The material, color, shape, and pattern of your bathroom tiles are all important elements when choosing your tiles, but one aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked is texture. The texture of your tiles doesn’t just determine how they feel underfoot, but can also add to the aesthetics and functionality of your bathroom. Let’s look at some of the different textures available as well as the advantages of textured tiles and some considerations to make.

The safety of textured floor tiles

The bathroom can be a slippery place when you’ve just showered or taken a bath. This can especially be a danger for seniors or anyone with low mobility or a physical disability that can affect their balance and core strength. One benefit of textured floor tiles is that they provide more grip underfoot and don’t become as slippery as glossy, polished tiles. You can buy specific non-slip tiles for this purpose.

Add interest to your bathroom

Textured tiles on your bathroom walls may not have the same practical advantages as textured, non-slip floor tiles, but they can still provide interesting aesthetics in your bathroom. With lots of different style options available, they can be used to produce a more traditional or rustic appeal, or create a more modern aesthetic. Whether you use only textured tiles or combine both textured and smooth, they can help to create a more distinctive look compared to a completely smooth and pristine wall of tiles.

Consider cleaning

One potential downside of textured tiles is that they can be more difficult to clean compared to smooth tiles. Dirt and grime can build up around the ridges and raised areas of your textured tiles, and it’s easier to pick up all of the dust and dirt when wiping, mopping, or vacuuming smooth tiles since you don’t have to get around all of the nooks and crannies.

Different textures for your natural stone tiles

Textured tiles can range from a slightly worn appearance and feel, such as tumbled natural stone tiles, to rougher textures and even stylistic ones, such as tiles that feature raised lines or waves. Natural stone tiles can also be brushed to create a subtle texture that lends some grip to the surface. There is a wide range of options available, so start your research to find the best textured tiles for your bathroom.

If you’re looking for natural stone tiles for your bathroom floor or walls, then contact Amanzi Granite to find out more about our design and installation services, or visit our Kernersville showroom to see our stone and tiles.

The process of planning interior design and remodeling your home is quite different and more accessible than it was several decades ago thanks to all of the inspiration and tips that are easily accessible on the internet. One useful and often entertaining website you can use is the social media platform, Pinterest. You can go down lots of different rabbit holes that could help you plan your dream kitchen remodel.

How to use Pinterest

Just create a free account with Pinterest to start “pinning” posts and content, which essentially means saving these posts so that you can easily find them again later, or let other users see them on your account. In your profile, you can create different “boards” for different topics or purposes. When you pin a post, you can decide which board to pin it to, helping you organize your saved content. Think of it like a digital version of using notice boards and thumbtacks in real life.

To find content that you want to pin, you can search for specific keywords or browse the more general categories on the site, or check out the profiles of other users to see what content they’ve pinned to their boards. Pinned content can be just an image or it can link to an article on another website, providing even more value and information.

Why is Pinterest great for interior design?

Pinterest can serve two big purposes when you use it for your remodels and interior design – firstly, helping you find lots of great ideas and inspiration for your remodel, and secondly, allowing you to easily organize and store your ideas, making the planning process easier. You could create a board for each room in your house, for example, and find ideas that you like for each room.

Pinterest for your kitchen remodel

If you’re using Pinterest for your kitchen remodel, you could create a board for each design element you need to decide on such as kitchen cabinets, kitchen countertops, and more. Or, if you’re earlier on in the process and are still deciding what kind of style and aesthetic you’re going for, you could create boards for different ideas, like a “rustic kitchen” board and another for more modern design ideas.

Search for the topic you want to research, or just for “kitchen remodeling” more generally, and browse the images to find aesthetics or design ideas that appeal to you. You can click on the pin to visit the associated website or article, where you might find more tips and ideas. Once you find an idea that you might want to incorporate in your kitchen remodel, make sure you pin it so that you can come back to it later and won’t forget what the idea was.

If you want more design inspiration and support for your kitchen remodel, as well as professional installation and high-quality natural stone, contact Amanzi Granite for our services around Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville.

