62 2019 | TRENDS STONE TRENDS (continued) Kitchen trends Incorporating natural stone as a backsplash is one easy way to update and create a bold look in a kitchen. “The spaces that resonate with us and have impact are most often created from natural stone,” said Epstein. “Manufactured products…don’t offer the intrinsic warmth or authority of natural products.” When it comes to kitchen trends, Suzanne Shumaker, principal of Shumaker Design + Build Associates, LLC, points out the mixing of materials, including natural stones: two types of stone for countertops, or a kitchen island that is different from the perimeter countertops. Where kitchens have been dominated by white over the past several years, Epstein is delighted to see color finally making a comeback. “We’re seeing more ornate and color- ful backsplashes, and in a continuing trend, those back- splashes are now going up the entire wall behind stoves and above countertops,” she said. “Where designers once created smaller decorative panels, now they’re using more decorative elements on the entire backsplash, and turning backsplashes into feature walls that envelop hoods, sur- round cabinets, and reach up to the ceiling.” Epstein notes the use of waterfall slabs for countertops and islands, and a move toward the modern minimal look of slabs flowing from countertops up onto backsplashes, waterfalled at the countertop edge so they run from ceil- ing to floor, with vein-matching or book-matching across each component. Shumaker is noticing homeowners choosing different kinds of textures to add interest in their kitchens. She observes that clients are choosing less high-polished mate- rials in favor of leathered and suede finishes, which she calls casual and sophisticated, noting that these finishes also disguise fingerprints and watermarks. She’s see- ing natural stone being used in unique ways that take advantage of its durability as a material. Her clients love quartzites with elegant veining, as well as dark granites in a leathered finish. Natural stone is a great way to create a statement piece. “Choose a colorful slab as the centerpiece and decorate around it,” recommended Epstein. “Go for monotone or high-contrast themes. Other options include adding light under your cabinets to highlight your backsplash, and book-match or vein-match whenever you can.” A kitchen needs a design element that creates a focal Ornate and colorful backsplashes, are making bold statements includ- ing backsplashes going up the entire wall behind stoves and above countertops. Photo courtesy of Artistic Tile. Less-polished stone finishes such as dark granites with leathered finishes are embraced in kitchens and disguise fingerprints and water- marks, said Suzanne Shumaker, principal of Shumaker Design + Build Associates. Photo courtesy of Suzanne Shumaker for Shumaker Design + Build Associates. Quartzites with elegant veining are contemporary favorites in natural stone. Photo courtesy of Suzanne Shumaker for Shumaker Design + Build Associates.