The Art of the Linger: A Cottage Reborn in Clouds and Stone

Preserving the Past, Designing the Future

The renovation was no small feat. It involved stripping the space back to its bones, replacing flooring, and knocking through an external wall to welcome the outside in with grand bi-fold doors. Amidst the professional dust, Laura found her own connection to the build, stripping and repointing an original render wall to reveal a stunning brick feature that now anchors the room with rustic soul.

Yet, as any designer will tell you, the secret to a cohesive high-end kitchen lies in the "bridge" - that one element that ties the architectural history of the home to the modern lifestyle of the family.

The Discovery of Perla Nuvola

After finding that standard supplier options lacked the specific "poetry" she was searching for, Laura turned to a brand she had long admired on Instagram: Gemini Worktops. It was there she encountered Perla Nuvola from their Stonelore collection, a surface that instantly captured her imagination.

Named for the drifting softness of a cloud, Perla Nuvola is defined by its warm, creamy base and delicate, flowing veining. It offers the ethereal beauty of marble - a look Laura adored - but with the resilient spirit of quartz worktops. For a busy family home, it was the ultimate "no-compromise" solution.

The "Tie That Binds"

"The worktops are just beautiful," Laura reflects. "They have all the colours of the kitchen within them and just tie everything together."

While the project faced the typical hurdles of renovation - including the temporary loss of a kitchen for months and a cooker supplier going into liquidation - the installation of the quartz countertops served as the definitive turning point. The creamy tones of the stone softened the new bi-fold light, while the subtle veins mirrored the organic textures of the repointed cottage wall.

A Worthy Investment

Though she initially spent more on the surfaces than budgeted, Laura remains adamant that it was the right decision. In an era where "buy once, buy well" is the hallmark of luxe design, the durability of kitchen worktops in quartz ensures that the heart of her cottage will remain as pristine as the day it was finished.

Today, Laura’s kitchen stands as a testament to the fact that while renovations are "short-term pain," the result - a tranquil, welcoming environment wrapped in the glow of Perla Nuvola - is a lifelong reward.