different texture. This little side table has a different colored wood top and a terrific base that lifts up and down.

Currently, all these pieces have been ordered for our clients and now we are patiently awaiting their arrival. I can hardly wait to see the finished product! These clients are such a joy and I was so happy when they called on us once again to help with this new project. I know that the room that Corea Sotropa Interior Design has created for them will exceed their expectations!

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Some Inspiring Images

As an interior designer, I am constantly looking for things that inspire my designs. Often times it’s a fabric or a painting. Sometimes it is a homeowner’s treasure or a colorful area rug. I also travel a lot to get inspired and take in different cultures, styles and architecture when I am there. Visiting design centers in other cities has been a great source of ideas too. But over the past year, I have found a completely different source for my inspiration. The internet! I follow a lot of different blogs and read many magazines on-line that feature incredible work by other designers from across the world. These projects are a great source of ideas for interior design renovations and custom furniture for our Calgary clients. Here are a few images that have recently caught my eye and may become the inspiration for some up and coming projects.

Kitchen design by Matthew Quinn photo via Things That Inspire

Recently this kitchen photograph was posted by Things That Inspire. It is in designer’s showhouse in Atlanta, and not something that I would have ever seen if it wasn’t for the brilliant writer of this blog. I find that the kitchens she features in particular are stunning. This kitchen has some incredibly beautiful details, like the curved paneled doors on the cabinets, double islands, sculptural metal hood fan, rich wood island countertops and simple but dramatic marble backsplash. When I saw this kitchen it took my breath away. Perhaps a design element featured in this kitchen will make its way into a future project of ours. There are so many lovely details featured!

Interior design by Warner Massucco Miller via House Beautiful Magazine

The work of the up and coming design team Warner Massucco Miller based in California was recently showcased on the cover of House Beautiful Magazine. I was completely taken with the above living room. The light palette, and combination of pale blue and bright coral really caught my attention. This room is youthful, fresh and still sophisticated. If I were to suggest this color scheme to a client they might not fully be able to picture the final outcome. Showing this photograph would help them visualize how a small bit of bright color and light walls still feels warm and inviting.

Interior design by Tobi Fairley Interior Design

One of my favorite blogs to follow is by the very talented interior designer Tobi Fairley. Often I have featured photographs of her work because I find her style to be very appealing, current and inspiring. What I like so much about this room is the pop of yellow accents and the fabulous geometric pattern on the furniture. Normally, I would select a solid or a textured fabric for a large upholstered piece like this and leave the pattern for the pillow. I adore how she has done the exact opposite, and it looks incredible. It reminds me to think outside of the box and that going bold usually results in an amazing space!

Interior design by Amanda Nisbet

Another interior designer whose work I find irresistible is Amanda Nisbet. If memory serves me correctly, I first learned about her work from the first blog I started to follow, All The Best which happens to be an incredible source of information on the design scene. This lovely little bathroom is high on style even though it is short on space. The shelf hung above the tiny sink is the perfect solution providing a place for display or storage and the damask wallpaper is a show stopper! I am currently working on a renovation in Calgary where the powder room is miniscule, and this photograph helped my client to visualize the design I was suggesting. Now, I think it is important to note that although I often show these photographs to our clients, we NEVER copy what is in the photograph! For instance, the bathroom I am working on will have a different sink and faucet, instead of wallpaper we will use vertically laid, large-scale marble subway tile, the shelf will be painted white with a glass countertop, and the lights and mirrors are completely different. The only thing that is the same is the idea of a shelf mounted above a wall hung sink. This photo enabled my client to understand what that could look like.

Interior design by Victoria Hagan via the blog Habitually Chic

This incredibly gorgeous bathroom is simple and serene. I can picture it in a Victorian house in Elbow Park or Mount Royal – two very picturesque neighborhoods in Calgary. The small-scale hex tile on the floor has lovely texture, the narrow cabinets flanking the tub are ingenious for storage and the vanities are simple and that chrome adds a touch of sparkle. Then there’s that glorious tub with lots of space around it. This bathroom was featured on the blog Habitually Chic written by the fabulous Heather Clawson of NYC. She always showcases the most elegant rooms and her blog is a constant source of information and inspiration.

