What an absolute fun project my sister’s kitchen was (and thank you so much for all the love). Out of the blue, she sent me a blog post with some of her thoughts about it, and we thought it would be fun to share her perspective. I loved hearing it myself:)
When you’ve been in remodel mode for a long time, one of the things that abates the insanity is picturing the finished product and chanting that mantra, “it will all be worth it when…” Of course, if a remodel takes long enough, the picture in your head can change over time. Dark cabinets? No, wait; white cabinets. Patterned tile floor? No, wait; hardwoods. And so on and so on, until I was sure I had considered every possibility for the room- all the way down to décor and storage. Which is why when Emily came in and shared her plans for the color palette and the open shelves, I’d seen enough ideas to imagine just how incredible it would be. Finally I was able to stop playing the game of “what about__?” and shift into “holycowthisisireallyhappening!” mode. And now the kitchen is done; I can say that I love it even more than I thought I would. I was pretty sure this would be the case, but a few things caught me by surprise.
Left: Electric Range + Brass Knobs | Right: Knobs + Pulls
Every time I walk into the kitchen, I’m struck by how warm and pretty it is. Every single time. The gold tones all around the room resonate as luxe and timeless, and the tie-in between the cabinet hardware and the appliance handles feels very personalized. It’s like the space is a great outfit and the brass accents are the perfect accent jewelry. This upgrade turned out to be a banner bang for the buck, and I am so glad it happened.
Yes, the hot water faucet adds more of the brass accent, and yes, it is great for hot tea and instant oatmeal. But I was surprised to find that I use it multiple times a day and in ways I never expected. Like adding hot water to wet cat food for instant “cat soup.” (Gross, I know, but soo helpful in keeping an old cat hydrated.) Or taking a bowl with stuck-on yogurt and running it under the Instahot for just a couple of seconds- now I don’t have to scrub it. And today I was able to save a favorite white shirt from an aggressive coffee stain because I could run near-boiling water over the spot. I can’t believe how much I love and use that little spigot.
I’ve always found the French-door look to be very pleasing aesthetically, but I liked having freezer items on multiple shelves, so until now I’d always had a side-by-side fridge/freezer combo. Now that I’ve lived with the BEAUTIFUL new KitchenAid fridge for a few weeks, I’ve decided that going wider and shallower is so much more functional for day-to-day use that it is absolutely worth the shift for frozen foods. I’ll never go back. (Plus, all of the lights inside the fridge, I mean…)
Speaking of the fridge, putting lazy susans (do we still call them that?) inside. Where have these been all my life? On my top shelf, there is one that holds three different flavors of jam, two different cream cheese flavors, two different nut butters, and a couple of other things. Instead of pulling jar after jar out to get to the one I want and then having to put them all back, I give it a little spin and voila! I can grab just the one. The shelf below that has a spinner with containers of leftovers. Instead of something getting buried in the back until I forget about it, I give it a little spin and -voila I am easily considering all of my options. So simple, but what a game changer! This may sound silly, but it’s actually fun to find what I want in my pretty new fridge.
And finally, purposeful storage containers. Over the years, I have really examined Emily’s house to suss out why I am always able to feel so calm while I’m there. I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the biggest factors is in the way that everything you see feels chosen. Not expensive, just intentional. There really is something about seeing purposeful creations like baskets and wood and glass instead of cereal boxes and plastic tubs that makes a space feel more grounded. Plus, it’s just plain less to look at! Emily’s work to make sure everything in view is something to be appreciated rather than assimilated has freed up much more emotional and mental space than I expected. I knew this would be nice, but I was truly surprised by the level of effect it had on me.
Now, I don’t know how professional it is to thank your sister on her own blog, but thank you, thank you to Emily and team! What an amazing reward after such a long wait. And special thanks to Lowe’s- the whole process was very streamlined. I can’t believe how much I love the new kitchen. Dinner at my house next time!
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
This is so sweet! It’s incredible how much better it feels to cook in a kitchen designed properly for practicality as well as beauty. My favourite practical part of my new (now three years old) kitchen is the pull-out drawer beside the cooker for oils and sauces like yours – so much more convenient than having them in a cupboard and I can put the oil straight back in instead of leaving it beside the cooker looking less than aesthetic (I’m sure everyone here decants theirs into a beautiful vessel, but mine is the bottle from the supermarket with the label starting to peel off and fingerprints all over it). I want a lazy Susan for my fridge too now!
