In my eDesign department we consult with many wonderful clients from all over, so when a trend hits its stride, we see it immediately. And the trend for kitchens right now is clearly in direct opposition to the cookie cutter HGTV stark black, white and grey modern farmhouse look.
Now it’s all about warmth and interest. And above all, everyone wants unique.
But the truth is everyone’s inspiration board looks similar. Because we are still in a trend. Just a relatively young one. The look is charming and lived in. With warm colour on the cabinets. Backsplashes with texture. Warm countertops with some movement.
And since options for pretty natural stone that isn’t the blotchy, earthy granite of old are surprisingly limited, Taj Mahal quartzite is suddenly everywhere.
A beautiful Taj Mahal Kitchen by Blanc Marine Interieures
And because it truly is one of the only good widely available options in this trend, we get clients basically saying, I want this look. But I don’t want Taj Mahal because everyone has it.
So is it really overused and OUT already?
Well that’s the wrong question.
In this episode of Decorate or Renovate, I’m talking about why this warm natural stone is having such a major moment, what most homeowners are missing when they fall in love with inspiration photos, or a splashy slab in the stone yard. And the expensive mistake that happens when you choose a countertop by name instead of by undertone, quality and context.
Before you spend thousands on countertops, cabinets, tile and flooring, watch this first.
Tell me in the comments: Are you team Taj Mahal, team white quartz, or team “please just tell me what to choose”? 😂
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Thank you for this video! I chose Taj Mahal 5 years ago and I’ve been worried because of its recent surge in popularity.
I think I’m ok though, because I chose it when I hadn’t seen it anywhere in person or online. So I know I wasn’t being “influenced” . Also, I followed your guidelines for designing a timeless kitchen, and I think it came together beautifully.
White quartz . It clean and looks great with my preferred clean happy colors (nothing “browned” down).
To answer your question – the middle ground for me: quiet cream. Which is surprisingly hard to find!
I’d also love to suggest another topic for you – renovating a Tuscan kitchen during the quiet neutral era. I know several people who have Tuscan-era kitchens from the early 2000s who did not renovate during the Black and White or Gray eras because they prefer warm colors. Now that warm color is returning, however, they’re considering whether it’s time to update their 20+ year old kitchens.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in a future post or video!
Quiet white quartz is the way to go. Much more versatility. Choose cabinet and wall colours that relate to the undertone of the quartz countertop. Have fun with an inspiration piece and decorate with colour intentionally, repeating the colour according to Maria’s guidelines. It’s the best formula for a beautiful and successful project.
No I don’t care for the intense undertones of tah mahal at all. Way too busy and golds are too intense. Not a long term, all season choice for us.
Nope. Lovely in a piece for a vignette collection, but too intense, busy for large surfaces for us. Not in love with the strong undertones. Say gold, carmel etc
We prefer a clean white surface with some various light very subtle veining. Longevity and versatility
11 years ago, I chose Cambria Bellingham. I have a white floor, white cabinets, white tile backsplash, and stainless and white appliances. I still LOVE my choice!! My kitchen makes my heart sing every single day!! I used a lot of your advice when I was planning our remodel and I chose a “bossy” countertop on purpose!! And, I am still okay with it!!
I’m team Carrara marble.
I spent a lot of time in marble and quartz yards before going with what I think is a lovely piece of moderately priced quartz by MSI. It’s Calacatta Miraggio Gold. It has a white to off-white background with gentle brown veining. It wasn’t easy to find something that wasn’t gray or beige.
I have lived the look of soapstone for decades and that’s what I put in about 8 years ago. Cool to the touch for baking, non staining, beautiful veining, neutral colour. I still love it after seeing it everyday.
White quartz with very small Grey veining.
Excellent breakdown! I love coming to your website for advice because you are so smart about it! Following your website and content alone has helped me save money and make smarter decorating decisions. Thank you!
Off white quartz all the way for me! I love color too much to do something earthy.
I have a very small white galley kitchen in a condo. Although I love neutral countertops I do not have much room for styling in my kitchen so I decided to go with Calacatta Paonazzo marble to make a statement at it was my only opportunity to elevate/layer the space!
I didn’t have the money and faith for quartzite so i found a much, much less expensive granite that was a little like it– Savannah White. One thing that made this work was my having dark floors. It would have been too loud and too Tuscan-granite like if I had had the blond floors that everyone is doing now.
I am team “select the correct look for the project, ignore the names completely!”
Taj Mahal slabs I’ve looked at in the last 3 months or so are not as warm as the ones from a year ago in my local yards. So the name alone is already misleading. Does the countertop surface work with the plan, or not? That’s my team!
I am team “select the correct look for the project, ignore the names completely!”
Taj Mahal slabs I’ve looked at in the last 3 months or so are not as warm as the ones from a year ago in my local yards. So the name alone is already misleading.
Love your advice, but I love my Corian counter tops in my kitchen and bathrooms, and wonder why they are not really discussed by designers.
What you see is what you get with them as far as color and with no visible seams and matching backsplashes, and ability to have sink integration. Plus ability to custom shape a countertop on peninsula. And it is smooth and warm to the touch. Thought I would mention it because my Corian Sahara kitchen countertops are truly timeless.
I have loved the look of soapstone for decades and that’s what I put in about 8 years ago. Cool to the touch for baking, non staining, beautiful veining, neutral colour. I still love it after seeing it everyday.
I am on team…”what is the correct stone and undertones for your home”. We built our home towards the end of the black and white trend and I like warm neutrals and natural woods. It took more time but I was able to find the off- white version of everything I needed by carrying around the neutrals color wheel and the samples of my tried and true timeless finishes.
So if you are getting ready to start a new build or major renovation. Take a class of Maria’s. It will be worth it and save money… I just wish I would have found her before we started all our planning instead of a few months into the process when I realized our design build team was not headed in the direction I wanted.
Great analysis of so many points. Boring now is timeless later – amen!!! You converted me to that awhile ago for interiors and I am finally understanding it in my yard/gardens where I have been previously more inclined toward wild abandon. My kitchen is SW Pure White with London Grey counters, I’m sure no one who follows trends would approve but it still makes me happy and it’s very versatile for decorating. Timeless and classic all the way!
I’m a bit late to this. I like white quartz but what about non stone choices? Am I the only one who likes Formica? Is it still a thing? I’d like to hear more about other counter top materials.