Kitchen island rules the roost

No matter what time of day—or night—one enters the kitchen of their beautiful Powell home, the eye is immediately drawn to—and held by—the majesty and movement of the back-lit granite that tops the stately, ten-foot center island.

“Every time we sit at the countertop, we notice something new in the stone that we had not seen before,” explains Kathy, who selected the spectacular granite slab from Mont Granite Inc.’s Columbus location. 

“I had spent months with my decorator from Dave Fox searching for something truly different and, the moment we saw this piece at Mont Granite, I knew it was the unique, inspirational art I sought,” she adds.

“We can’t take credit for creating the beauty of the stone, because that’s the work of Mother Nature,” says Kathy Milburn, Mont Granite customer service representative. “What we do is search the world to find it and then make it available for our customers.”

Milburn notes that granite found in quarries as far away as Sri Lanka, Norway, Brazil and other countries, was formed thousands of years ago by volcanic action. “The pattern in the granite depends on what was happening at the time—the faster the lava flowed, the more dense and granular the resulting product; the softer the flow—where the molten rock pooled and puddled inside the mouth of the volcano—the more movement will be seen in the resulting granite,” she explains.

The spectacular granite that was installed in the Coughlin/Capogreco kitchen is so distinctive that Mont Granite dubbed it “Zen,” to describe its tranquil, meditative appeal. Milburn says that, judging by the high ratio of quartz and mica in their specimen, it likely was formed on a saltwater beach, where varying temperatures and rates of flow resulted in long strands of quartz that swirl to create a “tornado-like” effect.

“When one thinks of a tornado, ‘Zen’ might not be the term that generally comes to mind,” she admits, “However, it’s a perfect description of the dual sense of adventure and rest that is inherent in this remarkable piece—it’s Mother Nature showcased at her finest,” she adds

The glass backsplash that is seen throughout the kitchen design was custom-made to suit the countertops. The ground glass that is embedded in the glass tiles adds sparkle and interest to the whole area.

Not to compete with the countertops and backsplash, the pendant lighting that hangs above the kitchen island adds its own unique brand of interest. 

“Bruno and I are constantly marveling over what has turned out to be a real conversation starter for our guests, too,” Kathy says. “We love to point out to one another the jade-like mica, bluish-green swirls and deep onyx highlights visible in the kitchen island. At one end, you can even imagine a beach—it seems you can almost see the sand. My favorite part is the quartz ‘tornado,’ because the quartz is so clear, it looks like crystal, creating prisms when the sun hits it in the afternoon. It’s definitely the highlight of our new kitchen,” she adds.