Recently I talked about "Fun in the Kitchen." Then I realized that a major reason I have fun in my kitchen is because it is so functional. I did a post a couple of months ago about our kitchen renovation, and how long it took me to find a kitchen designer. You can read about that here.
Our kitchen is such a joy to work in because of Dave Presuto, of Beauty Craft Kitchens in Green Brook, N.J. Dave is the genius behind these wonderful features in our kitchen:
An end cabinet that can be accessed from the front or from the side -- we never have to dig through everything to get to the pot in the back of the cabinet! I can't tell you how marvelous this is!
A small cabinet for cookie sheets -- love it!
A dish rack directly above the dishwasher. This is so wonderful. Actually, the slide-out trash bin is next to the sink, which is next to the dishwasher, too. So dishes go from scraping to rinsing to the dishwasher, then to the dish rack. Perfect!
Microwave next to the freezer. This is great for the kids when they want to make a frozen pizza. Now if I could only get them to clean out the microwave afterward!
And finally, the cabinet above the refrigerator opens downward with a reinforced hinge. I can actually reach the pots in the front of the cabinet without standing on a chair, and without having to hold the cabinet door up. Makes life much easier!
So that's my fun(ctional) kitchen. It's a joy to work in -- thanks, Dave!
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Your kitchen is gorgeous! I have that cookie sheet cabinet too and I love it. So much storage in so little space.
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE your kitchen!!!...I'm using 'yours' as inspiration for my kitchen redo...of course..that's in the the far future..thanks for doing all the legwork for me!!!...really enjoy visiting your blog every day!!!...Lacy
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to cook in that kitchen...when would you like me to come over??
ReplyDeleteJanet
Mary,
ReplyDeleteLOVE your BEAUTIFUL kitchen, who wouldn't love to work in there. And the crown molding is just DIVINE!
Rose
How super is all that! I love the cabinet that opens 2 ways and the one above the frig...the molding on the cabinets are beautiful, what a great place to work each day...it makes you want cook like Giada--how inspirational!
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Tara
girl, your kitchen is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI love the above the fridge storage idea!
our kitchen is probably the most used space in this house. it's got to be functional. thanks for sharing!
jessi
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhat a super kitchen. I just love your cabinets. It pays to put some time into planning as you did. Wonderful. Someday I hope to redo our kitchen, thanks for some inspiration. Janie
Your kitchen is so gorgeous Mary! When I saw the first photo I thought it was scanned from a magazine. The perfect combination of function & beauty. Your "reading spot" is wonderful too. What a pretty "little red house" you have :-}
ReplyDeleteMary, Thank you so much for your visit to the Texas Hill country! Your comment is so timely as I am resisting going to Austin AT THIS VERY MOMENT for an unloading sale of antiques from Belgium and France!! I need to stay home and get some work done.......it takes such discipline.....it's killin' me!!
ReplyDeleteYour home is lovely!I am going to come back and study your kitchen closely. It is fabulous!!How did you find me?
Beautiful kitchen Mary! It looks like it's right out of a magazine. I bet you love it!
ReplyDeleteDonna
Hello, Happened upon you and enjoyed the photos of yoour lovely home. I too am a milkglass collector and have really been pulling out the pieces to brighten the grey winter days. The sofa by the window looked divine to curl up on with a good book! great visit with you! Will return again, Lori
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and functional kitchen. I personally think that the kitchen is the most important room in the house. Besides being so functional it looks so cozy...just like the rest of your lovely home. Blessings, Karen
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your kitchen!! I really enjoy your blog. Glad I found it.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen puts mine to shame...
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, it is so very beautiful!
What a beautiful, functional space!
Enjoy!
I love your kitchen! We are building a home in 2 phases. The first phase won't have my "actual" kitchen but the kitchen will be in the "utility" room..anyways..there's a post on that on my blog. But I can't wait to design my "real" kitchen. I've even been browsing appliances...though it'll be a few years from now that I'll need those.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen is to die for! I love all of the features you have added for function and I'm taking mental notes so that when the day ever comes that I can create my own design I'll be ready :)
Hugs,
Dena
Your kitchen is great! Lots of good ideas. No wonder you enjoy it. We are still finishing up redoing ours by ourselves, using the old cabinets. Someday we might get new ones but we're happy with the arrangement we have now and the beauty of the painted cabinets that lighten things up. We have glass doors to put on a couple of cabinets and some other things to finish. I have a cookie sheet cabinet - actually two! One works well for cutting boards and other 'tall' things. Thanks for sharing your kitchen with us. ~Adrienne~
ReplyDeleteWonderful kitchen! Love your painted cabinets and all of your storage ..... so functional indeed! We painted our old cabinets to white and simply added new tile floors -- just did what we could afford at the time! I did add some wire holders to the cabinets to better hold item like cookie sheets ....