You want your kitchen to appear light and spacious, which can sometimes be difficult if you have a small kitchen or if not much natural light is allowed into it. In these cases especially, the lighting you choose for your kitchen can be extremely important. So, let’s look at some tips and ideas for your kitchen lighting fixtures.

Ambient lighting

When it comes to the main lighting on your kitchen ceiling, the lights that determine the overall ambiance of the room, there are lots of different styles of fixtures for you to choose between. You may opt for recessed lights, which are built into the ceiling, for a sleek and modern look that’s also ideal for small kitchens since they don’t protrude into the available space. Recessed lights can also be directional, allowing you to control which areas are most illuminated.

Hanging light fixtures are also common and come in a wide variety of styles, such as hanging pendant lights or track lighting, which can add a decorative element to the room as well as providing functional lighting. Different styles of shade on your hanging lights create even more customization options to meet your style.

Task lighting

As well as the main lighting fixture or fixtures in your kitchen, it can be useful to have specific task lighting. This refers to lighting installed over certain areas in your kitchen, such as over the stove or over sections of countertop where you’re likely to prepare food. Task lighting is useful for illuminating areas that your main kitchen lights don’t reach very well, giving you extra visibility for performing certain tasks. They are often installed underneath your upper kitchen cabinets, and strip lights or spotlights are both popular options.

Accent lighting

Accent lighting can be used to highlight certain areas for aesthetic purposes, drawing the eye to the focal pieces of the room, while also impacting the atmosphere of the room. This could be backlighting behind your backsplash, for example, to draw attention to this piece and enhance its look. Both accent and task lighting are typically switched on separately to the room’s main light fixtures, allowing you to control the different levels and types of light that are on at any time.

Your kitchen lighting should bring out the best in your natural stone countertops. Contact Amanzi Granite or visit our Kernersville showroom for our high-quality stone or to find out more about our installation, design, repair, and maintenance services.

If you live in a family home with an en suite, meaning a separate bathroom attached to the master bedroom, then chances are that the other upstairs bathroom is used mostly by the kids. So, if you’re remodeling this main bathroom, then it makes sense to plan the design specifically with your kids in mind rather than the whole family. If you’re in this position, then read on for some tips for a kids’ bathroom design.

Focus on storage

Kids tend to come with a lot of accessories, and that requires a lot of storage. Shampoos, soaps, and other toiletries, plus medicines, towels, and other must-haves. Cabinets or open shelving in a bathroom vanity underneath the sink is a great way to keep all of these things organized and easily accessible at bath time or when getting ready for bed.

Go for the tub

If your kids will be using the bathroom, then choosing between a bathtub and a shower isn’t really an option. Installing a bathtub is practically a necessity, but having a shower over the tub is convenient for bathing your kids and for if the adults ever need to use this bathroom.

Safety first

Young kids are extremely curious, and this can lead to them getting hurt. Child locks on the toilet lid and the medicine cabinet will help to keep them out of danger, plus anti-scald faucets are recommended to prevent your child from burning themselves on hot water.

Fun patterns and designs

Make the kids’ bathroom feel like exactly that. Fun patterns or colorful designs in the tiles will make the room visually appealing to the kids. Or you can install accessories such as towel rails and soap trays with fun designs or characters on them. Or for something less permanent, the bathmat and shower curtain can reflect the kids’ interests and personalities.

Plan with the future in mind

Your kids won’t stay that age forever, so think about how they’ll be using the bathroom when they reach their teen years. Installing low sinks and toilets can be convenient for kids, for example, but might not be the best option if they’re due a growth spurt in the next couple of years. You can get around this by having a handy step or stool to help them up to the sink, which can be tucked away in the bathroom vanity.

If you’re around the Piedmont Triad area in North Carolina, then let Amanzi Granite help you with your bathroom design and installation. We’re specialists in natural stone bathroom countertops and natural stone tiles for the floor and walls. Get in touch to find out more about our stone and our services.

