Everyone knows that one of the most popular places to find Caesarstone is in the KITCHEN, which is why we cannot contain ourselves because this week on ‘From the Ground Up’ we are revamping, renovating, and revealing the heart of the home…

 

Caesarstone has been following interior designer and owner of The Sourcing Lab, Jo vd Merwe as she brings her dream family home to life. Coming up in the next few weeks, we will be dissecting and focusing on each area of the home, and first up is our favourite…the kitchen! So here we are, following Jo on her quest for the perfect kitchen that fits her and her family like a glove. We see what exactly goes into designing a kitchen, from planning out mood boards to seeing the finished product installed. PLUS read till the end to find out Jo’s top design hacks for planning your kitchen revamp!

CREATING THE MOOD BOARD

When it came to designing her perfect kitchen, Jo vd Merwe looked at it from a family-centered perspective: “We very much wanted to have a space where we could have as many people as possible around the island. It is the heart of our home.” This was achieved by the large, free-standing island – it allows the energy to flow effortlessly from the front door straight to the kitchen space, instantly inviting you in for a meal and glass of wine. “One of the main things we wanted when you walk into our home is to firstly see this beautiful kitchen island. We’ve chosen to clad it in Cloudburst Concrete by Caesarstone. That for us is the focal point.”

 

True to her word, Jo didn’t stick to the rules of a conventional kitchen, but rather went with her gut and what she wanted for herself and her family. “One thing we wanted to do is obviously keep things very clean. I didn’t want my kitchen to feel like your traditional kitchen. So I decided to go with a clean floating shelf, but this left no space anywhere for a tall fridge unit, which we ended up putting around the corner in the scullery.”

Whatever works for you is what’s best – remember you’re the one living in the space!

INSTALLATION DAY

Finally, the day came for Caesarstone’s Cloudburst Concrete to make itself at home in Jo’s kitchen – and boy, did it do a good job! “Oh, my soul! I wish I could put this into the words. I think when you’ve dreamt and tried to imagine of how something would look for so long and then you see it here, I can’t explain it, I can’t put words to it. This is my very happy face!” You’ll have to watch the full episode below (or right here on YouTube) to see Jo’s ‘very happy face’.

 

 

 

 

THE BIG REVEAL

When the final look and feel of the kitchen was revealed we couldn’t believe how seamlessly everything came together to create a gorgeous kitchen that was built around family, love, and light. “Welcome to our kitchen,” Jo remarked, “this really is the heart of the home and where the magic happens.”

Once again, Jo cannot help but gush over her world-class Caesarstone Cloudburst Concrete countertop: “One of the big design elements in our kitchen is obviously our stone design, and I absolutely love it. I cannot put it into words how much I love it! What we wanted to achieve, for the island and the kitchen, was for it to still feel strong. So, it’s elegant and minimalistic, but it still has a strength to it.” Seeing her family come together in this space is everything Jo wanted and more: “In those living spaces, seeing people communicate and seeing people together, in my home and enjoying the space. That’s it for me – it’s incredible!”

 

If you are in the process of renovating, or planning to renovate your kitchen, then Jo has some top design hacks for you to enjoy:

1. DON’T STICK TO THE RULES: Think about, first and foremost, how you want the space to function for you and how you want it to look. At the end of the day, a space you love is a space you’ll spend time in.

2. KEEP YOUR FINISHES SIMPLE: If you are not wanting to redo your kitchen in five years’ time, then keep your materials natural. So, what Jo has done is she’s gone for more organic finishes and colours. Simple is best.

3. LESS IS MORE: If you want a kitchen that is more versatile, think about possibly doing kitchen shelves as opposed to cupboards because you can style that in many ways.

This is just the beginning of our very exciting design process, so make sure you stay tuned for more behind the scenes and inspiring design videos on Caesarstone SA’s YouTube channel. Next week we’ll be heading upstairs to the bedrooms. You don’t want to miss it!

 

 

WIN WITH JO AND CAESARSTONE!

If our From the Ground Up design series wasn’t exciting enough, then our unmissable competition will definitely get your attention and make you want to enter today! All you must do is head to Caesarstone’s website, fill in your details, and you stand the chance to WIN 1 of 3 Kitchen Design Masterclasses with Jo herself, as well as 20% OFF your next Caesarstone purchase!

WATCH THE KITCHEN EPISODE BELOW:

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