A beautiful kitchen backsplash

This beautiful kitchen features tiles from our Clermont Collection.  Limestone was used for both the decorative tiles and the plain tiles throughout the backsplash.  Click on any of these pictures to see a larger version.

The backsplash area behind the stove showcases the Clermont Upright Mural.  It is a colorful pattern with an intricate design. See a more detailed photo below:

This design has a number of colors - gold, green, blue and burgundy.  However, the name we chose for this color scheme is Azul.

Here is a close up of so you can see the detail and color of this design.

The Clermont Listello runs along the entire backsplash as a border and 6" x 6" Clermont Accent tiles have been placed in a few key areas. 

These accents are shown on our Limestone tile.

Here is a list of the exact tiles uses in this kitchen:

PTN700200-A CLERMONT UPRIGHT Mural - AZUL

BTN700300-A CLERMONT Listello - AZUL

ATN700103-A CLERMONT THREE Accent - AZUL

ATN700102-A CLERMONT TWO Accent - AZUL

Click on this link for a printable file (PDF) of the whole Clermont Collection.

Sage Green Inspiration from KraftMaid Cabinets

We have been seeing a bit of a renaissance for our Minore Collection lately. Inquiries and purchases are definitely up in the last few months. Below are some photos of the Minore Pattern tiles in the Charcoal-Green color, paired up with some beautiful KraftMaid cabinets.  LOVE the sage green color of the cabinets.

And take a look at KraftMaid's website if you have a chance - www.kraftmaid.com.  Beautifully designed and easy to navigate, it is full of inspiring photos and lots of great information.  They are currently offering a Define Your Style Contest.  You get to play around with colors, styles, finishes and accessories and build your own digital Inspiration Board.  Lots of fun to do.  

And if the joy of creating isn't its own reward, you also have the chance to win $50,000 towards your dream kitchen!  Wouldn't that be great?  So stop wasting time on Facebook and Twitter (and reading silly blogs like this) and get on over there to release some of that creative energy!

Happy Independence Day to our Southern Neighbors

Tomorrow Mexico celebrates its Independence Day, which commemorates the start of its independence from Spanish rule.  It took over ten years of battles before the official Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire was made, but the "Grito de Dolores" on September 16, 1810 sparked the movement towards freedom.

What? 
Isn't Cinco de Mayo the big Mexican holiday?

You are not alone in your confusion.  Many people think Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican version of the United States Fourth of July.  But May 5th is actually a celebration of the Mexican Army's victory over the French invaders in 1862, many years after they had gained their independence from Spain.

Perhaps the very successful marketing efforts of the tequila and beer companies have led us astray.  How could anyone resist such subtle imagery?

 

Our distributor in Mexico recently sent us some pictures of their work.  Ruiz T is located in Huatabampo, Sonora.  Their city happens to be known as "Tierra de Generales" (Land of Generals) because several high ranking generals in the revolutionary war were hometown boys.  I'm sure the celebrations in their neck of the woods are going to be quite festive.

Ruiz T offers full service kitchen design and installation and and has been in business for over 20 years.  Their quality and craftsmanship are evident in their custom doors and wood furniture and shelving.  They do everything from fixtures, lighting, sinks, appliances and windows down to the last little detail like hinges, pulls for cabinets and doorknobs. 

They have a great looking website and last week they sent us these beautiful kitchen pictures:

Elegante Mural in a beautiful kitchen backsplash

Closer view of Elegante Mural. 
Check out those cool metal roosters.  I want them.

Lemons Mural framed with the Regatta Listello and Travertine Rope Liners.

A closer view of the Lemons Mural.

Gracias, Hector for the wonderful pictures.  Your photographer does an amazing job!

And Happy Independence Day to all of our Mexican friends!  

(I would try to write that in Spanish, but I (stupidly) took French classes in high school and college.  Pardonnez-moi, Monsier Lawrence, mais je le regrette!)

Mexican Flag image from Christian Frausto Bernal from Tepic, Nayarit, MEXICO

Yes, wood DOES grow on trees....good advice from a Kitchen Designer

Here is a great article from Kitchen Sync about the details of wood and its characteristics in kitchen cabinets.  Excellent information for anyone thinking about a kitchen renovation and for people like us who know nothing about cabinets.  We know stone, but wood is a whole different animal.  That is why we always keep an eye out for good information that we can pass along.