You may have the perfect dream kitchen in your mind leading up to a remodel, but there are certain things that could get in the way of that, like not having enough budget or enough space to implement it. Almost all remodels will involve compromise in one way or another, and another factor you might have to consider and compromise around is kids. If you have young kids or if a friend’s or relative’s children spend a lot of time at your house, then this could affect certain elements of your kitchen design.

Here are a few things to consider if you’re designing a new kitchen for a house with kids.

Wall design

It’s no secret that kids can be messy. So, you might want to think about sticky hands or colored crayons on your walls when deciding their color and design. Slightly darker colors can be more forgiving than white or cream, for example, meaning you won’t have to spend as much time scrubbing them. Think as well about which materials and finishes are easy to clean. Wallpaper, for example, may not be a good option.

Ground-level storage

From a young age, your child will be able to reach and grab at anything close to the ground, including your kitchen cabinets. Be wary of your ground-level storage and what you keep in them. Cabinets are a better option than open storage, preventing kids from pulling things out from open shelves. Consider what you store in your low cabinets, ensuring that nothing dangerous is within their grasp.

You can also use this to give the kids some control over certain elements, such as storing their plastic plates and cutlery in a low cabinet, allowing them to pick them out for themselves at mealtimes. A low drawer or cabinet for their snacks can also give them some responsibility of getting their own food when they ask for a snack. If you do keep anything unsafe at a lower level, like cleaning products under the sink, then make sure there are child locks in place.

Kitchen countertop edge profiles

When your kids start walking and running around the house, they’ll reach an age where your countertops are perfectly head height to them. To minimize any injuries, think about your countertop edge profile and how sharp the edges and corners may be. A more rounded edge profile such as a full bullnose or a round edge is much safer for those inevitable bumps and scrapes.

Get the perfect kitchen countertops for your upcoming kitchen remodel with Amanzi Granite. Our design services help you get each element right, with a variety of factors in mind. Get in touch to find out more about our design and installation services around Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville.

Your kitchen backsplash can be a standout feature piece, both functional and aesthetic. It’s a great way to display premium materials even if you’re working to a tight budget – for example, installing a complementary granite backsplash if you have to compromise on laminate countertops that just mimic the look of stone.

So, what is the best material for your backsplash if you want to make a statement? Both glass and a variety of natural stone types are popular kitchen backsplash materials. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of each to help you decide.

Pros and cons of glass backsplash

There are lots of great style options when choosing a glass backsplash. You can choose from a range of colors and also have the choice of either glass tile or glass sheet. A glass sheet backsplash is a single piece of glass, which creates a nice and clean, uniform look. It can also be slightly easier to clean than tile due to it not having grout lines. However, glass is generally a very easy material to clean.

One advantage of a glass backsplash over stone backsplashes is that glass is a non-porous material, meaning it won’t need to be sealed in order to avoid stains from splashes of food. If you have a glass tile backsplash, then the grout between the tiles may need sealing to prevent stains.

Glass backsplashes of either kind can look great in contemporary kitchens in particular, and the reflective surface can create the feeling of a lighter and more spacious kitchen.

Pros and cons of natural stone backsplash

There are various types of natural stone you can choose from when opting for a stone backsplash, such as granite, marble, and travertine. Natural stone produces a completely unique end result as each slab of stone is different from the next in the small veining, hue, and pattern details. Similar to glass, you can choose between a slab or tiles for your natural stone backsplash.

As stone is slightly porous, you will need to have your backsplash sealed to prevent stains that can occur when cooking or if liquids are spilled nearby. But like glass, stone is an easy surface to keep clean once it is sealed. Natural stone produces a timeless look that can go well in any style of kitchen, from modern and minimalistic to more traditional and rustic kitchens. And if you’re installing granite countertops or other natural stone countertops, then a natural stone backsplash is the perfect complement to them.

