Crossville Tile - Kitchen Luxe
Crossville Tile invited me to view their tile in the kitchen of a fabulous designer showhouse, designed by Ulrich Kitchens, deep in the (highly desirable, trust me) woods in New Jersey. The show home, "Hidden Acres Estate" is part of the Traditional Home 2012 National Showhouse Tour.
I don't normally associate Crossville tile with being a luxury tile brand, so it was with a good dose of curiosity that I attended this small but prestigious event.
While I love quality and I love beautiful things, I am always open to good design whatever the cost. Good design does not need to be expensive. Creativity does not need to come with a large price tag. Good design comes by way of making smart design choices regardless of cost (in this case, being open to lower cost products) and being a snob about seeking "the best" in every product or material is not always best for the design.
Sometimes more is less and usually, less is more. So, I'm a designer who has adopted an openness to a high/low price strategy in my design projects and particularly in my home long before the concept made an impact in design publications online and in print. I don't look down at it, I applaud it. Geez, this turned out to be a policy piece! Now for the pretty pictures! Comments below...
Below: I do like the strong continuity of the horizontal lines, but I think I would have brought the upper line up and around, then down, inside the hood section while leaving the lower horizontal line as is. The inside could be left as is or designed with another motif of some sort, tile or a decorative object(s) hung in that spot.
Below: I do love the white grout used in the mosaic tile. This appears as a classic look and it's a smart design choice to use this middle shade of gold/brown which looks great with the granite and cabinetry. Charming!
Below: A closer look at how a well priced, simple, tile complements exquisite and formal accessories. High/low done well.
Below: A good look at this different pairing of mosaic and subway tile which just may skirt a "trendy" look - time will tell
Below: Clearly, a formal yet modern look that works
Below: How gorgeous are these chairs??
Below: A lovely arrangement at a gracious entrance from the kitchen to a nearby room
It was a lovely day!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 05:55PM | 4 Comments | Share Article | tagged design, luxury, tile, white, white kitchen 
Reader Comments (4)
Susan! GREAT post!!! It was so good to see you today and tour the show house together, I love small groups ... so much more fun! You are right on with high-low design ... if you spend where it matters you can save elsewhere without compromising the integrity of the design. Items of quality, regardless of price point, do well together! Cannot wait to see you again!
Oh I love this a wonderful combination of some of my favorite elements Fab Crossville tile, topiaries, blue and white !
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
The kitchen is lovely and I agree completely with mixing high and low price points to create a useable and beautiful space. I would like to see a bit of accessory editing in this space though and think your comment 'more is less and less is more' is a philosophy that could have been embraced so as not to distract from the overall beauty.
Beautiful Pictures, Susan!