Recently I worked with Traditional Home and Caesarstone to create a video around how to style your surfaces and we touched on different tasks from these three aspects of my work: designing interiors, keeping up the blog, and creating products/maintaining the shop. I got to test out three different Caesarstone surfaces to coordinate with each and in the video you’ll see how I used them.

Caesarstone has a surface called Montblanc that has beautiful, dramatic veining which makes a gorgeous backdrop, especially for photography (and I’m not going to lie, with Instagram and in the blogging industry, I’ve definitely designed a few kitchens around them needed to be photogenic). So, when you have your friends over IRL, Montblanc is a great backdrop for a picture perfect cheese board which always makes an Instagram worthy shot.

How to build a perfect cheeseboard

1: Start with a good foundation: The background is the first thing to consider and I love how the marble-like Montblanc has the amazing veining like I mentioned. You need to add a pretty cheese board. I like to use wood and choose a size that reflects your party size. For an intimate gathering you can keep it small, but for a large one there’s nothing more impressive than a giant cheese board. Here’s a few more tips to making a pretty cheese spread…

1. Pick different types of cheeses. At least one of the following: soft, a semi-soft, a hard, and a blue.
2. Mix in fruits for color. Figs and dried apricots are my go to.
3. Bring in something salty, like olives, and don’t forget the crackers.
4. Include some honeycomb for extra points.

In the video you’ll see me styling some of my cake stands on top of Caesarstone’s rugged concrete surface. I love this surface because it has the look of concrete, but the durability of quartz. Concrete countertops can be tough to install and they can stain, so if you like the look of a concrete countertop but don’t want the hassle, this one is a great option. A few tips for styling a kitchen with concrete…

1. Bring in warm wood tones in other areas of the kitchen so it doesn’t feel too cold.
2. Same goes for hardware, opt for warmer metallics like bronze, brass or copper to contrast with the concrete.
3. When choosing paint colors for cabinets it’s always a good idea to have a sample of the countertop material on hand so you can find a complimentary color. The concrete pairs well with white and black, but it would also look great with a navy or dark green.

I like to have a clean surface that won’t distract from the project at hand so that I can spread out the different materials to work with, as well as to present to clients. The Caesarstone Attica is perfect for this, a pretty white surface with all over veining that has the look of a classic marble. I’m often asked how I start a design project and what my process is, so I’ve listed out a few things I always do at the beginning of a project.

1: I always start with a design questionnaire first to help nail down the clients personal style and needs for the space. An example of a question I have on there is how they want their space to feel and I offer descriptive words like cozy, relaxed, peaceful, inspiring etc. Nailing down adjectives for how they want to feel in their space is so helpful when designing.

2: I also often ask clients to pick out a favorite object or two to show me that I can pull inspiration from for the room we are working on. It can be a favorite piece of jewelry, an item of clothing or an object brought back from their travels. Getting them to talk about the object and why they love it gives some great insight into their personal style which I can translate into the space.

3: When it comes time for presentation, I build up different vignettes of materials and finishes to give the client a tactile idea of how the space will look and feel.

To see all these tips in action take a look at the full video here.