ReplyDeleteJan at Rosemary Cottage suffering from a deep case of kitchen envy! LOL!
I'm getting serious now...2nd comment today!!...what did you use for your counter tops???...looks like soapstone??...& want to comment on your plate rack...LOVE IT!!!...thanks...Lacy
ReplyDeleteI too love your kitchen, it would almost inspire me to cook more if mine looked like that.
ReplyDeleteI also love your reading spot, the sofa is gorgeous and inviting. I must update around here.
Your kitchen inspires me all the time. It's my dream kitchen. Will you come look at mine (today's post) when you get a minute?
ReplyDeleteOOooohhhhh Mary! Is it a sin to be this greeeeeeeeen with envy?! lol Love it!
ReplyDeleteAmanda (aka Cottage Contessa)
Lacy, thank you for your sweet comments! Yes, the countertops are soapstone. I love them because they are not shiny and perfect like granite -- which would have been so out of place in our house which is old and a ittle battered! :)
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Mary
What a great space! Perhaps i'd cook more if my kitchen looked like that.....hmmmmm......probably not .....I'm hopeless.....but I'd love to make my coffee there :-)
ReplyDeleteMary Your kitchen is beautiful! It must be a joy to prepare meals in such a gorgeous efficient space. Rhondi
ReplyDeleteBeauty and function - the best combination ever.
ReplyDeleteMary, what a wonderful kitchen! That is a dream room for sure! I love all the added touches.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
Your kitchen is amazing! So much character and very functional. I have a large kitchen too and feel very lucky as I spend most of my day hanging out in it, so it's gotta be good!
ReplyDeleteFunction and beauty...that's the best combination! It's so beautiful! I just love the plate rack!
ReplyDeleteI love your kitchen. It is awsome and the knobs I have thought about using.Not sure they will match,but I do love them.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen is so amazing and inspiring - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletexo
mary
hoganfe handbags
I love your kitchen...I have that skinny cabinet for my sheets and cooling racks too...I love it!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Robin
I love your kitchen!
ReplyDeleteRight now, I'm trying to decide what to do with my kitchen. It's medium walnut stained oak. We're thinking about painting and glazing the cabinets, but I'm not sure if I want to give up the wood look, yet. I'm bookmarking the pictures of your kitchen.
~elaine~
roz_etta@yahoo.com
No wonder you have such fun in the kitchen. It's simply perfect. Excellent planning.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kitchen tour...lots of nifty ideas! It's really beautiful, too.
ReplyDeleteHello Mary
ReplyDeleteWhich for a famose kitchen you possesses. Your family and also you must "work" very gladly therein - it load formally in addition...
Creative ideas are perfectly converted.
Take care Barbara
I so love that kitchen! Sigh!
ReplyDeleteDear Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous kitchen you have! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Love, Kim
Mary
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I have had two kitchens in different houses renovated by Beauty Craft. The latest was just completed yesterday and we completely share your enthusiasm about his work.
This kitchen are highly appreciated as the first class kitchen, its awesome. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJust discovered your blog and love it! Your kitchen is so beautiful. I have been dreaming of a tongue and groove style beadboard splash like yours. How is the maintenance for this? Does it clean up splashes easily. I've been concerned about the grooves. Is it individual boards or a panel? The other thing I've been wondering about is plate racks. How do you dust and clean the interior? Do the dowels lift up and out so you can wipe it down? Is that a honed granite or a soapstone on the counter?
ReplyDeleteYour whole house is so wonderful. You've got great style! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Anonymous -- The beadboard cleans up fine. It is a panel, manufactured by the cabinet maker -- Quality Custom Cabinetry in PA. The dowels lift up and out and the countertop is soapstone. :)
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