The kitchen feeds our most basic needs, and it is often the magnetic center where family and guests drift, drawn irresistibly from the larger gathering spaces of living room and dining room. Most of us spend hours in our kitchens, standing at the sink or at the stove, chopping, stewing, and washing up.
So let’s take a moment to stand back and survey this most essential space. Perhaps you’re setting up a kitchen for the first time and are scratching your head over how to do it well. Maybe you have lived in your kitchen comfortably for a long time but would like to freshen it with a new battery of equipment or storage so organized it makes you feel delighted to open your pantry.
We’re going to tackle the essentials for setting up a great kitchen space—wherever you live. A little creativity and ingenuity can help give any kitchen a soul and make it truly feel like home.
First, let’s be clear: You will never be done setting up and caring for your kitchen. This is good news, because the unavoidable nature of kitchens is that they cannot stay pristine and perfect, and there will always be an endless need to add to and edit their contents. The other good news is that there is great joy in creating a kitchen over time, adjusting and revising it to the inevitable changes your life will bring. A kitchen truly is the heart and hearth of your home in ways that comfort and reassure.
So the best kitchens aren’t the ones that are fresh off the assembly line or just on the other side of a remodel. The best kitchens have had a chance to age and take on the character of the people who live, cook, argue, love, laugh, cry, and throw parties in them. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, kitchens and the tools they hold will show some wear and tear because they are well used, and needed, and loved.
Some of us will have sleek and spare kitchens, and some will fill our shelves and cupboards with a hodgepodge of collections and memories. Our kitchens might look like laboratories, or they might be unplugged and rustic, or wild and cluttered and always full of people. Or they can be a quiet corner in a small apartment. But no matter how your kitchen looks and feels, no matter how big or small, I hope you will remember to always have something beautiful in your kitchen, something that will remind you to stop for a moment in order to fully appreciate how lit up and wondrous it all is.
As with most of the great things in life, your kitchen will grow, change, shrink, expand, and become more refined and expressive over time. You will break things that you love and cannot replace, and you will hold on to things for years out of sentimentality or laziness, or the conviction that one day you will really, really need them. We hope your kitchen will contain a few pieces given to you from a favorite grandmother or an old friend. We hope that much of what you consider useful will also be beautiful. We hope you will learn that the best pot is not the most expensive pot or the latest model, but the one that makes you feel good every time you reach for it.
Kitchen (and people) maintenance is not very complicated. It boils down to two basic precepts: Handle fragile things with care, and clean up your messes as soon as possible. Anything else is extra.
Put aside images of gleaming kitchens from magazine spreads with their lavish expanses of marble and stainless steel. Size and opulence do not necessarily characterize a well-planned kitchen. The best kitchen for you is a place that makes you want to cook, and it is one reasonably equipped so that you can prepare foods with ease and joy.
Everyone has his or her own idea of what a perfect kitchen should look like and how it should function. If you’re lucky enough to build your own dream kitchen (or if you already have!), it will be much different from someone else’s customized kitchen. And right now, the kitchen you already have—rented or owned, whatever its weaknesses or flaws—might have the potential to become the best kitchen for you.
Ask yourself: How do I use my kitchen? This is the first step to find or create a better kitchen. Do you like to cook with friends? If so, then a small galley kitchen, closed off from the dining room, is not ideal. Do you like to grill? A kitchen with easy access to the outdoors should be a priority. Do you have kids? You may want a space open to the living or family room, so you can keep an eye on young ones while cooking (or better yet, include them!). Do you love cocktails and mixology? Space for a bar (and a good icemaker) is a priority. Is it just you cooking and cleaning up? Or do you need space to cook while someone else is washing the dishes? Do you like to shop every day? Or do you stock up on food by shopping once a month?
These are just a few examples of the routines that determine your own perfect kitchen. A small, humble kitchen that is well suited to your habits is a better pick than a fancy space that is not built right for you. If your priorities don’t align well with your current space, ask yourself why, and whether you can make a change to better accommodate your daily life.
