Designed by: Susan Serra
We're so excited to present our final “reveal” of our new kitchen. We couldn't be happier with the way it turned out—and it’s not even fully complete as I write this. We’ll have a whirlwind next few days as we brush on final layers of paint, fill our cabinets and shelves, and hopefully hang a painting or two. Even in its semi-finished state, the kitchen's layout and materials are heads and tails above what we had before. I've found that the advantages are twofold; functionally, the new kitchen is so much more efficient for our needs, and aesthetically, it's much more suited to our taste and style.
In terms of function, I've already prepared a few meals in the new space and marveled at the difference. I found myself doing most of the prep work at the sink area, with my small appliances nearby and the generous basin of the sink at my side for extra storage in a pinch. The open shelving made it incredibly convenient to quickly survey any tools or dishes I’d need and grab them in one swift motion, and having the trash just an arm’s length away made for fast cleanup.
Photo by: Susan Serra
Designed by: Susan Serra
The opposite side of the kitchen, where the oven sits, has presented a few pleasant surprises. (They're surprises to me at least—I'm sure my mom had them all planned out!) Previously, I never used the two short lengths of countertop flanking the stovetop for prep. But unencumbered by a clunky dining bench and table, this entire length of countertop is now a terrific staging area, boasting a few more inches of counter space in close proximity to the fridge and pantry. The Kessebohmer rail across the backsplash is perhaps my favorite feature, housing our cooking utensils, most-used spices, a few wine bottles and even a decorative item or two. Not only is it convenient for immediate visibility and access, but it lends a stylish utilitarian feel to the kitchen that I really love.
The position of the dining nook spans both form and function. Visually, it's so much less imposing to have the table positioned at the back of the room—and of course, it's a pleasure to not have to constantly walk around it! The cushioned banquette gives the illusion (well, the reality) of comfort and coziness, and it's so much more conducive to relaxing meals and our kitchen-as-living-space mentality.
Photo by: Susan Serra
Designed by: Susan Serra
Overall, I'd have to say the two biggest boons to our quality of life have been the use of drawers instead of cabinets, and the thoughtful floorplan. The ability to pull out the drawers and have all of the contents easily visible has been a major "aha moment" for us—we realized our great fortune in never having to bend down and dig through an overcrowded, disorganized cabinet again. Sure, we could have just put drawer pullouts inside a cabinet, but we really wanted that "furniture" look that the drawers impart.
In regard to the floor plan, we feel like it finally reflects some thought as to how someone (anyone really, but specifically us) will live in and use the space and its contents. Throughout the process, my mom asked us pointed questions that seemed trivial to me at the time: how I prepped for cooking, our storage needs and other activities that took place in the kitchen. I now realize that every answer was given consideration in the final plan, and thus has dramatically increased our enjoyment and efficiency in the kitchen.
Photo by: Susan Serra
Designed by: Susan Serra
Aesthetically, there is really no comparison. When you move into an old house, you inherit the style and taste of the previous owners (in our case, the owners from 40+ years ago!), so it was already a huge bonus to be able to put our own stamp on the room. We lightened the floors, which helped negate the country look I wasn't too fond of and gave the room an open and airy feel. The cabinetry is beautifully simple—I really like the lack of hardware, which minimizes the visual clutter and allows me to add decorative touches in the form of artwork, textiles and ceramics, which contribute to that "living room" feeling we're after.
My favorite aesthetic touch is our varied use of the Silestone. We chose to put a beveled edge on our countertops to give the illusion of a super-thin surface. The exposed face of the counter is a mere 1/4", beveled from the full width of 3/4". This is a perfect example of a design choice, asserted by my mom (and I do mean "asserted," at the deterrence of the fabricators), which I thought nothing of at the time but had a huge impact on the overall feeling of the space. I also love the fact that we exercised restraint in keeping most surfaces neutral. It was tempting to go with magenta Silestone shelves for a splash of color, but the sleek white we chose is easy to embellish in so many ways. A base of neutral fixtures and surfaces allows us to change up the look with new artwork or accessories whenever we want.
Photo by: Susan Serra
Designed by: Susan Serra
It's pretty clear that I love our remodeled kitchen, but the real proof is how it performs during crunch time: an impromptu gathering for 10 family members or a lengthy cup of coffee with a good friend. I was fortunate to experience both of those scenarios in the past week or two, and was proud to see my new kitchen shine. With the thoughtfulness of a great designer, and real consideration given to just the right products for the space, true harmony can occur between a kitchen for cooking and a kitchen for living.
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