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quartz kitchen countertops

There’s an exciting new product launch coming soon. Caesarstone quartz surfaces will soon be available to purchase through Semihandmade. For more than three decades, Caesarstone has produced high-end, durable, U.S.-manufactured countertops in a range of styles, from the popular concrete finish to a honed, white-and-gray Calacatta, to slabs with deeper, moodier hues. In celebration of this partnership, we sat down with designers to learn more about their Semihandmade and Caesarstone spaces. 

 

A New Classic

Semihandmade navy beaded kitchen cabinets

Design by Limonata Creative; Photography by Kate Grewal

Giullieta Pinna of Limonata Creative chose Caesarstone as the finishing touch to her Night Sky Beaded kitchen. “After reviewing a number of options, we fell in love with Cesearstone’s more natural finishes, which we found to be very attractive and elegant,” she says. 

She chose the Level 3 Cosmopolitan White for its marble-like veining and gray color and loves its ability to elevate the overall kitchen design. “I also love the way the stone slightly pops in contrast with the bright white brick walls and the midnight-blue color of the Semihandmade fronts; It provides an element of depth and warmth to the space that makes it that much more welcoming and wonderful to cook in,” she adds. 

 

Better Than Marble

Design by Pretty Smart Studio; Photography by Bethany Nauert

Walnut cabinetry and white countertops is a simple yet sophisticated combo that would appeal to a bevy of homeowners. For this Southern California project, Pretty Smart Studio’s Daniella Wilson Carter used a full slab of Caeserstone’s Statuario Nuvo, a creamy white stone with hints of gray and brown throughout, giving her the capacity to create a seamless island overhang and waterfall peninsula and acting as a “perfect balance to tie out palette together,” she adds. GE appliances, Cedar & Moss fixtures, and a backsplash from Ann Sacks complete the look. 

The architect credits quartz for its durability, longevity, and residence against etching and chipping, plus it’s an environmentally responsible choice. “I can’t think of any drawbacks,” she says of Caeserstone. 

 

Multipurpose Refresh

Design by Moreau Design Studio; Photography by Michelle Moreau

Principal designer Jessica Moreau of Moreau Design proved that quartz is a low-maintenance choice for any room in a home with this Arizona laundry. “It was a partial slab that was a remnant,” she recalls. “Our focus was durability in this multipurpose space that also functions as a mudroom and utility closet.” 

Semihandmade’s Supermatte White Beaded fronts, a design from Sarah Sherman Samuel, adds texture and juxtaposes the Caesarstone Concrete countertops, which were chosen for their uniform color.

Moreau chose this particular slab because she wanted something that “looked like concrete but wouldn’t chip with bags and bins being tossed around on it,” she says. Large-format porcelain tile flooring and Amazon hardware finish-off the fresh, modern room. 

 

All About Balance

Design by Arditi Design; Photography by Claire Esparros

Stain-resistant Caesarstone is ideal in “households where the kitchen is heavily used,” says designer Rozit Arditi. “It’s our go-to choice.” For Arditi, she often will choose quartz over marble as there’s little maintenance, but because it’s not a natural stone, “there is no variety to add interest, which is sometimes a con when designing with it,” she adds.

For this Astoria kitchen, she went for a slab that gives the illusion of veined marble without the upkeep concerns. “The color is not crisp white, and it creates a contrast with te white ceramic tiles , while bringing in warmer tones of the walls and ceiling.

Out With the 80s

Design and Photography by Kindra Paravecchia

Designer Kindra Paravecchia of Village and Coast Interiors took a minimalist approach to her Virginia bathroom upgrade. “We have been renovating our home for the last four years. The previous bathroom finishes included plum countertops, bright 80s brass fixtures, and lots of mismatched tile on the floor and walls, plus there were mirrors everywhere,” she says. It was less than ideal, so Paravecchia gutted the space, created a vanity with IKEA Sektion cabinets and Semihandmade Tahoe Impression doors and drawers, and topped it off with Caesarstone’s Fresh Concrete quartz. 

While she had previously attempted to DIY concrete countertops, she chose Caesarstone for its realistic look, strength, and ability to complement the bathroom’s overall palette. I love using quartz in both my own home and in client’s homes. It’s super durable, stain-resistant, and comes in virtually any color imaginable,” she says.

Renovation

We don’t believe that renovations should be daunting. The key is to arm yourself with the right knowledge, people, and products to achieve your goals. It also helps to ask the right questions: How much does it cost to renovate a kitchen? How do I find the right general contractor in my area? Where do I even start if I’ve never remodeled before? This is where we come in. Through hard-to-believe before and afters, first-person renovation accounts, and step-by-step DIY projects, we demystify every aspect of remodeling and give you a ton of full-house, bathroom, and kitchen renovation ideas. Semihandmade was built on a strong make-it-yourself spirit and we’re carrying that legacy beyond DIY kitchen cabinets (though we’ll certainly touch on those too) by bringing you a ton of weekend projects for novices (have you ever tried making your own planter?) and experts (try your hand at a full-wall media center). What do people really mean when they say a house has “good bones”? Before and after projects show first-hand what’s possible in a transformative remodel. How do you make the most of a narrow galley? Should you swap your upper cabinets for floating shelves? What would it look like if you opened up your small kitchen? Renovation ideas abound in our spotlighted projects. A lot goes into a kitchen renovation, but it’s usually hard to tell from a beautiful “after” shot. Our monthly series “Island Hopping” is about getting a behind-the-scenes account of what the process is like through honest conversations—you know, the kind that typically take place around a kitchen island. We’ll chat with designers, homeowners, and architects about their projects, hoping to peel back the curtain on picture-perfect spaces.