Nate Berkus Swears By This Timeless Kitchen Trend
Little details make all the difference when it comes to creating a stylish yet functional home. And as interior designer Nate Berkus recently explained during a September 12 appearance on cookbook author Katie Lee Biegel’s podcast All on the Table, most people make a common mistake while picking out their kitchen countertops — and it can make all the difference.
The topic came up when Biegel pointed out that while Berkus doesn’t personally cook, he has a knack for “balancing functionality and making [kitchens] aesthetically pleasing.” Berkus took the opportunity to explain that smaller elements tie a kitchen design together. For instance, countertops with eased edges can make a really big design difference when curating a space you want to be in.
“A novice decorator or designer is going to help you pick out your marble and then be like, ‘Let’s just do a straight edge, or what’s called an eased edge, which is slightly softer,’” Berkus said. “But as you’re in this business for years, you realize that to create moments of beautiful character and personality in a space, the edge of a countertop actually matters. The edge of a backsplash actually is something that’s really important. Those are the details that I obsess about.”
If you’re thinking, Sure, having kitchen countertops with an eased edge is nice and all, but what is it going to cost me? You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that Berkus said it’s actually not that much more expensive than opting for a simple straight edge. This is because the machine that cuts countertops either makes the edge into a shape or makes it flat, so making that adjustment isn’t difficult.
Take Biegel’s own kitchen, for example, which Berkus designed. The room features countertops with eased edges. More specifically, he opted for ogee edges, which feature a stylish S-shaped curve and are a particularly popular choice for natural stone countertops. According to Home Depot’s website, design-wise, ogee edges fit in well with traditional style kitchens.
Home Depot adds that not all countertop materials are able to accommodate every edge style. If you’re looking for a material that gives you as many edge design opportunities as possible, the brand recommends quarter countertop edge profiles, which can easily handle more intricate designs.
Further Reading
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