Kitchen Sync is another excellent blog that we recommend.  Kelly Morisseau is a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer and a Certified Interior Designer.  Her blog is overflowing with great ideas, smart ways to solve problems, and excellent advice that you can only get from a person who has an extraordinary amount of experience and training.

Kelly has a tip for people who don't want any natural variations in their wood cabinets - either be prepared to pay extra or go with something else.  As she says, "The beauty of wood is in its characteristics."  

We sometimes run into similar issues regarding natural stone.  We think the natural imperfections, color variations and veining or holes in the stone add to the beauty.  But some people request that we hand pick stone with certain characteristics for their order.  For example:

"Pick stone with no holes at all."  

"Choose only lighter colored tiles."

"Pick a combination of shades of off white and beige colors with a preference towards the beige."

Yup.  That last one is for real.  We do everything in our power to give someone what they have requested and our regular practice is to reject tiles with significant holes, cracks or chipped edges.  But if you know you are too OCD to handle the inherent tumbled edges, shading variations and small imperfections - natural stone tiles are probably not for you.  It's okay to admit it.  There are plenty of ceramic tiles* to choose from.

Our Grape Harvest mural on 6x6 Light Travertine is a good example of how the natural variations in the stone enhance the beauty of the warm, rustic artwork.

*We do have a way to put our designs on ceramic or porcelain tile, but we use an outside service and the lead times can be 2-3 months out.  It is not something we have added to our main product line, but we can do special requests. The lead time on our natural stone products is 2 weeks in production and then it is out the door.

Kitchen picture at the top is courtesy of Bartel Kitchen & Bath in Buhler, Kansas.

Pattern tiles for a kitchen backsplash

We just received a picture of this beautiful kitchen from Great Britain Tile.  They used the Minore Antiqued tiles in the Charcoal/Green color as the focal point for the backsplash. The tiles are printed on our 6x6 Light Travertine stone.

The Minore Antiqued is a very subtle fusion of color and patterns.  It is not a design which jumps out at you. Instead, it hints at something old and timeless.  It lingers and slowly unfolds its many turns and mysteries; like an ancient Grecian city or a pathway through the old town of Tangiers.

It is difficult to see the details in this picture, so here is a close up of the pattern:

Minore Antiqued Charcoal/Green on 6x6 Light Travertine

The Minore design is also available in these two colors:

Minore Antiqued Blue/Green on 6x6 Light Travertine

Minore Antiqued Salmon/Green on 6x6 Light Travertine

As with all of our designs, the Minore Antiqued can be made into any size and printed on any stone.  In the kitchen pictured above, it is done on 6x6 Light Travertine tiles, but we can imagine it enlarged and printed on 12x12 tiles for a much bigger impact.  The 12x12 tiles would fill up the 24 inch high by 48 inch wide space in that kitchen and you would have two choices for how to lay it out.   You can emphasize the circular part of the pattern like this:

 

Or make the more square and linear shapes the focal point, like this:

What do you think?  Would you pick circles or squares?

Kitchen cabinet website's Style Quiz

Take a look at Merillat's website. The cabinet manufacturer has a Style Quiz that is just plain fun.

Kitchen cabinets - how to choose?

Kitchen cabinets are an absolutely vital part of any kitchen remodel or kitchen design.  We at StoneImpressions are wise enough to know when NOT to give advice.  We do not have the knowledge or expertise in this area and wouldn't dream of trying to educate you on this.  But we have found some links that are worth sharing.

You should always be the cautious consumer and keep in mind where this information is coming from.  A company that sells stock cabinets might overstate the longer lead times or ordering challenges in custom cabinetry.  A custom cabinet company might exaggerate the quality issues with stock kitchen cabinets.  No matter what information you find on the web, look closely at who is writing it and try to understand what their biases might be.

Cabinetry Comparison Guide by Webinetry.com

Choosing Kitchen Cabinets at ConsumerReports.org

Sorting through Kitchen Cabinet Choices at HGTV.com

Custom Kitchen Cabinets: What you need to know by The Kitchen Designer 

That last link comes from The Kitchen Designer blog which we love!  Susan Serra is a Certified Kitchen Designer who is passionate about kitchens.  Her blog is a great mix of technical and design knowledge along with tips on the latest trends and ideas in kitchen design.  She shares her real world experiences as a working designer and often features great new products as they come out.

If you follow her blog, you will start to understand the enormous value a Certified Kitchen Designer can bring to the table.  There is so much more to good kitchen design than picking out tile and appliances.  Definitely recommended reading.