“To me, a modern kitchen is 100 percent functional and well designed (easy to work in, easy to clean up) and GETS USED! If it doesn’t get cooked in, it’s not a kitchen—just another room decorated with very expensive stuff.”
The kitchen work triangle is the space created by three points: the stove, the sink, and the refrigerator.
These are the three places in the kitchen that cooks use most frequently, and cooks wear virtual paths in the floor moving between each point. These points also correspond with basic categories of kitchen work: preparing ingredients, cooking, cleanup, and food storage.
Look at your kitchen and mark each point in this triangle. Where are they in relation to each other? How far apart are they? In a classic galley kitchen, you may have the refrigerator and sink on one wall, and the stove facing them. In a larger kitchen, perhaps each point of the triangle is on a different wall.
Kitchen design experts recommend that there be at least four feet of space between each point of your work triangle (e.g., between your refrigerator and sink) but no more than nine feet across the furthest points (think about how inconvenient a ten-foot walk between your sink and stove would be!).
So what’s the point of this exercise? The kitchen triangle can help you when you are searching for a new kitchen: Does the proposed triangle work for you and the way you cook?
But if you already have a kitchen, you probably don’t have much control over your work triangle. If your refrigerator is actually located in the dining room, or your sink is crammed up next to your stove, what can you really do without major renovations?
First, remember that the concept of the kitchen triangle isn’t a hard-and-fast set of rules; it is more of a diagnostic tool to help identify potential problems and solutions. I had friends who needed to go through two exterior doors to get to their refrigerator, for instance. To ease their workflow, they stored commonly used vegetables like onions and garlic near the workspace and stove, instead of in the fridge or pantry. Other kitchens have a refrigerator with a door that opens in the wrong direction. In these cases, it’s possible to reverse the hinges on most refrigerators, making the door open from the left instead of the right or vice versa.
On the other hand, don’t be bound to the idea of the triangle if it doesn’t work with your cooking style. Some people prefer to have each major kitchen point in a straight line. Others give counter space priority above all else. Perhaps you bake far more than you use the stovetop. Or you want the fridge well out of the cooking area so your kids can help themselves to snacks without getting in your way.
It helps to occasionally stand back and scrutinize your kitchen, identifying what gets in your way.
“I think the most important thing is having adequate counter space close to the stove. You shouldn’t take more than a step or two to put your prepped items in a pan or into the oven. And the same goes for plating the finished food when it’s done. Having my sink opposite the stove helps, too. Super handy for draining pasta. I just turn around and dump it out.”
7 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN YOU’RE IN THE MARKET FOR A KITCHEN
If you are house-hunting or apartment-hunting, take along this list. These are also helpful diagnostic questions to ask yourself when thinking about improving an existing space.
— 1 —
How does the kitchen relate to the rest of the home? Do you want a kitchen that can be closed off when the dishes are dirty? Or do you want your kitchen as open as possible?
— 2 —
Do all the appliances work? Don’t forget to inspect the appliances when checking out a new place. Do all the gas burners light quickly and fully? Does the oven open and shut easily?
— 3 —
How much counter space is there? Countertop workspace is perhaps the biggest factor that sets a difficult kitchen apart from an easy one. Look for a kitchen with at least twelve inches of counterspace on at least one side of the stovetop, and the same amount near the refrigerator. In an ideal world, all kitchens would have at least one four-foot stretch of uninterrupted countertop, separate from the dishwashing area.
— 4 —
Is there natural light? When possible, spring for a kitchen with sunlight. A window in the kitchen instantly makes it feel more inviting.
— 5 —
Is there an eat-in space? Consider sacrificing a bit of storage space for a small eating area in the kitchen; what you lose in storage you gain in coziness and a little more time enjoying the kitchen.
