I must apologize for not offering any new recipes to you over the last couple of weeks. Getting ready for Christmas and a baby has made things a little extra busy around here, so getting inventive in the kitchen has hit the back burner for a bit. There’s just less time for inspiration to strike when you’re busy trying to get everything on that to-do list done! I’m sure you all know exactly what I’m talking about.

That does not mean that I haven’t had my head in the kitchen, though! Our kitchen really is the heart of our home, as it is for all of the houses I design. It’s where we gather, where natural conversation unfolds about the meaningful stuff of life, where we create together, where we nurture each other with sustenance. Perhaps that’s why I love designing kitchens so much! It means a lot to me that the heart of the home is a happy one…and one that is as functional as it is beautiful.

With all of that said, you’ll understand why I am swooning to the point of needing a fainting couch over today’s Design Find. You think I exaggerate? I do not. Whenever a product is released that marries luxury with practicality, I get rather animated. And with this new product find, I’m basically giddy and jonesing for my next kitchen design project {or my next house so I can use this for myself!!}.

We all know and love the look of a white marble slab kitchen counter. It’s been a classic for literally centuries, but it’s also been a practical cook’s biggest dilemma. Here’s the thing: White marble + red wine, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes or anything else acidic and staining = disaster. Like, instantly. Marble is so porous that it immediately absorbs whatever you place on it, meaning that a pristine and beautifully veined white marble kitchen counter will quickly become mottled and stained if you actually cook in your kitchen.

Man made substitutes abound, but nothing has come close to replicating the natural veining and beauty of real stone. Until now. In fact, what if I told you that the kitchen pictured above was finished with manmade marble slabs? Yep. They are totally beautiful and totally not the real thing, baby. And I bet even my most discerning designer friends would never have known it if I hadn’t told you!

{Manmade Calacutta marble slab}

These incredible slabs – made and imported from Italy – are seriously this designer’s dream come true. With all of the performance of a man-made product – impermeable, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, totally stain resistant and beautifully hard wearing – these slabs are also as close to the real thing as I’ve ever seen. They can even be bookmatched to achieve the decadently custom look you see in the images below:

{Image via Pinterest}

{Image via Croma Design}

These revolutionary stone slabs are being made in a variety of stone replicas, including marbles and travertines. The slabs are 1/4″ thick, but can be mitred for as big an edge build-up as your sweet-loving heart desires.

Availability will start to increase as of January 2014, so get out the AutoCAD and start designing, friends! Those previously inaccessible kitchens just became a reality, proving dreams really do come true. This might just be enough to make me want to move so I can create a whole new kitchen. Oh boy. Those are dangerous words!

For more information on product specs and availability, contact Luis at Trends & Trades.

xo
s.