Elegance Meets Functional in Kitchen Flooring and Backsplash

David and Barbara of Hanover Township live in a traditional 1960's two-story colonial. They've lived in the home for decades, raised a family and now have many grand children who visit their home. The cramped layout and outdated appearance of the kitchen wasn't functional anymore for their lifestyle and they decided that it was time for a change.

When they came into H. Winter at the start of their project to find new flooring and backsplash, they were excited for their new cherry wood kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and lemon spice granite countertops. They designed a kitchen layout that eliminated the peninsula, which Barbara described as cumbersome since it extended into the space where the refrigerator door opened. By eliminating the peninsula, they were able to get a custom center island and create a more open floor plan.

When it came to flooring, Barbara and David went back and forth on whether they should get something in a matte finish versus shiny finish. They weren't sure if an 18x18 would be too big of a tile for their kitchen or whether they should pick a monochromatic tile versus a patterned tile. They decided on Supergres Glance Deep 18x18 semi-polished. They were initially concerned that the semi-polish would be slippery however now that it's installed they realize it still has a decent slip-resistant texture with and they are in love with its gorgeous sheen. The patterning and colors really compliment their cherry cabinets and lemon spice granite countertops.

For backsplash, they initially liked the tumbled marble color: chiaro. As they continued to browse the showroom they realized that the tumbled marble was too plain for their backsplash. I showed them the honey onyx polished 3x6 tiles and they were sold! The yellows, golds, and occasional streaks of red in the tile was what they described as "elegant" and the classic 3x6 subway tile size was perfect for their traditional home. They added a glass and onyx mosaic as a border, which was a nice touch. The backsplash truly compliments the space, makes a statement, and doesn't fight with the other elements of the room.

Overall they had a great experience renovating their kitchen and credit Greg Labanz for his fine craftsmanship and tile installation.