The Heart Of The Home: A Vision For Our Kitchen
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If the foyer is the first “handshake” of a home, the kitchen is the heartbeat. As the center of life within a house, the kitchen sees the early mornings, late nights and everything in between. It’s where food is made, impromptu dances are held, friends become family and family becomes closer gathered around for brunches, suppers, holidays and get-togethers. Being such an important part of home life, I really wanted our kitchen to be central within our space but still unique with its design. To feel slightly Devol. Slightly Nancy Meyers. Timeless. A bit early American Colonial, a bit European, a bit Southern. Lived in. Pretty, but understated. Budget friendly, but not cheap. And most of all, inviting. That’s a tall order for one space, so let’s dive into my thoughts, plans, hopes and design vision for our kitchen!
The Layout
When first designing the house, I knew I wanted a kitchen that was connected to our main living spaces. While the layout of the house does include distinct spaces in many areas, the kitchen, keeping room and living area all flow together with specific zones designated by furnishings. On the ceiling, four beams will run throughout the space also helping to designate the areas, though currently only two are in place as they were needed for structural purposes. Similarly, I also knew that I wanted to prioritize symmetry, storage, natural light and windows with views, particularly over the sink. As such, this led to the kitchen being against the back of the house, with the sink on the left wall with a window above, the range in the center flanked with windows and a bank of storage, pantry and refrigerator on the right wall. Within the center a large worktable island will provide additional storage and seating.
Design Vision Aesthetic
If you have been around here for very long, you know I am a sucker for Devol kitchens. And antiques. And historic details. And spaces that feel polished but not pretentious. Collected, not matchy. I want a space to allow life to be lived and even show evidence of that life over time with pieces which are woven together to tell a marvelous story just of us. Personally, I would rather choose natural materials (like wood, marble or brass) which will patina and wear naturally to tell a story (often requiring a bit of gentler care) than those that will always stay pristine. That being said though, there can be a huge benefit and peace of mind with materials like quartz or solid finishes for maintaining a clean look without wear marks, so if you know those character marks would bother you, integrate different items (like art, antiques, family heirlooms etc.) to tell your kitchen story rather than your finishes!
For our kitchen though, I am hoping to create a play of light and dark contrasts with creamy biscuit colored cabinetry topped with walnut butcherblock (a stunning yet affordable countertop option) while the worktable will add in a pop of dark blue topped with creamy marble. Inspired by Devol’s dairy table, this worktable will function as an island for storage and seating, but will not be solid cabinetry, instead acting more like a piece of furniture. Again playing with color contrasts, a black vintage style range will be set along the back wall beneath a simple range hood. A backsplash of neutral square tile will run from the countertops to the ceiling while the windows will feature simple roman shades. A mix of art or dishware or both will be showcased as well. Overall, my main goal is for the space to feel timeless, yet interesting with pops of color and collected pieces to serve our family well and embrace all who enter with a warm hug, inviting them to linger a little longer.
Final Thoughts
While the progress seems both slow and fast all at once, I can’t wait to see this space come together! Honestly, it is a dream to imagine our everyday life in such a space and I so look forward to it becoming the hub of our home. By mixing both high end items (like marble and a vintage style range etc.) with investment friendly choices (butcher block countertops, wood knobs, simple backsplash tile etc.), we are able to create a space that feels both luxurious and affordable which ultimately will be best suited for us. We have loved living with butcher block in the past with the warmth that it brings, so I am thrilled we are getting to use it again just in a different wood species. Overall, this process has brought a million decisions, even with a bit of decision fatigue at times, but now that it is coming together, I am so excited to see the vision for our kitchen come to life! Stay tuned for the final reveal! I can’t wait to share it with you and if you are embarking on a build or remodel of your own soon, but sure to save this post for inspiration!
Happy designing!
