When Aleem Kassam, principal of Kalu Interiors, designed the sleek kitchen in his own downtown Vancouver condo, he fell head-over-heels with a bronze-veined, dark brown stone (specifically, Cosentino€™s Dekton Laurent). He was all in. €œWhen you have a material that works well in a space, why not try to take it to the next level?€ says Kassam.

The designer used the stone on the countertops, backsplash and waterfall island. He clad the dishwasher, warming drawer and hood fan in it, then used it to create stone floating shelves. It wasn€™t all about aesthetics, either: €œClean up and prep in our kitchen is so easy, because everything is clad in Dekton,€ says the designer. He kept the rest of the space
simple with rift-cut white oak cabinets and integrated appliances to really let that hero surface shine.

Kassam€™s kitchen mixes functionality with luxury: streamlined, integrated panel doors hide the basics (like the fridge and freezer) and the extras (like the warming drawer, which serves as a toasty spot to store plates when entertaining or a tucked-away haven for rising bread).

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Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, illustrator and comic artist. Her work has been featured in Vancouver magazine, Western Living, BCBusiness, Avenue, Serviette, Geist, BCLiving, Nuvo, Montecristo, The Georgia Straight and more. Her beats are food, travel, arts and culture, style, interior design and anything dog-related. She publishes a daily autobiographical comic on Instagram at @hialyssacomics.