Top Five Reasons For Choosing Black Honed Granite In A Modern Country Kitchen

Let me give you five good reasons why a honed granite worktop should be at the top of your wish list for your kitchen....

1) It'll look fantastic.

Of course, when you're planning a kitchen, it goes without saying that for any Modern Country Style devotee, looks will be near the top of your list of requirements and honed granite deserves a gold medal on that list. It screams luxury in the calmest, most understated voice imaginable.

2) It'll last and last and last.

Granite has stood the test of thousands of years in the ground, exposed to all the elements can throw at it, You can trust that this is not going to be the primping and preening high-maintenance nightmare of some currently "trendy" worksurfaces. 

3) It's versatile

If you prefer more of a contemporary country kitchen then honed granite should be your pick. And if your looking to bring a bit of country to your kitchen then honed granite brings a gentle, natural softness that few other materials can match.

4) It's easy maintenance

Please, please, purrrrlease, do yourself the most almighty favour and DON'T be swayed by high-maintenance kitchen work surfaces. You really need to be able to relax when you're cooking and not worry if this spillage will stain or that grease will smear. No matter how careful you are with a pale, porous worktop, IT WILL STAIN. But with honed granite worktop, a quick wipe over with Method Granite cleaner and it looks, honestly, as good as the day it was fitted.

Yes, gorgeous matt black honed granite worktops will finish off any Modern Country Style kitchen. What are you waiting for?!

{We got our worktop from Abingdon Stone And Marble who could not have been more helpful and have kindly sponsored this post. However, all opinions are strongly my own!!}

Take Care Until Next Time,
Sarahxx

Images: Sources unknown 

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Farrow and Ball: Recipes for Decorating by Joa Studolme (published by Mitchell Beazley) is a must-have read for anyone with even the remotest of interest in creating a gorgeous home.

We all know that a lick of paint can make the most ginormous difference to any room but this clever book takes Farrow and Ball's previous lovely literary offerings to another level. Not only does it feature incredible rooms in incredible houses but, this time, we're taught by Joa Studholme, Farrow and Ball colour aficionado, how these gorgeous spaces link together visually.

It doesn't matter where you are on the experience and ability scale, beginner or pro, if you have a home to paint, this book is for you!

Recipes For Decorating takes that special blend of utter gorgeousness combined with a ground-up training course that is an absolute hallmark of Farrow and Ball's previous books and it builds and builds and builds. Each chapter takes you through an entire house, looking at the whys and the wherefores of each wowsome paint choice. 

As well as taking you through the basics, such as room orientation, amount of natural light, etc, Recipes For Decorating also, and in a way that I've never seen done before, talks about how each of the rooms works with each other. Some work in blissful harmony, others in more of a bold juxtaposition but ALL will have you gasping for breath at the sheer beauty of the spaces....

And they'll most certainly have you reaching for a paintbrush faster than you can say 'Farrow and Ball reeeeeeally know their onions'.

At the end of each home tour, Recipes For Decorating shows all the paint shades together used in that particular house so that you can really see clearly how to do this for yourself, in your own home, with its own particular quirks.

All in all, Farrow and Ball: Recipes For Decorating is an absolute cracker of a book. Get it! And get it now!!

Take Care Until Next Time,

Sarahx

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GORGEOUS unstyled Modern Country Kitchen With Honed Granite Worktops

Today I've got something a little different for you. I want to show you how, by choosing the right materials, it doesn't actually matter if the space is styled to the nines. The gorgeous quality shines right through the busyness of everyday life!

It's a completely gorgeous, totally Modern Country kitchen but it hasn't been styled for a magazine. This is it in its everyday glory!

Just look at those beautiful honed granite worktops. I've known for ages that I want honed granite for our new kitchen. It has the dulled lustre of slate but all the strength of granite. A perfect combination!

 Just feast your eyes on all the lovely details - the peg rail, the belfast sink, the cup handles, the granite....such a stunning kitchen! 

The honed granite in this home came from Abingdon Stone And Marble who were first recommended to me by our builder. Mike who owns the company sent me these images to show the look of one of the honed granite options that I was considering....

I loved the kitchen so much I asked if I could share it with you on Modern Country Style....

