Surface Envy

Expect the unexpected this summer in fashionable homes.

WRITTEN BY AMY ROBINSON

Floors, countertops, backsplashes and sinks are clad in eye-catching natural materials that are custom-designed. Eco-friendly alternatives such as cork are providing a softer feel for kids’ rooms and high-traffic areas. Rich, bold color is popping up in kitchen appliances traditionally rendered in neutrals or stainless steel. Stone is having a big moment in flooring due to its naturally cool feel, and for wow-moment backsplashes that are anything but ordinary.

“Stone is extremely popular for kitchen backsplashes, and we are getting more requests for texture, metal, bold color and geometric patterns,” says Diane Hess of Tile Market in Vero Beach, Florida. Hess suggests using the wall space behind the stove as a focal point to reflect the home’s personality. “We are seeing clients who are willing to use stone designs as an element of expression.” Invite more than admiring glances; these designs beg to be touched.

Stone Forest Workstation Farmhouse Sinks

Casa Branca for Sferra

Slip into a more gracious way of living, inspired by oldworld craftsmanship and handmade luxury. Italian-born, award-winning designer Alessandra Branca has designed a capsule collection of bed linens for Sferra in long-staple cotton and percale that is bold, whimsical and relaxed all at once. The collection is named Casa Branca for Sferra and is founded on shared Italian roots and a belief that quality lasts forever. Choose from the stocked Intreccio or the bespoke Corona, available in hand-cut custom scallop and satin stitching on the duvet cover, shams, pillowcases and decorative pillows.

Stone Forest has 30 years of experience crafting artisan pieces for the home. Their new Workstation Farmhouse sinks in Carrara marble or basalt, an igneous material derived from lava flow, are adding touchable texture that is in harmony with the natural world. Apart from adding a luxurious look and feel to the kitchen, marble can act as a cooling system due to its ability to lower indoor temperatures. Sealing several times per year with a spray-on product keeps the finish looking new.

Stone Tile Looks from Tile Market

Stone tiles are finding new ways to show their unique style and touchable texture, such as wow-factor stone mosaics for kitchen walls. The Michael design, a waterjet stone mosaic shown in honed Bardiglio marble known for its dark gray veining, is inlaid with polished Calacatta Tia marble and brass to create an updated and impressive look. Diane Hess of Tile Market in Vero Beach, Florida, sees a maximalist trend in kitchen design. “We have gone outside tradition and utilized mosaic stone on a kitchen focal wall or on every empty wall space in the kitchen, including behind glass cabinets doors.”

On Deck

Outdoor living is what makes the tropical lifestyle the envy of our northern neighbors. While wood is still the decking material in highest demand, composite decking around pools and on docks, made from recycled plastic and wood fibers, is increasingly a more sustainable, lowmaintenance and barefoot-friendly option in sunny climates. “Composite decking, depending on the color chosen, is not as hot on the feet,” says Keith Hennessy of Deckmasters LLC in Vero Beach, Florida. He suggests “the lighter the better” to retain less heat and minimize fading from the sun.

Cork Flooring from APC

Cork flooring is an option gaining popularity due to its sustainability, comfort and durability. It is harvested as a renewable resource, without cutting down trees, from a specific layer of bark called the phellem layer — a hydrophobic material that is impermeable, buoyant, elastic, and fireretardant. APC cork in Pompano, Florida, purchases cork from responsibly managed forests and makes floating floor planks that click together and, in most cases, can be installed right over an existing floor. Choose from a wide variety of colors and finish looks that are perfect for children’s rooms, family rooms or bedrooms — anywhere you want to kick off your shoes and feel at home.

Eye Candy

Attractive, practical and sustainable, cork flooring makes sense for many rooms of the house.

True Residential

Open concept floor plans can benefit from transitional decor that help define a space. “Decorative wall panels can make your space look brighter while adding texture and depth,” says Carm Costa, president of Wall Decor 3D, which offers a wide variety of wall panels sourced from sugarcane stalks. “The panels are easy to install, lightweight and made from ecofriendly material.”

True, the leader in commercial refrigeration exceptionally refined for the home, debuted new luxury refrigeration and freezer designs at the Architectural Digest Design Show in New York City this spring. The Build Your True collection puts the focus on color and customization to create a memorable kitchen space, offering 36 unique color combinations that allow for nearly unlimited design freedom, including the newest cobalt blue hue. In addition to the new color selection, you can build the perfect system featuring exactly what you want with the industry’s first joining kits, which seamlessly unite True’s array of 30-inch Columns for the ultimate in performance and design. The heart of the home has a brand new look. b

True’s 30-inch Columns offer complete freedom. In addition to the refrigerator, which is available in both regular and glass-door models, the wine column and freezer can be mixed and matched to suit the customer’s needs.