— 6 —
Is there adequate storage—in the kitchen or elsewhere? Dismayed by storage options in the kitchen itself? This is actually only a small problem if there is storage elsewhere in the home. The secret to kitchen storage is that very few things actually need to be within arm’s reach at all times. Think of converting an underused coat closet into a pantry or putting shelving in the dining room. You may actually find that you have plenty of storage, even if the kitchen itself is small.
— 7 —
How close is the nearest grocery store? Living an inconvenient distance from the grocery store can hamper even the greatest kitchen in the world. If this is your situation, then create space in the kitchen or pantry so that you can stock up more extensively on daily staples, if possible.
Now that you have a kitchen, what’s the best way to get it set up and ready for cooking? We’ll talk much more about specific tools you need (and don’t need) in a later chapter, but for now you should consider your major cooking zones. These relate to the idea of the kitchen triangle, but they also depend on how you cook.
Sit down with a pad of paper and a pencil, and walk through the last few meals you ate at home. What are your daily routines? Do you make oatmeal every morning? Do you prep a salad to take to work with you? What kind of dinners do you make? Do you like to sauté? Bake? Stir-fry? And what about more complex cooking—how do you start, progress, and finish? What kind of specialty cooking is in your repertoire? Do you bake bread every week? Do you decorate cakes? Do you cook ahead for a whole month at a time? Each of the major ways you cook deserves a cooking zone.
As a quick exercise, identify your primary cooking habits and activities, and write them down, ordering them by importance and frequency. (For instance: stir-frying, soup making, bread baking, and then canning.) Think through the ingredients and tools you use for each of these activities and whether you can group them. Which are most important? Now you know your cooking zones.
Here are some examples of cooking zones and the space they need:
› Fruit and vegetable preparation: If you eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, then it’s important to have some counter space near the sink and the trash can (or compost bucket). Knives, cutting boards, and storage containers for cut-up produce should be nearby.
› Salad making: If you eat salads regularly, a salad zone would include oils and vinegars, salt and pepper, and big bowls for making and tossing your salads.
› Baking: If baking is a key activity in your kitchen, it helps to have a drawer or cupboard with all your baking staples (flour, sugar, and spices) near your baking equipment, such as a stand mixer and bowls.
In a truly small kitchen, the idea of cooking zones can sound a little absurd, since you may be able to touch all four walls of your kitchen without moving! But the principles of organization still apply. Think through your daily, weekly, and monthly cooking habits, and try to store items you use regularly together. Reduce your steps while cooking daily meals by recognizing what you use most frequently, and placing those things at the center of your workspace.
“My favorite kitchen was a small, galley-style walk-through. I could pivot two steps in any direction and get what I needed. It was great! It did open to a small dining area, so I could still chat with guests while cooking.”
Once you’ve identified your cooking zones, the next step in creating a great kitchen is finding the right place for all your gear. We’ve cooked in tiny kitchens and in large ones, and we’ve found that no matter the size, the avid cook often wishes for more space for her treasures and has a need to organize her space intelligently. Here are ten ways to create space for everything, no matter the size of your kitchen.
1. Wall shelves. Your walls are the first place to look for storage. Store books and dishware up above.
2. Island or cart. One of the best ways to improve nearly any kitchen is to add a small, movable, butcher block island, which gives you extra storage and counter space and can be pushed against the wall when not in use.
3. Pot racks and Peg-Boards. Hang a pot rack from the ceiling or, if you’re short, the wall. The great Julia Child had a Peg-Board with a place for every tool, pan, and utensil. A painted Peg-Board is also an opportunity to bring a big splash of color into the kitchen!
4. IKEA pullout pantry. IKEA’s AKURUM cabinets include an inexpensive tall cupboard that is very narrow (fifteen inches). Nearly any kitchen has fifteen inches to spare somewhere!
5. Steel wire shelving. Big box home improvement stores like Home Depot sell sturdy, freestanding chrome wire shelving that can be set up anywhere and used to hold baking dishes, small appliances, and linens.
6. Armoire or hutch. Storage can be beautiful, too. A family heirloom hutch or old-fashioned Hoosier cabinet looks handsome in the dining room and holds a multitude of cooking essentials.
