Smitten for Saltillo: Kelsey Harp’s Kitchen Reveal
Saltillo Tile Kitchen - Major design inspiration below by Lauren Jones.
For Austinite Kelsey Harp, going with Saltillo tile for her kitchen renovation project was a no-brainer. The 1970s Travis Country home, while it would need a pretty major remodel, had many redeeming qualities. It had Greenbelt views, a quiet neighborhood, plus charming architectural qualities of the decade. From a renovation standpoint, it gave her some wiggle room when it came to the design. Plus, it already had some Saltillo floors. “We knew we could work with that,” Harp says.
The Design Process
She and her husband purchased the home in July of 2019. They then called on personal friends, architect Chelsea Scharbach and interior designer Emily Seeds to give them a kitchen that felt light, airy and spacious. The family desired this as they came from a Ranch-style home with low ceilings.
Now, a year later, the kitchen is by far one of the highlights of the home. If you’ve ever thought about updating your tile game, now is the time to act. Harp chose White Glazed Thin Brick tile and Saltillo tile, plus quartz countertops with a matte finish that mimics hand-poured concrete. Saltillo is an all-natural tile, formed from terracotta clay, and left to bake in the sun. Later, the tile is low-fired in a kiln. This creates beautiful variation in the tile, making it ideal for a bevvy of renovation projects.
To complement the tile choices, Harp picked out clear-sealed white oak cabinetry. The open shelving on the bottom works for cookbook storage. It was also a clever way she saved on costs. For one of the final details, she sourced an antique French white oak island from Round Top. She then sanded and re-painted it and topped it with the same quartz countertop.
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