8 Secret Ingredients to Creating a Tuscan Style Kitchen

Is it the peaceful, rolling hills of the Italian countryside, the quant cobblestone streets, the rich taste of wine straight from the vineyard, or the robust flavors and aroma of Tuscan cuisine?  It’s hard to put into words the charm and allure of Tuscany, but it’s something we often try to emulate in our cooking, building, and decorating.  If you’re looking to bring a little piece of Tuscany into your home, creating a Tuscan style kitchen may be the perfect way to do so.  Here are a few ideas to get you inspired:

-Color: Use varying shades of yellow and orange, like gold and burnt terracotta, as the cornerstone of your design, especially on the walls.  But don’t be afraid to use pops of color, like flaming red, luminous blue, and emerald green in your accent pieces.

-Walls: Intricately layered walls will give your kitchen that Old World charm.  To create this effect, try a painting technique, such as sponging or antiquing.  If you aren’t familiar with these forms of painting, you may want to hire a professional for optimal results.  If you decide to take on the challenge yourself, home improvement stores have books and specialty paint and utensils to help you master these techniques.

-Cabinets: Rich, dark tones are best suited for your cabinetry.  Also, you’ll often find cabinets without doors in a Tuscan themed kitchen, in which you can display your kitchen accessories (see Accessories below).

-Backsplash: The kitchen backsplash is often regarded as the heart and soul of a Tuscan kitchen, and it can make a big splash in your room.  Rust, gold, cream, and green are popular color choices for the backsplash.  You may also want to consider a mural made of tumbled stone tiles to bring out the iconic Tuscan spirit in the space.

-Counters: Stone counters, such as granite, slate, and travertine, are essential to your Tuscan inspired kitchen.

-Floors: For your flooring, stone or quarry tiles in earthy shades will capture the essence of the Tuscan décor.  These flooring choices will make you and your visitors feel like you are standing in the heart of a Tuscan villa.

-Furniture:  Dining with the family continues to be a symbol of Italian tradition and culture, so a large kitchen table holds a great deal of significance.  Luxurious table linens and chair cushions in sultry shades can add extra interest and style to your table.   In addition, an island is another integral part of a Tuscan themed kitchen.

-Accessories: Displaying actual kitchen items is the best way to accessorize your cooking space.  Rustic dinnerware, urns, spices in glass jars, pots and pans on metal racks, copper and pewter vessels, potted herbs, wine accessories, wrought iron candle holders-- all are perfect finishing touches to your Tuscan kitchen.

With these suggestions (and a little help from your friends at Pizazz Floors), you’ll be on your way to creating a true Italian kitchen.  Then instead of dreaming of that little café in Tuscany, just grab some family, friends, food, (and of course the vino) and enjoy your own Tuscan inspired kitchen.

Not All Granite is Created Equal

In today’s market, when granite companies are a dime a dozen and prices are all over the spectrum, you may wonder if there is really a difference.  Is granite granite, and if you’ve been to one granite company, have you been to them all?  Trust us when we say– you get what you pay for.  A poor granite job can result in a whole host of problems; including unsightly seams, uneven edges, unstable sinks that could potentially fall out, and lesser quality, un-reinforced stone that could fracture around seams or sinks.

At Pizazz Floors & Interior Design, we work with the leading granite fabricators in Metro Atlanta and the industry, and offer the most up-to-date equipment and technology to ensure the highest quality job.  Here are some of the technologies you can find assurance in when you partner with Pizazz:

SlabSmith- this software takes high resolution pictures of your selected slab and shows what it will look like on your countertop layout.  This allows for patterns in your granite to be matched for smooth seams and the most visually pleasing layout.  View a brief SlabSmith video for more information.

Digital Templating & Cutting of the Stone- a template of your countertops is programmed into a CNC (computer numerical controlled) machine, and the stone is then cut using a water saw controlled by the computer.  This ensures a precise cut, as opposed to cutting by hand with a grinder (a common practice among granite companies), which can lead to imperfections and uneven edges.

Superior Seam System- To minimize the size of your seam, a technology known as Gorilla Grip is employed, which uses air pressure to pull the seam together.  Once the seam is as small as possible, we use a special under mount stitching method with high-quality glue and Corian blocks to ensure the seam will stay in place.  An industry-approved specialized paint mixture is then applied to match the color of the seam as closely as possible to your countertops.

In addition to these technologies, when you select Pizazz for your new granite countertops, you can also expect:

- Premium, 3cm stone (no seconds, 2cm stone, or remnants pieced together from different lots)

- Steel-rod reinforced cutouts

- PermaShield stain protectant and sealant

- Certified, licensed, English-speaking installers that have been background checked and drug tested

You may also have been hearing a lot lately about granite resurfacing.  This procedure places a manufactured overlay on top of your existing countertops.  As this is an engineered product, you do not have the character or movement of natural granite, it is less durable, and it does not add the same value to your home as solid granite.

With countless colors and styles of stone available, there is sure to be a granite countertop for you and your budget.  And with Pizazz, you only pay for the square footage of your job, not the whole slab.  Your Pizazz “Granite Concierge” (as we like to call it), can help you select the perfect granite for your kitchen renovation, educate you on the entire process, and answer any questions you may have along the way.  For more information on granite countertops, please call us at 678-687-6893.

Spotting the PizazzFloors.com Truck Could Be Worth up to $250!

Where’s Waldo?  Who cares?!  But spotting the PizazzFloors.com truck could save you up to $250!   After just getting our new work truck wrapped in vinyl lettering from In-Depth Wraps, we are ready to show it off!   To get our customers involved, we’re going to make it worth your while to find this new cherry red F-150.   If you spot the PizazzFloors.com truck anywhere around town, just post exactly when and where you saw it on our Facebook wall, and we’ll give you $150 off your next design project with us.  To sweeten the deal, if you snap a picture of the truck and post it, we’ll make it $250 off!   Use your discount towards hardwood, carpet, tile, granite, kitchen & bath remodeling, or whatever your home design need might be.  We realize you may not be ready to do a home renovation right now, so your discount will be good for up to six months from the time you spotted the Pizazz truck.

Plus, check our Facebook page often for updates, because we are also going to be giving away gift cards to local restaurants just for finding the Pizazz truck with no purchase necessary.

With all the driving we do around Metro Atlanta, it won’t be hard to find us.   Just keep an eye out, and you could save some cash!

Rules:  Does not apply if Pizazz truck is in your driveway for consultation.  Pizazz must verify that the time and place the truck was spotted is accurate.  Limit one discount per household.  Not valid with any other offers or for previously contracted jobs.  Project must total $2500 or more.