7. Big baskets. Farmhouse chic baskets hold cutting boards, trays, baking sheets, or kitchen linens.
8. Hooks and towel bars. On the smaller side, don’t forget about hooks and towel bars for kitchen towels and potholders.
9. Backsplash organization. There are many solutions for storage on the backsplash, such as IKEA’s affordable GRUNDTAL system, and moving up to Rösle’s handsome (and pricier) system. These usually consist of rails mounted on the wall, with S-hooks for hanging containers and cooking utensils.
10. Cabinet tops. Look up! There is often room between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling—prime space for storing cookbooks, cake plates, and other less frequently used items.
“Best thing I ever did for my small kitchen was get a wooden kitchen cart. It’s from IKEA, a hundred bucks and SO worth every penny. I can store pots under it and have a huge cutting surface, plus it’s not too big to put in a corner or in the middle of my tiny kitchen as an island.”
The storage solutions we’ve outlined above are good ideas for nearly any kitchen, but what about problem kitchens? Here are some particularly challenging kitchens and more specific solutions.
If your kitchen is less than fifty square feet, you may be desperate for more workspace or storage. Here are some ways to get it:
› Buy a cutting board and colander that fit over the sink. Use the sink as workspace.
› Cover the stove. Get a large butcher block or nonslip cover so you can prep on the stovetop when it’s not in use.
› Install an island or petite rolling butcher block. If there is enough floor space in the center of the kitchen, bring in a small island.
› Install fold-down tables. Create an eating nook by installing a fold-down table.
› Open up space between the studs. If you own your home and are handy with drywall, knock out some drywall between the studs on an inner wall, install shallow shelves, and use this nook for storing spices or canned goods.
› Install a hanging pot rack over an island, butcher block, or sink.
Renters have it the hardest, especially in the area of aesthetics. Stuck with a boring, bland, or dark kitchen? A kitchen outfitted with the lowest builder grade of fixtures? Here are some ideas for making the place your own:
› Replace the faucet. It is actually a simple one-hour project to swap out a faucet for a better one. (And to swap it back out when you move.)
› Add a tall cabinet. See the storage suggestions. A tall IKEA cabinet can squeeze into a tiny corner and triple your storage space.
› Paint. If you have an amenable landlord, nothing cleans up a kitchen faster than a fresh coat of paint.
› Paint cabinets. Many landlords are happy to have their tenants freshen up the kitchen cabinets with paint. If you get permission, be aware that painting cabinets is a bigger job, and it takes time and space to do it right. But the result of high-quality cabinet painting will transform your space.
› Put down floating flooring, such as parquet or sticky tiles. Bad kitchen flooring can be covered up by inexpensive rugs, parquet, or click-in-place tiles, and they are all removable later.
› Replace light fixtures or light covers. If you want to invest a little more, replace the light fixtures or cover ugly bulbs with new glass covers.
“I once had an apartment kitchen that was SO ugly. It had one wall of hideous wallpaper and a grody, chipped, sheet vinyl floor. Without asking the landlord, I removed the wallpaper, replaced it with a more subtle design, and covered the floor with neutral peel-and-stick tiles. I lived there for three years, so it was well worth the expense … and I learned how to put up wallpaper.
“When the landlord did her walk-through so I could get my security deposit back she exclaimed, ‘Oh, you cleaned this old kitchen up so nicely.’ She didn’t even realize the wallpaper and the flooring weren’t what she rented to me.”
Many small kitchens, especially in the city, have a dearth of drawers. Sara Kate has just such a kitchen, and here are a few of the ways she’s found to store her kitchen gear:
› Jars for cooking utensils and cutlery. Use big jars or crocks to hold silverware and cooking utensils.
› Baskets for small dishes, linens, and napkins. Baskets can slide under benches and dining room seating, and hold glasses and linens.
