How to Use Concrete in a Traditional Kitchen

Concrete’s use in kitchens and bathrooms may still be considered relatively “modern” design-wise by some homeowners. But while concrete can be used to create a modern or minimal look, it’s also perfectly adaptable to a more traditional setting – where it was so extensively used in the first place.

Concrete can act as a substitute for more traditional materials. Rather than just using concrete to explicitly re-create something from the past, you can also combine it with other elements to suggest a timeless quality. In my work, I always strive to strike a balance between innovation and emotion, between spare contemporary and warm traditional. Adding mosaic tile along the front edge of a concrete surface, inlaying bits of tile along a backsplash, or even embedding a fossil in a countertop all connect us to the past.

A California cottage we recently renovated moved from “traditional” to “transitional.” A large concrete curved wall and counter boldly separates the living room from the kitchen. Meanwhile, a stainless steel integral sink countertop straddles one wall- yet, by inlaying glass tiles into the backsplash...