I don’t decant things either. Total waste of precious time in my opinion but I also need the use by dates on things to know how old they are!!
I couldn’t love this post more!
I basically have the same comment as Elle–so sweet of Michele to write this, and I definitely have to consider a lazy susan in the fridge now too!
For some reason I’m used to the idea of a countertop hot water dispenser but not one that’s built-in. I guess because I’m not sure how you make sure the plumbing for it stays clean? Is it only filtered water that goes to the dispenser, maybe? We’re planning on putting in a filtered water dispenser but something about cold vs hot is snagging in my brain.
It’s basically a little hot water tank under the counter! It hooks into to your existing water line with a little splitter nozzle, and keeps a few gallons of water heated at all times. Not really any different than other plumbing! I installed mine myself with no plumbing skills, because we had the hole drilled for an old faucet. They’re pretty fab.
I use my hot water faucet for cat soup too! And instant coffee and tea! It’s the best! Mine filters water for cold and hot. We used a pre-existing hole in our counter that was for a sink sprayer and then switched out our faucet for one that had a sprayer in its neck. Easy upgrade! 😹💕
Can you make a post about how to choose coordinating cabinet colors? It never would have occurred to me to put cool icy blue with the rich teal. I’m curious about the thought process and how readers can apply it to our renovations.
Heads-up, you’re still linking to the $10k fridge instead of the actual $2k one that was used.
Ah, sorry, updated! Here’s the right link!
It’s so sweet to hear Michele’s surprise items she really enjoys. The intentionality of the kitchen products would be a goal of mine, all of that visual clutter reduced. I’m so glad you’re enjoying your new space, it’s so lovely! P.S. The window fabric looks like it may be an Emily donation–any word about it?
The window fabric is the Judarn cafe curtains from Anthropologie. They look like they have have been hemmed to fit this space.
Loved this post. Thank you, Michelle! And I’m once again appreciating each detail of this kitchen which feels accessible, intentional and so beautiful. I believe the fridge is a Kitchen Aid though — not GE, right?
Yes!
What a heartfelt thank you. I love to witness gratitude. Thank you for sharing,, and enjoy your new kitchen.
I love my Instahot too! One thing I do with mine is to soften labels on jars to get them off and reuse the jars ( I often do this with spice jars and refill with bulk, saving money). It softens the glue and you can easily scrub it off with a scrubber sponge, dull side of a butter knife or even a bench scraper. It’s my husband’s favorite thing in the kitchen. Enjoy. Love your new kitchen!
Beautiful kitchen and sweet post! I’ve made the switch to call Lazy Susans “Turntables”. Seems more modern and PC. 😉
Went ahead and ordered the lazy susan’s was sold once Michelle described it eliminates the need to pull items out one by one just to get to the one jar I need!
Love. love, love the kitchen! The beadboard and shelving paint was stated to be Accessible Beige (SW 7036). I have that paint sample from Samplize and in the online photos it appears to be so much more creamy and less taupe-colored. Really would like to find a paint color that matches the online color – more creamy…any suggestions? Am updating my laundry area and want to use beadboard but need to keep it lighter as I only have one small window in that room.
Great Post. My friend, Susan, is on a mission to renamed Lazy Susans, “Efficient Susans”.
Loved reading this. It’s the little things that bring the most joy!
What an amazing post! Love it!
Instahot is my favorite part of my kitchen too. I use it all day long, for teas and food, and everything. Mine is a 3/4 gal hot water tank under the sink with a dedicated electrical circuit. It’s fed by cold water and boils to whatever temp you set. I don’t need to filter my water, so I don’t have that issue (something another reader mentioned). You also have an apron front sink, which I have found to be life changing too. You can access the sink and everything easier.
Hooray for the InstaHot!! I used to work in an residential architectural office, and we always laughed; we would finish a huge, million dollar renovation for clients, and when we’d check in with them after move-in, they would inevitably gush and rave most about the instahot faucet. Life changing, for like $150. But they are just THE BEST.
Having a turntable or a lazy mom (my mother’s name is Susan, so we use to joke and call them lazy moms), in my refrigerator was the best thing i did. I have two on the top shelf and its the best.
You both do such a fantastic job creating cozy welcoming environments in your homes. Thank you for opening your doors and sharing with us your personal touches and charm. Continued Blessings.