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"doesn't have a lot of pattern," which she believed would be a good choice for providing the clean look that is so in demand. To make the island more personal, it was designed with diferent levels. This gives it more "mass appeal," accord- ing to Koss, and also works equally well for a family or for entertaining. "Not everyone wants a gigantic island," she explains, so the multi-level design maximizes functionality without being visually intrusive. "And it's clean, with no maintenance," which is sure to appeal to any future owner, she believes. When it comes to overall countertop trends, she sees quartz being the number one trend right now, with people leaning toward either very light white or very dark black tones. She adds, "Backsplashes seem to be large-format tile, and we're seeing some back-painted glass tile, or even window glass as backsplashes. One thing we are seeing is people stay- ing away from texture; it's hard to clean." She concludes, "Everything is just contemporary right now, dark or white, very simple, and all of the coordinating materials are natural, simple and clean." CLASSIC & GREEN California designer Cathy Aroz appreciates the classics – whether that means classic whites and neutrals, or classic products with a twist. The latter was the case in a recent kitch- en design where the homeowner came prepared with a whole fle of photos showing what he thought he wanted – starting with classic subway tile in white. However, at one point in the conversation, he hinted that he might be open to color, and Aroz saw the chance to introduce him to an eye-catching blue that would form the cornerstone for the unique yet classic kitchen. She explains, "I wanted to give it an updated twist in both color and tile design that would suit his aesthetic. I went with an Oceanside Glass Tile glass subway tile, but with a twist, by adding a break in the pattern and a subtle contrast with the matte fnish glass in the same color." The look "harmonized with the other elements in the room, but at the same time it stood out beautifully," she notes, adding that the client was "thrilled with the results." Aroz believes, "The countertops and backsplash must strike a balance so that one doesn't compete with the other. If the countertop is bold in color or pattern, the backsplash should be more subdued and vice versa." Of course, not everyone favors big, bold colors, and Aroz notes that soft grey and white comprised the palette for anoth- er recent design, where she had the additional requirement of "keeping it green." She notes, "The house was basically a complete teardown, where they started from scratch, building a green house from the ground up. They wanted sustainable products that didn't 'look green,' which is why they chose Oceanside Glass Tile." She continues, "It was a coastal house, so they liked the infuence of the ocean, the sand, even the fog. The kitchen had an open foor plan, and it was a smaller space, so they wanted something very clean and fresh and modern." To address the client's desire, she went with subdued countertops that com- plement the eye-catching tile, providing a sense of balance, and working well with the open plan. As far as overall trends in countertops and backsplashes, Aroz still sees "a lot of the classics – some neutrals, the whites and greys," but she also notes a trend toward warmer tones. "And we're also seeing lighter tones," she adds, "very soft greys, very soft, warm, champagne-y tones, even some very soft silver blues. That's a good transition color that brings in some color and serenity, with touches of the metallic. People love that because it's so eye catching." She continues, "Countertops and backsplashes with little to no pattern add a calming element, particularly to small- er spaces, and ft aesthetically as modern design gets more traction." She sees these as the "whys" that relate to today's interest in solid colors, light textures, concrete looks and man- made textures, adding, "This trend also allows more lively and bold patterns to have a place, literally, as tabletops, or smaller featured areas in the kitchen or at a featured work station." As far as other hot trends, she believes, "Marble shows no signs of trending down," and sees its transformation to solid surface materials providing "the best of both worlds." Finally, she predicts a continuing trend toward neutrals in countertops "for the foreseeable future, probably with accompanying back- splashes for a more simple, cohesive look." BROAD APPEAL While the personal touch is highly coveted in today's kitch- ens, sometimes designers must deal with the challenge of designing something that feels personal, even while it works for a wide variety of users. This was the case for Teri Koss of Design Studio, in Santa Fe, CA, who worked with builder Greg Bock of Bock Construction on this project built for the spec market. "It needed to be designed for both entertaining and family, and it needed to work for people on the go, which is a way of life [in this part of the country]," she explains. At the same time, she wanted a countertop design that would be clean, durable and beautiful, and neutral enough to work for a wide variety of potential families, without feeling cold or generic. Recognizing the p opularity of the marble look, she selected HanStone Quartz in Tranquility from Hanwha Surfaces be- cause "it had the look that was closest to marble yet still quartz. Quartz is bulletproof, it has the properties and durability of granite, but [without the maintenance]." The material selected Fresh, clean and modern describe this kitchen designed by Cathy Aroz, who used Oceanside Glass Tile to bring in the desired coastal infuence of the ocean, sand and even fog, while also ofering sustainable properties in line with the rest of the eco-friendly house. 48 Kitchen & Bath Design News • March 2016 COUNTERTOP SHOWCASE