Happy Friday friends!
Welcome to the heart of my kitchen. This wall that you are looking at, is where Jeff and I begin and end each and every day with. Don’t be fooled by it’s size… this space is filled with everything that anyone could ever want or need. It’s amazing what you can squeeze into a kitchen with a well thought out plan and design.
When we began to design our new kitchen I knew that I would need the help of a great kitchen designer. If you haven’t considered using a kitchen designer before I highly recommend it. My designer, Yvonne King has worked on many of my friend’s homes and I loved her style. From the get go, Yvonne was a dream to work with. She listened to everything that I wanted to incorporate in my kitchen and she somehow made it work. This wall acts as an anchor in the space and houses just about everything we live for… our large refrigerator, commercial range, coffee maker and the cabinets we use the most.
Because this wall sits opposite from our family room, and it’s the most viewed wall in the house, it was very important to me that it not only be functional, but beautiful.
Yvonne was instrumental in making sure that everything was properly spaced and I’m telling you, her math was spot on. The size of the cabinets could not be more perfect and she gave us just enough room to squeeze in the luxurious commercial range and fridge that Jeff wanted.
Our mornings begin with the left side of the kitchen.. We are serious coffee drinkers and our coffee maker has become one of our favorite kitchen appliances. Jeff loves a good cappuccino and I’m big on espresso. We both need our caffeine and this little corner and machine never lets us down…
While our day begins with the coffee maker, it ends with Jeff at the range.
Jeff loves to cook and I will do anything (and I mean anything) to keep that habit going.
I love the range Jeff selected and while I don’t use it much myself… seeing him standing there, making his special meals every night, makes both of our days. The range acts as a de-stressor for him and for me? It’s the most gorgeous piece of home decor. (keeping it real) Lol
My cabinet maker, George Denton designed all of our cabinets and our incredible hood. As luck would have it, Yvonne and George have worked together a ton in the past and so the entire process went smoothly from beginning to end. I love the classic, tailored hood that George designed for me. He listened to exactly what I wanted and I’m thrilled with the outcome. It anchors the kitchen perfectly.
As to the cabinet style and design, I went with a clean door that has a slight bevel rather than going with a full shaker. I wanted a softened edge that was timeless, elegant and simple in style.
Incorporating glass cabinetry was a ‘must have’ for me. I need lots of light illuminating throughout my kitchen and glass cabinets provide that. The glow at night sets the mood and if anyone knows me well… I am all about candlelight and low lighting. I never use ceiling lights for this very reason… even though we still have them.I went with glass shelves inside my glass cabinets to further increase the range of light. One of the important aspects to consider with glass shelving is the thickness of the glass. If you plan to use the shelves for heavy items like plates, etc., the thicker 3/8ths of an inch thick glass is required. I also upgraded the glass so that it has a lighter green edge. All of this increased the cost a bit more but it was well worth it.
As to the backsplash material, I chose a subway tile that is both classic and contemporary. The 9”x 2 1/2 white tiles have a pearl like texture and sheen that closely resembles handmade tiles. They look rich and luxurious and I’m so happy that I changed my mind last minute from my original choice of Thassos marble subway tiles to these. (Thanks Lori Paranjape and Kathy Cipponeri for your influence)
People often ask me about the color of my cabinets. I went with a white that happens to be one of my favorites. Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace in a matte sheen. This is the perfect white for me. Neither too gray nor yellow in appearance. Whites are tricky and the minute I saw this on my walls I knew I wanted to paint my entire home with it, cabinets included.
Next week I will make sure to fill you in on all of my lighting selections and the tips I learned along the way. I can’t tell you how much of a difference good lighting makes in a kitchen. I remember my contractor giving me the hardest time because I made such a big deal about getting specific lights. I knew I needed to handpick every single lighting element and now I am SO happy I took the time and stood my ground to get it right. I nearly drove Jeff bananas throughout the process but he now tells me he is thrilled with the outcome. :)
Have a great weekend!
xx
Sources
Black and White Courtly Check Everyday Bowl
Marble – Lincoln Calcutta Marble
Click here to see more details on my Pendant lighting, ~ I wrote an entire blog post on it!
Hi Kristy, you have one of the prettiest kitchens on Instagram! I enjoy all your posts and stories. Would you mind sharing the brand of your coffee maker? Thank you!
Love your happy kitchen! My daughter is looking for a pretty tea kettle..where did you find yours?
Xo
Hi Becky,
I found the tea kettle at homegoods. xo
I always loved your kitchen! I am rather curious….why didn’t Jeff want a ‘pot filler’ by the stove?
Hugs from NJ!
Hi Susan, Thank you! We didn’t need one as we don’t make a lot of pasta and it breaks up the tile backsplash a little too much for me. :) xx
Hello
Love love your kitchen, can u give the dimensions of your kitchen pls, like where the cabinets lay? Also size of island and may be pics of what is in your island? My kitchen is this lay out and I want to do it like this but with a 30 inch range, less room. Also what size fridge do u have? I seen the links but doesn’t specify on fridge. How hard is it to keep glass shelves clean? Dust is what i think. Lol. Also how hard is it to keep white clean, we cook alot:)) italians. Never ad white but my husband says u know thats going to be a pai to keep clean?? :(( thks
Hi Amy,
I love white no matter what… I clean after every meal. ;) The dimensions? My kitchen is such an odd shape because we removed a wall..it’s a little hard to tell you the size.
Generally, it’s around 12 1/2‘ x 14‘ and my island is 7 feet long by 5 feet wide. In my kitchen post you should find the links to my fridge which also tell the specific dimensions.
https://kristywicks.com/home-sources/kitchen/
As to the glass inside of my cabinets, I find they stay clean longer because they are inside the cabinets. I don’t find that I have to clean them very often. :) Hugs and good luck! xx
Oh 1 more question, how tall are your ceilings?
9 feet :)
Thk u so much for your reply, u are so sweet! This helps so much ;))
Of course! Hugs!xx
Hi Kristy,
Love everything about your house. Do you remember the fabric ou used for the kitchen Roman Shade?
Hello
Can you tell me where you bought your cooking utensils holder?
Thank you.
Hi Linda,
I found that little ice bucket at Homegoods and instantly knew it would make a great utensil holder. :)
Love your kitchen! It is beautiful. Do you know how tall are your upper kitchen cabinets? And what is the size of your crown molding? I also have 9 ft ceilings and I am trying to decide between taller kitchen cabinets or stacked kitchen cabinets.
Thanks,
Nelly
Love love love your kitchen.
It’s literally what I’m going to try and replicate in a few months as we are just building now.
Ontario Canada
Where did you get your island lighting pendants ?
Hi I absolutely love your kitchen! We are currently in the process of building a new home and I absolutely love your pendant lights over your island I have found some that are similar and interested in what diameter yours are in comparison to the ones that I have found thank you
Hi Amanda, Here is a link to mine for the dimensions. :) Good luck with your decision. So fun :)
https://www.thelampstand.com/juliska-isabella-lighting-clochependant-lg-b345isc.html#prod-desc
Amanda, if you don’t mind sharing, what pendant lights did you find? The Juliska ones are no longer available but I’d love to find a similar one.
Hi Kristy,
I love all the pictures of your home (well, your previous home :-). Thanks for posting them!
I was wondering if you recall the color name of the Lunada subway tile and caulk you used in your kitchen. If so, can you share the names with me?
Thank you!
-Frances
Hi Frances! Thank you!! The tile is Shinju smooth, Kumamoto White.
http://lunadabaytile.com/LBT_shinju_smooth.html
The grout is Bostik Bright White :)