I constantly find myself studying architectural and design details everywhere I go. I think of it as part of my job – keeping current on what is happening on the design scene and analysing what works and what doesn’t.  Having incredible images like these from blogs and magazines readily available for me to examine and learn from has been a wonderful resource for our projects at Corea Sotropa Interior Design. If you are considering renovating or remodeling, I highly suggest that you check out these blogs and designers or some of the other incredible images available on the internet so that you can compile some ideas and concepts. It’s inspiring seeing what is happening in interiors today!

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Design Destination – Tuscany

Photo of Tuscan Countryside courtesy of Luxury Italian Weddings

About a month ago my design assistant, Ashley, and I both received a strange message on our Facebook page.  The Italian Chamber of Commerce was taking interior designers on a tour of Tuscany to learn about Italian made products and they wanted to know if we were interested in going along. Honestly, I thought it was a joke at first, but Ashley decided to look into it more seriously. Much to my surprise and delight it was absolutely legitimate and an incredible opportunity not to be missed! I couldn’t believe our luck!

Photo of Florence courtesy of Flickr

Photo of Siena courtesy of Destination360

Photo of the Cinque Terre region courtesy of A House In Tuscany

The trip includes a tour around Tuscany, meetings with local craftsmen, manufacturers and suppliers, a visit to a European trade show and the chance to meet other designers from around Canada, the United States, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. We were able to extend our trip for a few extra days so that we can see Florence, Siena and hopefully get up to Cinque Terre as well. We will see some incredible works of art at the Uffizi Gallery, have dinner in an amazing restaurant at Villa San Michele over looking the red tile roofs of Florence, and hopefully get to see a marble quarry or two. I know, it sounds like a really rough business trip, but someone has to do it!

Photo of Botticelli’s Venus at the Uffizi courtesy of HistoriaWeb

 The Loggia Restaurant  at Villa San Michele

The Heart of the Marble Quarry. Photo courtesy of Travel Pod

Needless to say, both of us are extremely excited and honored to be selected to go on this adventure! We can’t believe our good luck and are just so happy that we were contacted. This is such a generous gift from the Italian Chamber of Commerce, and we are so looking forward to finding some wonderful things to bring back with us to use in our renovation projects here in Calgary. I’ve prepared some blog posts for you while we are away, and I’ll have lots of new material to share with you when we return. See you soon!

Ciao!

Jacqueline

The Dining Banquette

Photo courtesy of Cottage Living via Apartment Therapy

My Calgary Interior Design firm is currently working on a renovation project where we are proposing a banquette in the kitchen eating area of a townhouse. Banquettes are a smart idea if you are tight on space and want to make the eating area of your home really comfortable. This look is great if you don’t have a formal dining room but want to increase the feeling of luxury in your kitchen. Here are a few banquette inspirations that I will show to my client to give her a sense of how a banquette can make a dining area really come to life! I hope you enjoy this collection of images too!

Design by Sarah Richardson

This button tufted banquette is luxurious and dramatic even though the color palette is very serene. The extra long length makes it suitable for large gatherings too.

Design by Amanda Nisbet Design

Here’s another example of a button tufted banquette, but this one has an extraordinary shape to it. This looks like it is in a hallway, but this design could easily be used to dine on.

Image courtesy of My Home Ideas via Young House Love

The winged back, turned legs and curved detail of this banquette make it a stunner! This is a room you could spend hours in.

Design by Suzanne Kasler photo via Cote De Texas

Banquettes may be built-in like this one designed by Suzanne Kasler. This enables you to extend your cabinetry and gain more storage under the seat if you have a small kitchen.

Photo courtesy of AJC Homefinder.

This banquette has a clean and modern look thanks to its exaggerated height and horizontal channel tufting. I also like how they paired all the modern furniture with the one antique desk on the right. It’s a striking dining area!

Photo courtesy of Décor Pad

This simple banquette with a skirt is appealing with the very classic dining table and chairs. Banquettes work best with pedestal tables like this one.

Photo courtesy of Lee Furniture

Most of the time banquettes are custom-built by a skilled upholsterer, but there are some manufacturers that carry pieces that could be easily used. Lee furniture is available through Domicle here in Calgary and they make some lovely options for banquette seats if you don’t want to have one custom-made.

Photo courtesy of Lee Furniture

The Shelter Wing Sofa is also manufactured by Lee Furniture. The long bolster cushion on this model is so pretty.

Photo courtesy of Lee Furniture

This curved settee also from Lee Furniture is perfect if your banquette is not right against a wall.

After showing my client these charming photos of dining banquettes I hope that she goes for one! I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime, I hope you have found these photos inspiring.

Cheers!