For Nicolette Stathopoulos, the kitchen has always been more than just a room — it's where creativity lives. Known to Australian audiences as a contestant on MasterChef Australia Season 8, Nicolette has since carved out a career as a food and recipe developer and content creator. After six years working in PR and influencer marketing, she made the leap to pursue her true passion full-time, and that meant building the kitchen she'd always dreamed of.
"My dream kitchen needed to be both functional and beautifully aesthetic," she explains. "It's the space where all my content creation and recipe development will come to life."
Finding the Right Tile
With crisp white cabinetry as the foundation, Nicolette knew she needed something on the floor to bring warmth and personality to the space — without sacrificing practicality. She found exactly that in the Turin Beige 75x300 Matt Subway Porcelain Tile from Tile Lane.
Inspired by the natural qualities of limestone, the Turin range features multiple tile faces, meaning each piece carries its own subtle tonal variation. It was precisely this characteristic that won Nicolette over. "I love how each tile has its own individual tonal spread to it," she says. "The floor is now a work of art of its own."
The Herringbone Difference
She chose to have the tiles laid in a herringbone pattern — a decision that added another layer of visual interest to the space. The adjoining living area features small timber parquetry, and Nicolette was conscious of creating a floor that felt cohesive with that existing material. The herringbone lay, with its rhythm and geometry, bridges the two beautifully. "It adds some symmetry to the space," she says, "and creates a beautiful, harmonious balance."
Beauty That Works Hard
Beyond the aesthetics, the Turin Beige ticked the practical boxes too. As a porcelain tile with a matt finish and P4 slip rating, it's built for a space that sees serious cooking activity — easy to clean, durable, and safe underfoot.
For anyone renovating a kitchen that will double as a creative workspace, Nicolette's approach is a masterclass in getting the balance right: warm tones to soften a white palette, a considered lay pattern to elevate the ordinary, and a tile that looks like art but works like a workhorse.
Click here to follow Nicolette and her delicious creations.
