I’m Kayley Danielson, interior designer for Niche Homes. Today, I’m sharing kitchen finish selections for Niche Development’s first development property.
Side-by-Side Islands
I want to start by talking about this special kitchen. We were able to fit two side by side islands, which is a really unique opportunity. One island will function as a prep space. It will have a sink where you can cook and prepare dinner. And then the adjacent island will act as a dining table. It will have stools that tuck fully underneath.
Quartzite & Quartz
For these side-by-side islands, I have selected quartzite. Quartzite is a natural material that has the same natural beauty as marble with interesting color variation and veining. But it is a much harder material. It is more steam-resistant and more scratch-resistant. It gives us that natural high-end material look we want with more functionality for our modern home.
For the surrounding part of the kitchen, near the refrigerator and near the 60 inch gas range, I’ve selected a man-made quartz material. This one specifically looks like soapstone. Soapstone is a traditional material used in homes on the East Coast. It has a matte-dark finish. By selecting a man-made product, we instantly get antimicrobial properties as well as heat and stain resistance. And this will function really well in a busy family kitchen with high powered appliances.
Mixing Inexpensive and Expensive Finishes
For the backsplash, I have selected a simple white subway. The subway will go from the countertops to the base of the cabinet and all the way around the windows. This is a great example of how we’re mixing inexpensive and expensive finishes to give us a beautiful high-end look.
Traditional white subway tiles aren’t that expensive. Quartzite on the islands will be more expensive. By blending materials, we’re able to stay on budget and make sure we execute an interesting space.
Oak Flooring
Especially in Yalecrest, we have many homes that are able to maintain the original oak wood floors. Unfortunately, we are going to have to pull these wood floors out. But in order to honor the history of this house, we’re going to replace them with new oak floors. I selected a finish for our floor which is more in line with what’s on-trend: a light-white oak, with a gray and whitewash finish. We’re still honoring the past by replacing the original oak floors with real hardwood oak. But we’re bringing it up to date by using a white oak and a white and gray wash on the wood floors.
Mixed Metal Finishes
In the tradition of historic homes, and to make the home both interesting and exciting, we are mixing metal finishes. In the kitchen we will have stainless steel knobs, brass lighting fixtures, and a custom wrought-iron railing on our main staircase. What this does is gives our space a really unique, high-end look with visual interest. It used to be that we had to maintain these certain design goals. If we were going to do brass, brass had to be everywhere. Well, those rules are now gone and we’re able to pick finishes where they make sense and blend them in a tasteful way.
Follow Niche Development’s renovation of historic. More videos and photos on our construction page or join the progress on Instagram.
Niche Homes is a full-service real estate agency specializing in Salt Lake neighborhoods and enclaves. Contact us if you are interested in buying or selling a home.