If a granite backsplash or another type of natural stone backsplash is right for you, then contact Amanzi Granite to find out more about our quality stone plus our design and installation services, or visit our showroom in Kernersville to see the stone for yourself.

Natural stone countertops, such as granite and marble, don’t just look great in your home, but they are also extremely tough and durable. Still, they might develop scratches or dents over time, particularly if the proper care isn’t taken with them. You can read our tips on how to deal with this kind of minor damage here.

But what about more severe damage to your marble or granite countertops? Due to their durability, deeper cracks are extremely rare. However, it is still possible, so it helps to know what to do if you find yourself in that situation.

How can cracks occur in natural stone countertops?

Natural stone such as granite can have natural fissures occurring within the stone. While these generally aren’t a problem, they can make the stone weaker if it is subject to certain conditions, such as pressure or heat. So, if you regularly do things like putting hot pans and plates down onto the counter, or adding too much weight to your countertops by leaving heavy objects there for long periods of time or regularly climbing on your countertops, cracks can occur.

This is why it’s so important to take proper care of your granite countertops, helping them stay in good condition for longer. There’s also a chance that cracks could occur if the installer didn’t do a good job or if the slab was damaged while being moved, so make sure you choose a reliable provider for installation.

How to repair a cracked countertop

If the crack in your countertop does not create a ridge or a lip and is cleanly inside the stone, this is known as a hairline crack and may not need replacing. It shouldn’t cause any further damage and won’t produce sharp edges or get in the way when cleaning. You can just think of it as an addition to the unique pattern of your stone. But keep an eye on the crack to see if it starts to get larger over time.

If the crack produces a gap or a ridge in the stone, however, a granite repair specialist may be needed. Cracks in granite can be filled with acrylic or epoxy, made to match the color of the stone as closely as possible. The surface of your countertop will then need to be repolished to blend the repair in properly and remove any rough edges. You may then need to reseal your granite countertop.

Whether you’re looking for countertop repair or a new granite countertop for your bathroom or kitchen, Amanzi Granite are here to help. Get in touch to inquire about our design, installation, and maintenance services across Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville, NC.

Have you ever stopped to think a little deeper about the stone that makes up your kitchen countertops or bathroom tiles? How did these rocks form and end up with aesthetically striking tones and patterns that look perfect in your kitchen? What gives them the properties that make them suitable for use in the home? Well, there are three categories of stone, so let’s look at them at a basic level to find out more.

Sedimentary

Sedimentary rocks are formed when small particles of other rocks, grains of sand, and other types of debris, or sediment, accumulate over time and are subjected to pressure, essentially compacting them together to form stone.

Types include: Sandstone, limestone, chalk, shale

Features: The layers of sediment are often visible in these types of stone, showing the different ages across which the stone was formed, and producing an interesting pattern for decorating homes. Sedimentary rock is generally the most porous of the three categories, meaning they may not be as suited to use in the bathroom as others and stains may be more likely to occur in the kitchen. But sealing your countertops can help to prevent this.

Igneous

Igneous rocks are formed when molten hot materials, like volcanic lava and magma, cool down and solidify, either above or beneath the earth’s surface. Those underneath the earth’s surface are then revealed through erosion and mining at quarries.

Types include: Granite, basalt, pumice, obsidian

Features: Igneous rocks produce varied and attractive results. Granite is an example of stone that has cooled slowly beneath the earth, forming the large crystals that produce its signature look. Whereas those formed above the ground cool more quickly, resulting in smaller grains. This formation process is why every slab of granite is completely unique.

Metamorphic

Metamorphic rocks are formed by a combination of heat and pressure at tectonic plate boundaries and faults. Both igneous and sedimentary rocks can form a new metamorphic rock when this heat and pressure is applied.

Types include: Marble, slate, quartzite

Features: Metamorphic stone is characteristically hard, which makes it nice and tough and durable for outdoor use, such as slate roofing tiles or marble sculptures. This is why marble countertops are worth the investment since they are impressively long-lasting. Metamorphic stone also produces an attractive aesthetic, with some having a layered appearance and others not.

