THE KITCHEN

I haven’t had time to work on a full post for you…we’re into the full swing of summer around here. We just had some vacation time, but we’re already into swimming and golf lessons everyday. I’ve also been working on my Instagram posts a lot lately and it really takes up the little time that I have to work on all of this..so, if you don’t follow me on IG (which you should, so please do!!), you haven’t seen these latest shots of the kitchen. I’ve been getting a little bit better at my photography skills and I think these look much better than any of the other shots I have featured here on the blog! I do promise I will get to a new post as soon as I can. For now, I hope you enjoy these pics!

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On a beautiful sunny day we get great light in the kitchen and there’s no better feeling than a bright and cheery sunny morning!

I wanted an ‘old-world-meets-today’ European feeling in our kitchen, so it was very important to me that it felt new with a nod to the past. This was the main reason for a focal wall with no cabinetry so the range hood would stand out. The stools were actually purchased before we even broke ground and they were the inspiration for this whole space…yes, my husband thought I was completely crazy! But I think I proved him wrong!

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The fridge is a side by side all-freezer, all-refridgerator. It’s wonderful having so much space for food storage and it gives the kitchen an upscale designer feel. If you can afford the space, I strongly recommend it! Ours is made by Fridgidair.

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I do all of my prep work at the end of the island and it’s the perfect placement between the fridge and sink, with the stove right behind me. The flow and functionality work beautifully. I’m also pretty lucky to have those french doors to look at too!

I love working at this island. I can see everything and everyone while I’m working here. When the kids are helping cook or bake there’s plenty of room for all of us to work together. We get great family time here!

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I love our black island. Aside from the constant cleaning due to dust and fingerprints, it’s one of those things that makes me very happy! The color is rich and sophisticated…you can never go wrong!

The island is a good size (7′ x 3.5′) and because it’s mostly drawers, it makes up for the lack upper cabinets. All of our dishes and silverware are in here. We chose hardware that was very affordable (it was within the budget from the builder) and used handles on all of the cabinet doors and draweers vs. knobs. I feel it creates a more sleek and sophisticated feeling in our kitchen.

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The cupboard on the right is for trash and recycling.

We don’t have a breakfast nook, so the island serves as our table at every meal… Meal time is very casual herel! We can fit up to 10 people when entertaining and it’s great for kids’ parties too. I can also prep food at one end during a party and use the other for buffet-style meals as well. No matter how many people come over, this is THE spot for gathering. It was a great design decision!

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We tucked the microwave at the end and I love having it here. I don’t use it for much cooking, only heating so it’s the perfect spot. The cupboard on the left is non functional –  we had it designed this way for symmetry.

It is a true workhorse and is the best feature of the whole space!

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At mealtime the 4th stool gets pulled up to the table.
The fridge wall with lots of extra storage above. We still need another floating shelf on the left.
The fridge wall with lots of extra storage above. We still need another floating shelf on the left.

Here’s a look at the refrigerator wall. We keep our small appliances tucked in the corner and my cookbooks on the shelf above. My artwork and cookbooks add a nice touch of color over there.

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The white apron front farm sink is from Ikea. Another fantastic budget friendly purchase.

The sink is another one of my favorite things. Because it’s from Ikea, I was able to get the look I wanted without breaking the bank. It’s only about $400 which is a steal compared to the high-end options out there. It’s a great alternative!

The desk in the corner is not my favorite… Everyone needs a desk space, that’s for sure, but it seems to get cluttered very often and it stresses me out! I recently organized all of my paperwork in the cupboard below, which is a big plus, however, it’s still one of those spots that loves to catch all the clutter! I’ll need to deal with that somehow!

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I love having the range hood as the focal point in this space.

I knew I wanted the focal wall to have no upper cabinets. It makes the space feel larger and I love having the windows flanking the stove. We tiled the wall with inexpensive subway tile from HomeDepot. I had a marble backsplash inset done with tile from HomeDepot as well. For about $400, we created a high-end looking feature wall that makes a strong statement, yet still doesn’t overwhelm you. I love it!

Like the rest of the house, we were on a limited budget so we found ways to maxlmize the style factor without overspending. We splurged on appliances and counters (these are quartz) but saved in other areas, like the tile and the amount of cabinetry we used – our pantry is a closet rather than cupboards, which can be challenging when it comes to organizing at times…that’s another post for another time!

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The stove is 30 inches and I do wish we’d gone for 36 or even 48. We built this house to sell it right away so we wanted to keep the costs low. In the end, we stayed here and it’s one of those things I wish I’d done the way I wanted.

We chose to have as many drawers as possible in the space. I love the look, especially on each side of the stove – plus you get much more storage space than you do with cabinets.

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A beautiful sunny morning!
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Another beautiful morning! I get carried away with these shots…
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I love this view and looking out the patio doors when I’m cooking.
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My blue and white ginger jar is perfect here with the touches of gold…it adds just enough color in this neutral space, along with my artwork.

That just about wraps up my kitchen tour! I hope you enjoyed it and found some interesting tips for yourself! I’d love to hear from you…leave a comment below or send me an email at [email protected]. I hope you all have a great week and I hope you enjoyed this post too! I will try my best to be back very soon with something new! xo

PS – I’m still tweaking the look and feel of the blog so please excuse the different sized logos everhwnere on all of the photos!

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6 Comments

  1. What color did you paint your cabinets? They are gorgeous!

  2. tamaraanka says:

    Hi Tara, Thank you so much for the compliment! Yes, I have Collingwood in all of the main areas of our home. Thanks so much for stopping by!

  3. Tara Gardner says:

    Hello,
    Your home is beautiful! Did you also use Collingswood in the hallway and entryway?
    Thank you.
    Tara

  4. tamaraanka says:

    Hi Laurie! Thank you for your feedback! They’re quartz and I love them because they’re indestructible! Have a great day :)

  5. What is the material of your countertops? Very pretty kitchen…

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