Kitchen countertop designs play a major role in open design plans for homes all over the Middle Tennessee area. Here are five ways that you can use your kitchen countertop designs to get that open plan feel in your home.

Creating open plan homes with kitchen countertop designs that work

Adding a bar to your large island

No, I’m not talking about Australia: the island kitchen in your home is a great place to add a bar. How this works with kitchen countertop designs is by simply extending the countertop surface so that you can fit a few stools under them that people can sit at. This opens the room up to socializing.

For next level design ideas, try a two tiered bar at your countertop island. This popular design idea is taking off in the Middle Tennessee area as it allows for taller bar stools and a better sitting height.

Allowing for modern technology in your kitchen countertop designs

Nothing opens up a home like allowing for a space to be used for multiple purposes. Having USB ports ready to charge an iPad that has the recipe on it, or a movie to watch while cooking, makes your kitchen feel more like the rest of your home as technology is an increasingly important aspect of home design.

Regular plugs are also important – put them everywhere in your kitchen countertop design plans for maximum diversity of use.

Integrating appliances into your kitchen countertop designs

The days of kitchen countertop designs being shaped around appliances is over in the Middle Tennessee design world. Incorporating your fridge, stove, microwave and other appliances into the kitchen countertop designs make for a plan that feels more open as more of your appliances feel like they belong, rather than being separate entities.

Matching other rooms

Choosing colors for your kitchen countertop designs that match the rest of the color choices in your home makes for more harmonious living, and a connectedness that is essential in an open plan home. Look around the Middle Tennessee area to find which types of curves are found naturally around you.

Kitchen countertops that curve

Something about curves in kitchen countertop designs that extend to other rooms offer a feeling of connection that straight lines don’t. There’s a natural feeling about them which lends to the opening feeling.

Choosing kitchen countertop designs for your home

If you’re in the Middle Tennessee area and need help with your kitchen countertop designs, contact the team at Stone World today!

Baking stations that are set aside for baking only are popular here in kitchens all across the Nashville, Tennessee area. A marble countertop is almost a must for every serious baker, and for good reason – they look great and make for a smooth baking prep surface.

For all those in Nashville who are using a marble countertop for their baking center, here are a few tips to keep it looking as great as the day it was installed.

Caring for a marble countertop baking center

Sealing your marble countertop properly is the most crucial step in keeping your countertop functioning for years to come here in Nashville. All too often, people expect that their marble will just last and last, but neglect the periodic care that any type of countertop would need. Follow these steps to keep the marble countertop in your baking center lasting a long time:

1. Purchase an impregnating sealer for your marble countertop. There are countless choices, stop by your local hardware store in Nashville and you’ll find a few.
2. Pour this impregnating sealer directly on to your clean marble countertop. If your baking center is large you may want to do this in sections as time can be a factor.
3. Use a white cloth to spread the impregnating sealer all over your marble countertop.
4. Check the sealer you have chosen for your marble countertop for the time you’re suppose to leave it on. Four minutes is the common time.
5. Just before it dries, spray some more sealer onto your marble counter baking center. This helps with the clean up in the next step.
6. Use another clean, white cloth and begin removing any sealer that your marble countertop didn’t absorb.
7. If you chose to do your marble countertops sealing in sections, repeat the steps above until your entire baking center is done.

How to choose a marble countertop for your baking station

For all those in the Nashville area who’d like some help choosing the right marble countertop for their baking center, contact the team here at Stone World.