...and I was so happily persuaded that we've chosen the very same stone! More details to follow....

Take Care Until Next Time,

Sarahx

Images via Abingdon Stone and Marble

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Georgian Kitchens: Get The Look: Symmetry

Happy New Year!! I hope your Christmas was wonderful and happily full of love, laughter, as well as true and lasting joy. Welcome back to the very last in the series of Georgian Kitchens: Get The Look, where we've been learning about:

simplicity, 

proportion, 

materials. 

Today we'll be delving into getting the look of a Georgian Style Kitchen through the use of symmetry.

{So far, we've taken an in-depth look at simplicity, proportion and materials, simply click on the links to catch up!}

It's hard to underplay the incredible effect that symmetry brings. Yes, it's extraordinarily pleasing to the eye but symmetry also brings a sense of order, space and strong design to any kitchen.

Georgian design draws heavily on symmetry, which is why, from the smallest cottage to the largest Country pile, Georgian kitchens ooze charm and grace from every nook and cranny of their beautiful bones.

Easy ways to achieve this symmetry are to include a large over-mantel above a range cooker, with matching cupboards either side. However, if possible, make sure to include another larger feature, such as a larder, to create symmetry within the whole room too, as demonstrated beautifully in the Martin Moore kitchen below.

Ideally, on every side of the kitchen, there should be a feature, which has obvious symmetry, whether that's floor to ceiling cupboards either side of an American fridge freezer, or a double Butler's sink, or even a beautiful window. This will undoubtedly bring visual peace and calm...

...and who would ever turn that down?!!

Take Care Until Next Time,

Sarahx

Images via Burlanes, Humphrey Manson, unknown, Martin Moore, Martin Moore, Pepperbox Interiors, 

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Georgian Kitchens: Get The Look: Materials

Welcome back to the new series on Georgian Kitchens: Get The Look. We're diving right into the four key themes of Georgian Style kitchens: 

simplicity, 

proportion, 

symmetry 

and materials. 

{So far, we've taken an in-depth look at simplicity and proportion.
..you can catch up here and here}



Today, we're focusing on materials. Georgian kitchens have a very distinctive look. Woodwork is almost always painted with walls and cabinets in a similar or toning finish, possibly with one or two stand out statement pieces.



Georgian colours that typify this look happily tally perfectly with Modern Country Style: muted greens and soft sea-blues, dirty earthy tones and gentle neutrals reign victorious.



Now, for picking the perfect worktop, I have my soapbox ready. Purrrrlease don't choose laminates. They will never, ever, ever look the part. They will stand out like a sore thumb...



Instead, choose natural worktop materials such as wood, granite or marble. Modern imported slates are, in almost all circumstances, too soft. My all-time favourite finish is honed granite...but more on that later!!



Georgian Style kitchens need all extras to whisper quality and timelessness without in any way screaming lavish sumptuousness. Think carefully about your handles, taps, knobs and door styles} This is understated quality all the way.



Again, please, step away from any plastic finishes, and quickly walk, with a sense of smug reassurance that your kitchen will still look AWESOME in twenty years, towards the over-sized wooden knobs, nickel cup handles, small antique brass hinges, dulled matt black forged iron small handles. Not all at once obviously....!



When all these tie together, not only will you have a kitchen that will make you grin like a Cheshire cat today but one that will last and lat and last, bringing years of pleasure.

Take Care Until Next Time,
Sarahxx

Images via country homes and interiors, mileu mag, elona home, unknown, deVol, my design chic, Neptune

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Get The Look: Proportion In Georgian Style Kitchens

Welcome back to the new series on Georgian Kitchens: Get The Look. We're going deeper into four key themes of Georgian-Style kitchens: simplicity, proportion, symmetry and materials.

{Last time, we took an in-depth look at simplicity...you can catch up here}

Let's focus today on the way Georgian Kitchens have the most beautiful, classic and elegant proportions. Georgians were the absolute masters of graceful golden proportions in their kitchens. 

Take a look at some of the kitchens featured today and you'll see that, whether big or small, grand or cosy-country, each one is extraordinarily visually pleasing. 

Placing an oversized over-mantel above a range cooker is a fantastic way of bringing in both the height and formality that so typifies Georgian kitchens. You'll always need some kind of structure to hide your extractor fan above the cooker so it makes sense to turn functionality into opportunity and include a statement piece here; overmantels create a natural focal point around the heart of the kitchen: the range. 

Another way to bring a good sense of proportion is to NOT go down the route of having the bog-standard array of base and wall units that are in 99% of kitchens. Think outside the box and ENJOY doing so. Why not choose some full-height units to create a larder feel or, if possible, bring in a freestanding housekeepers cupboard?

Georgian kitchens are characterised by non-standard cupboards in a variety of shapes and sizes; nothing like our built-for-function units was available then.

This may be a case of trial and error in smaller kitchens where space is at a premium because the first priority absolutely must be usability (though it pains me to say it!!) but, where possible, make your kitchen unique, as every Georgian kitchen was without a doubt.

Take Care Until Next Time,

Sarahx

Images via Plain English, DeVol, unknown, The Kitchen Think, Artichoke, unknown, Humphrey Munson

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Get The Look: Simplicity In Georgian Kitchens

Welcome back to this mini-series, where we are learning how to get the feel of a Georgian kitchen in our own homes. We'll be taking a closer look at four key elements in gorgeous Georgian kitchens: simplicity, proportion, symmetry and materials.

Now, when it comes to Georgian-style kitchens, perhaps the word simplicity is misleading, because I don't mean to imply any lack of quality. Indeed, the reason why the Georgians have left us such a rich heritage is exactly because of their fantastic building standards.

By simplicity, here, I mean a disdain of overly fussy, showy frippery and, instead, a careful eye for precisely chosen details: look for high quality hinges, dovetail joints and in-frame doors.

So, for example, take a look at any of these kitchen cupboards. There is no sign of ostentation, no flashy swirls or curlicues but yet the quality shines out, doesn't it? That's the feel you should be looking for if you want a Georgian-style kitchen.

And the same is true for any accessories in you kitchen. Don't be tempted to compromise on quality or clutter. Remember this: buy once and buy well.

Happily, this needn't mean spending vast amounts of money on each piece. Some carefully chosen vintage pots, a station clock and as little as possible on your work surfaces will carry a Georgian kitchen a long way.

This is a classic case of less is more; choose your 'less' with thought and you'll be well on your way to your own Georgian kitchen!

Take Care Until Next Time,

Sarah x

Images via Elle Decoration, Charlie Kingham, Etons of Bath, unknown, Ribble Reclamation, Artichoke

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Georgian Kitchens: Get The Look

We all know that if we actually lived in the olden days, in glorious Georgian England, it most certainly would not have been constant fragrant roses in our hair and genteel country walks but, in the name of creating beautiful Modern Country Style interiors, let's agree to conveniently overlook all the rest: agreed?!!

Now, actual Georgian kitchens would usually have been in cramped basements with very little natural light and not be the gorgeous, airy spaces we demand today. However, we can draw on plenty of other Georgian influences to help us pull together a wonderful Georgian-style kitchen that amalgamates the best of both worlds.

Four areas that I'd like us to particularly focus on are simplicity, proportions, symmetry and materials.

Let's take each of these elements and break them down one by one....

....so that you know exactly how to make this look in your own home.

Take Care Until Next Time,

Sarahx

Images via Plain English, Kate's Creative Space, Plain English, Christopher Peters

 

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UNBELIEVABLE Exterior Transformations

There is a whole host of companies, such as the fabulous Back To Front Exteriors, that work the most unbelievable magic on 1970s houses. These are some of the most incredible Before and After shots I've had the pleasure of seeing: a total visual feast for the eyes (and heart!). Read on and see what I mean....

Aren't they amazing? I found myself scrolling back and forth, back and forth so many times that I think I have RSI!! 

This kind of transformation certainly doesn't come cheap - that's a LOT of building work - but, oh, the rewards are enormous!

Careful consideration is needed before deciding to improve a home in this way. Many seventies houses are part of large estates, with near-identical houses in row after row. A transformation of this kind is best left to one-offs....the kind of road where there is a whole plethora of different kinds of architecture.

That's where this kind of sorcery can really weave its enchantment to the greatest effect. If you're the lucky owner of such a house then the world really is your oyster....

Take Care Till Next Time,

Sarah

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