› Hang a knife strip or block. Use wall space and a magnetic strip to hold knives. Alternately, look for knife blocks that can be mounted below an upper kitchen cabinet. Some swing up and hide away completely when not in use.
› IKEA GRUNDTAL hanging system. In the one-drawer kitchen these backsplash hanging systems really come in handy. Go beyond the backsplash and use these hanging containers for all those little gadgets like the can opener, citrus reamer, and Microplanes.
How can a kitchen be too large? We can hear cooks in tiny urban kitchens snickering now. But in suburban homes this is actually a real problem: Many large kitchens are designed poorly, with the fridge ten steps from the sink, and the stove located awkwardly on the third wall. Following are some tips for a too-large kitchen:
› Move the fridge. This is an easy fix for some awkward kitchens. Changing the location of the refrigerator to a more convenient corner can vastly improve your kitchen space.
› Move the stove. This is actually a reasonable option, if your stove is electric. Moving the stove so it is closer to the sink or to your longest stretch of countertop can revolutionize your work triangle.
› Add a movable island. As in small kitchens, an island workspace is helpful here, creating workspace just steps away from the stove or sink.
“To me, a modern kitchen is 100 percent functional and well designed (easy to work in, easy to clean up) and GETS USED! If it doesn’t get cooked in, it’s not a kitchen—just another room decorated with very expensive stuff.”
If the home you own came with a difficult kitchen but you don’t have the budget for a full renovation, these projects can make a huge difference while renovating on a dime.
› Is your kitchen closed off? Do you want a more open space? When appropriate, open up space between your living space and the kitchen. This sounds like a huge project, but if the blocking wall is non-load-bearing (check your house plans or consult an engineer), you can knock it down yourself. It will take a weekend day, a couple friends, and some crowbars. Prepare for massive dust and use drop cloths to protect any adjacent rooms. Be sure you know ahead of time how you will dispose of the construction debris, too. It’s a fairly simple project, and any drywall repair to the ceiling should be inexpensive.
› Paint or reface cabinets. Instead of replacing cabinets, which can cost thousands of dollars, look into having your existing cabinets professionally painted or refaced. A good cabinet refinisher can replace drawer slides and touch up nicked wood and make your kitchen look amazingly new—for a fraction of the cost of replacing cabinets.
› Seek out IKEA kitchen systems. If you do replace the cabinets, IKEA’s kitchen cabinet system can’t be beat for value. We’ve installed IKEA cabinets and love their high-quality hardware and smart assembly. It takes time and energy, but an IKEA kitchen can save you tens of thousands of dollars. To get a custom look for a budget price, buy the IKEA boxes but use custom drawer and cabinet fronts from a company like Semihandmade or Scherr’s Cabinet and Doors.
› Don’t move appliances. Moving gas, electric, and water service can significantly add to the cost of a kitchen renovation. Leave appliances where they are, if possible, and improve the aesthetics of the surrounding walls, cabinets, and floors.
› Put in windows. If you’re going to the trouble of a kitchen renovation, don’t ignore windows. Spend a little to bring in some sunlight. Does your sink face an outside wall? Put in a window—it will vastly improve the kitchen.
› Resist the impulse to upgrade everything at once. If your budget is limited, upgrade appliances and fixtures one by one instead of buying lower-quality options. Start from the ground up (don’t skimp on the flooring!) and focus on materials like the cabinets, countertop, and the layout of the space. Ovens, stovetops, dishwashers, and lighting fixtures can easily be replaced later.
› Add a pantry without adding walls. Instead of enlarging the kitchen, look for space that you can designate as a pantry. A small kitchen with everything at arm’s length is actually quite convenient and easy to cook in. But if storage is a problem, try creating a pantry from a closet or part of the entryway. Move your stuff, not the kitchen walls.
A kitchen’s first task is functional: it is a place to produce good food with cleanliness and efficiency. But functionality and beauty go hand in hand. We’ve met people who seem afraid to have beautiful things in their cooking space—they react in shock and dismay when they see paintings or rugs in a busy kitchen. “What if it gets ruined? That’s so nonfunctional!” We couldn’t disagree more. Everything in life decays and wears out eventually. Having something you consider beautiful in the kitchen is a nudge toward enjoying the act of cooking, a reminder that food is more than fuel.