We hope that this helps you understand the natural stone used in your home and why it produces such great aesthetic and functional results. You can visit our showroom in Kernersville to see the range of high-quality natural stone available for kitchen countertops, tiles, backsplash, and more.

Natural stone doesn’t just look great on a small scale like for your bathroom tiles and kitchen countertops. It’s also used in lots of constructions throughout the world. From functional buildings to stunning statues and architecture, natural stone is the perfect building block for lots of different uses. Let’s look at some different types of natural stone and the famous architecture you might have seen them in.

Marble

If you walk into the lobby of a luxurious hotel, then it’ll likely be adorned with marble columns or other marble features. It’s an extremely popular building material for this kind of aesthetic, and has also long been used in sculpting thanks to its durability, which is why we can still admire some of these works of art hundreds and even thousands of years later.

The Statue of David by Michelangelo is perhaps one of the most famous marble statues to exist. This 17-foot-tall figure was sculpted in the early 1500s and is still on show in Florence, Italy in the Accademia Gallery. The Venus de Milo is another famous marble sculpture, housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, sculpted in ancient Greek times more than 2,000 years ago.

In the US, both the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial are great examples of marble structures. And lots of other landmarks around the world are made from marble, including the Taj Mahal in India, the Pantheon in Italy, and the Parthenon in Greece.

Sandstone

You may already know that the White House is an example of sandstone architecture. The walls were constructed from gray-colored sandstone. There are conflicting stories about how the building got its signature white color, with some claiming it was painted white to hide damage after fires during the war of 1812. While other sources say that a lime-based whitewash was used during construction in 1798.

Granite

Granite is another great building material, so what famous landmarks can you see that boast this attractive and durable stone? Well you may have already seen one if you’ve visited South Dakota and Mount Rushmore. Those 60-foot presidential portraits were carved out of granite over a span of 14 years.

Find out more about the different kinds of natural stone that we use at Amanzi Granite, or visit our showroom in Kernersville to see our stone for yourself when planning for an upcoming home improvement project around Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville, NC.

Great interior design and remodeling consider the little details as well as the big picture. Pairing your kitchen countertops, cabinets, floors, and walls together makes a big impact on the overall appearance of the room, but it’s the little details that can make it perfect. Think about how the hardware, accessories, and finer touches in your kitchen complete the look.

In this blog, we’ll be taking your kitchen faucets as an example and looking at how to pair them well with your granite countertops.

Faucet colors and finishes

The color you choose for your faucets will depend largely on the color of your granite countertops and the style of your kitchen overall. Chrome and stainless-steel faucets are common in both kitchens and bathrooms, but a matte black faucet could pair strikingly with black granite and other dark-colored countertops. Brass and bronze can also go well with dark granite countertops depending on the style of your kitchen, while lighter metals like chrome and stainless steel could be ideal for lighter countertops.

Contrast or match

Complementing elements don’t have to match; they can equally contrast each other in a way that creates a cohesive image. For example, a dark-colored granite countertop could pair well with black faucets as part of the same color scheme, or you could contrast them with chrome or brass faucets, for example.

A great way to make this look cohesive is to pair the faucets with another element in the room, such as brass handles on your kitchen cabinets. Or you can match your faucets to the veining and patterns in your granite countertops. For example, black granite countertops could have flecks of gray and silver in them, which could pair well with chrome or stainless-steel faucets.

Faucet styles

You should also consider the style and proportions of your faucets in relation to the style of your kitchen and countertops. For example, the thickness of your countertops and the type of edge profile you’re choosing could determine whether you should look for slender and delicate faucets or bolder and chunkier faucets.

And think about the shape of your countertop edges when deciding between faucets with curves or more straight lines. Think about whether you prefer a modern style or a more traditional style kitchen and try to match these styles across the room.

If you’re looking for the right granite countertops or other granite features for your kitchen, then contact Amanzi Granite to find out more about our high-quality stone and professional installation services across Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville.