Latest news with #SaintLouis
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
5 Kitchen Countertop Trends on Their Way Out in 2025 (and What's Replacing Them)
Countertops aren't exactly a change-every-season situation (thank goodness!), but they do play a major (and growing) role in how your kitchen looks and functions. Experts are noticing that people are 'craving layered textures and tactile appeal that elevate the everyday kitchen experience while allowing more personal expression,' as designerKerrie Kelly puts it. People are moving 'toward surfaces that tell a richer story,' observesRachel Blindauer, a Saint Louis-based interior designer, seeking materials that feel authentic to their homes and lives. But first, know that this is not a memo that you need to rip out your countertops right now. Counters are a serious investment. I'm still rocking the original Formica in my mid-century kitchen, and while I dream about terrazzo someday, I'm not rushing the process. Your home should evolve at your pace, not because a designer somewhere declared your countertop 'out.' That said, there's nothing wrong with a little countertop curiosity! Whether you're in the Pinterest dreaming or contractor-hiring phase, here's what the experts are seeing as in — and out — for 2025. The days of superslick, high-gloss countertops that show every fingerprint are waning. Instead, designers are embracing surfaces with tactile appeal. 'We love leathering the material to give it an earthier and more organic feel!' says Ariana Lovato ofHoneycomb Home Design. These textured finishes aren't just about looks — they're more forgiving with everyday use, hiding water spots and smudges that would be glaringly obvious on a polished explains the shift: 'Velvety finishes like honed marble, soapstone, and leathered quartzite are in high demand, not just for their tactile beauty, but for how they wear in. These surfaces age gracefully, showing use the way leather shoes do: with pride, not perfection.'Even NKBA Design Council member Michel Smith Boyd ofSMITHBOYD Interiors embraces this trend of leathered stone in his own home, noting that 'any tactile experience is an added bonus' to a beautiful counter. While white countertops aren't exactly 'out' (classic choices rarely are), things are definitely warming up on the color front. 'We're seeing countertops with richer, more inviting tones — creamy neutrals, sandy beiges, and even hints of terracotta,' says Michael Hartel ofCabinet IQ. This shift mirrors the broader move away from the clinical, all-white aesthetic that dominated the Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist, points to an interesting countertrend: 'White remains the top choice for upgraded kitchen countertops, with 41% of homeowners selecting it. … Interestingly, black countertops are more popular than gray or beige (8%, 7%, and 5%, respectively),' according to the 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. This suggests that while white hues still reign, those looking for alternatives are going bold rather than pros are also using stone itself as color inspiration. 'An excellent point of departure is a gorgeous stone or surface material with a range of colors and natural tones to pull from and connect to other materials in the palette,' Caleb Anderson ofDrake/Anderson says. 'A subtle green or blue vein in a stone material can be an unexpected paint color for the cabinets.'Smith Boyd takes this approach to heart. 'In my own kitchen, I used an avocado quartzite for counters that includes just about every shade of green. I always ground the design with natural stone where at least one of the colors occurs naturally.' The days of matching everything exactly are fading as homeowners embrace more personalized, collected-over-time looks — and that approach includes mixing countertop materials. 'While engineered quartz remains prevalent for main countertops, some homeowners are choosing different materials for their islands,' says Sargsyan, calling it a notable trend. 'Butcher block or wood slab leads this trend, selected by 31% of those opting for contrasting island materials.'Kelly has noticed similar patterns. 'Clients are increasingly interested in mixed-material applications: pairing stone with butcher block or stainless for a truly custom, culinary feel.' This mix-and-match approach isn't just about aesthetics — it's functional, too. Different zones of the kitchen serve different purposes, and the materials can reflect that reality. While mixing materials is trending, so too is visual continuity — particularly between countertops and backsplashes. 'We're seeing a strong move toward using full slabs not just for countertops, but also as backsplashes as commonplace,' Christine Gee says. 'This approach creates a seamless, fluid visual experience from surface to wall, eliminating grout lines for a cleaner, more elevated [look].' Lovato adds that full-height backsplashes using countertop material are everywhere, points to another integration trend: 'We're seeing a surge in monolithic countertop sinks, where the sink is carved from the same slab as the counter. It's a sculptural move that nods to craftsmanship and adds a seamless elegance to utility.' This continuous look eliminates visual breaks and makes even smaller kitchens feel more spacious and intentional. The pendulum is swinging firmly away from imitation materials toward surfaces that are either genuinely natural or honestly engineered.'I'm seeing clients opting for natural stone, especially quartzite,' says Rick Berres ofHoney-Doers. 'Why are people choosing quartzite over quartz? Because it's even harder. Chips, scratches, marks — they're all less likely to show on quartzite.' He adds that you can even place a hot pan on quartzite without worrying you'll ruin it, a huge bonus for serious puts it bluntly: 'Faux anything' is out. 'Consumers are becoming increasingly design-literate. They can spot faux finishes from a scroll away. Authenticity — whether in the form of real stone, sustainably harvested wood, or recycled materials — is what resonates now.'Sustainability is becoming a major factor for homeowners, too. 'We're seeing a clear shift toward sustainable surfaces, but with zero compromise on aesthetics,' Gee says. 'Biophilic design is no longer a trend, it's foundational. Integrating natural elements into interiors isn't just about aesthetics; it's about creating spaces that bring the outdoors in and restore our souls.' Kelly is also excited about sustainable surfaces 'as well as recycled materials that offer both beauty and eco-conscious appeal.'What do you think about these kitchen countertop trends? Let us know in the comments below! The 'Beautiful' $3 Flower Tumblers at Walmart People Are Buying 2 at a Time The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can't Stop Talking About Ball Just Dropped the Most Beautiful Mason Jars for Its 140th Anniversary ("So Iconic!")
Fox News
5 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Doctor gets to the 'meat' of a long and healthy life
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is on a mission to bring attention to the importance of strength. The "health of skeletal muscle" is the "focal point" of health and wellness, Dr. Lyon said during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. Dr. Lyon is a board-certified physician and bestselling author of "Forever Strong," and she promotes the importance of a high-protein diet and resistance training through social media and on her podcast, "The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show." Dr. Lyon is a fellowship-trained physician, and did additional education on nutrition when she completed a post-doc at Washington University in Saint Louis, "a combined nutritional science with geriatric training." Dr. Lyon explained that she was frustrated with the misinformation online, especially around protein, which sparked her mission. "I opened up my Instagram and there were individuals talking about how red meat was causing cancer and killing the planet. And as someone who has studied protein metabolism for years and also worked as a physician at the bedside of individuals and in nursing homes, I knew that the message that they were giving was... It's a matter of life or death." As a result, she felt a "responsibility" to start her medical podcast, "The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show," where she discusses a variety of health topics with experts. "My desire is to have transparent conversations with world-class experts. Who are actually doing the job of moving the science. They are not influencers. They are qualified professionals and that's what we need to hear more of," Dr. Lyon said. Dr. Lyon argued that there is a "global mistrust" of healthcare providers and science, and she hopes to improve that through the conversations she has on her podcast. "We have to bring it back to the science," Dr. Lyon said of the importance of having experts on her show. "Here are a lot of good scientists and there is a lot of good science. People just have to learn how to integrate that and understand it." Dr. Lyon believes strength is the key to longevity. "If you want to live long, be strong. If you want to die early, plan on being weak," she said. Dr. Lyon describes muscle as "the organ of longevity," and to maintain muscle, it must be trained through resistance training. "We don't have an obesity problem. What we really have is a muscle problem," Dr. Lyon claimed. Additionally, she said that muscle is not a luxury but rather a responsibility, and concluded that the way we age is "up to us." How to improve your chances of living to 100? The secret is being strong, according to Dr. Lyon. "Weakness kills," she said. "Both physical and mental weakness." Dr. Lyon will be on Fox & Friends on Tuesday at 6:50 am ET.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
AP PHOTOS: Fishermen say a new natural gas project off Senegal's coast threatens their livelihoods
SAINT LOUIS, Senegal (AP) — Fishermen say a new natural gas project off the coast of Senegal — a joint venture between British energy giant BP and U.S.-based Kosmos Energy — is threatening their livelihoods. The project, which started operations late last year, is meant to bring jobs to the densely populated fishing community. But residents say they are catching fewer fish because the fish are drawn to the project's platform, which fishermen cannot approach. They also say the price of cooking gas keeps rising, even after lower prices were a major selling point for the project. BP says talks with the community are ongoing. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: Fishermen say a new natural gas project off Senegal's coast threatens their livelihoods
SAINT LOUIS, Senegal (AP) — Fishermen say a new natural gas project off the coast of Senegal — a joint venture between British energy giant BP and U.S.-based Kosmos Energy — is threatening their livelihoods. The project, which started operations late last year, is meant to bring jobs to the densely populated fishing community. But residents say they are catching fewer fish because the fish are drawn to the project's platform, which fishermen cannot approach. They also say the price of cooking gas keeps rising, even after lower prices were a major selling point for the project. BP says talks with the community are ongoing. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A new natural gas project off Senegal makes fishing communities feel threatened
GUET NDAR, Senegal (AP) — It's impossible to miss the gas platform off the coast of northern Senegal. Its flare stack burns day and night above the rolling breakers. The natural gas project, a joint venture between British energy giant BP and U.S.-based Kosmos Energy, started operations on the final day of 2024. It is meant to bring jobs to the densely populated fishing community of Guet Ndar, just outside the old colonial capital of Saint Louis. The gas extraction plant, the deepest in Africa, is aimed at helping to transform Senegal's stagnant economy after the discovery just over a decade ago of oil and gas off the country's coast. The first offshore oil project also began last year. Fishermen say the project is killing their livelihoods Mariam Sow, one of the few remaining sellers in the once-thriving fish market, said the decline began in 2020 when the platform started rising from the sea. 'This market used to be full every day,' Sow said, gesturing at the barren lot. The nearby beach is now occupied by hundreds of unused boats. Fishing is central to life in coastal Senegal. It employs over 600,000 people, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The country exported nearly half a billion dollars worth of fish in 2022, according to think tank Chatham House, citing international trade data. What's the gas project about? The Grand Tortue Ahmeyim project plans to extract gas off Senegal and neighboring Mauritania. According to BP, the field could produce 2.3 million tons of liquefied natural gas every year. Last year, Senegal elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who ran on an anti-establishment platform. He pledged to maximize the country's natural resources, including by renegotiating what he called unfair contracts with foreign firms and distributing revenues to the population. 'I will proceed with the disclosure of the effective ownership of extractive companies (and) with an audit of the mining, oil, and gas sector," he said in his first address. It was not clear whether contract renegotiation efforts had begun, or whether they would include the gas project. The fishermen of Guet Ndar say the benefits promised by both the project and Senegal's government have not materialized. The cost of living remains high, and the price of natural gas, a major cooking source in Senegal, is still rising. Lower gas prices had been a major selling point for the gas project. Mohamed Sow, a shopkeeper in Dakar, said his customers complain that a 12-liter gas canister has gone from 5,000 CFA ($8.50) to 8,000 CFA ($13.80) in the past few years. 'It's impossible to keep raising the price,' he said. Senegal's government did not respond to requests for comment. The fishing community near the project says it has noticed more signs of trouble. A leak that took weeks to fix Soon after the gas project's production began, fishermen said they noticed a large number of bubbles in the sea. BP cited a temporary gas leak that 'had no immediate impact on ongoing production activities from the remaining wells." The leak took weeks to fix. BP did not say how much gas — largely methane — leaked into the ocean, or what caused a leak so early in the new project. In a response to written questions, BP said 'the environmental impact of the release was assessed as negligible" considering the 'low rate' of release. The environmental charity Greenpeace, however, called the effects of such spills on the environment significant. 'The GTA field is home to the world's largest deep-water coral reef, a unique ecosystem. A single spill can wipe out decades of marine biodiversity, contaminate food chains and destroy habitat,' it said in a statement. Sitting outside a BP-built and branded fish refrigeration unit meant to help community relations, Mamadou Sarr, the president of the Saint Louis fishermen's union, talked about the concerns. Sarr asserted that fish have become more scarce as they are attracted to the platform and away from several reefs that the people of Guet Ndar had fished for centuries. Drawing in the sand, he explained how the fish, drawn by the project's lights and underwater support structures, no longer visit their old 'homes.' Areas around the platforms are off-limits to fishermen. Sarr also said an artificial reef that BP is building lies in the path of ships that regularly visit the structures, keeping the fish away. A fisherman's life One fisherman, Abdou, showed off his catch after two days at sea: two insulated boxes full of fish, each about the size of an oil drum. A box of fish fetches 15,000 CFA, or $26. Prior to the gas project, he said, he would get four or five boxes per two-day trip. Now, getting two is a win. That worsens a problem already created by overfishing by foreign vessels. BP stressed that face-to-face talks with members of the community about such issues are ongoing, and noted its community-facing projects such as microfinance and vocational training programs in the region. Sarr said that despite its promises, the government failed to consider his community when agreeing to the gas project. 'This is our land and sea, why don't we get a voice?' he asked. He and others expressed irony that the refrigeration unit sitting next to them cannot be opened. The key is 'somewhere in Dakar' Sarr said, and locals said they have never seen inside it. ___ For more on Africa and development: The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