A beautiful kitchen also helps us remember to clean regularly. When you enjoy your space, even in some small way, it’s so much more pleasurable to keep it clean.
Don’t be afraid to have beautiful things in the kitchen. Everything wears out eventually, so enjoy pretty objects even in this functional room.
Once you’ve worked on your cooking zones and storage capacity, find creative ways to make beauty and functionality go hand in hand. A kitchen you enjoy is one that will motivate you to nourish your household. Here are a few ways to bring a bit of beauty into even the dingiest of kitchens:
› Enjoy the beauty of food itself. Heap oranges or persimmons in a dish on the countertop (this also will remind you to eat them promptly!). Tomatoes, onions, even sweet potatoes have an earthy beauty that grounds a kitchen. Store herbs with their cut ends in a shallow glass of water, which will keep them fresh and handy for snipping, as well as add a splash of green to your workspace.
› Cover ugly countertops with a huge butcher block. If you have a tiny and hideous laminate countertop, cover it up with a hefty cutting board, which is more beautiful and also of course very functional.
› Hang a vibrant work of art. No backsplash? Frame an inexpensive print and hang it behind the stove. Yes, the glass will get greasy eventually, but it’s easier to clean glass than a painted wall.
› Line drawers and cabinets with colorful fabric or paper. Apply fabric wallpaper to the backs of your cabinets using fabric starch; the cloth wallpaper is both washable and removable (see more detailed instructions at Apartment Therapy). Line drawers with pretty paper from an art supply store.
› Enhance the sense of space with a mirror. A big mirror hung on one wall or over the kitchen table reflects light, helps make up for the lack of a window, and increases the feeling of spaciousness.
› Lay down a rug. You may think it will get irredeemably dirty, but a patterned rug will hide stains and is easy to vacuum. With a nonslip rug pad beneath, it’s also nicer to stand on than hard, cold tile.
› Adorn the table or windowsill with living plants or fresh flowers. Fresh flowers are a simple grace note for any kitchen. Splurge on them to make your space feel more special, or snip evergreen twigs or even flowering weeds from your backyard or on your walk home. Anything alive makes the kitchen feel more welcoming.
› Paint! Paint is a major tool for the cook with an ugly, dark kitchen. Don’t forget the ceiling, where color can instantly make the room more cheerful (think sky blue, lemon yellow, pale washes of bright colors). Painting the entire room can seem daunting, but with careful cleaning, taping, and priming, you can do an expert job by yourself.
› Supply music or a radio. The companionship of radio is something we appreciate in our kitchens. Faith keeps a Tivoli radio on her windowsill and listens to NPR and podcasts while she cooks; she plugs in an iPod for dinner parties.
“My roommate, who does not cook at all, often leaves me a few surprise flowers in a small jam jar on the windowsill in our kitchen. Makes me smile EVERY time.”
The last element of a great kitchen is something living. Not everyone can have (or wants!) a garden, and gardening indoors is not as practical and easy as some would have you think. It’s actually rather difficult to grow tomatoes on a patio and not terribly cost-effective, either. But here are a few growing projects that truly make sense indoors:
› Sprouts. Growing sprouts like alfalfa takes just a few days and requires only a jar, some cheesecloth, and the seeds. It’s the indoor gardening project literally anyone can do.
› Microgreens and salad lettuce. Microgreens can be easily grown at home in empty yogurt containers or tea tins for far less than it costs to buy them at the store, and because they are harvested long before they are full-grown, they don’t need much room. Lettuce is similar: plant a variety of lettuce seeds in a window box and you’ll have a salad mix variety that can be cut and used as the lettuces grow.
› Mushroom kits. Mushroom kits are a simple and low maintenance way to bring some life into the kitchen; companies like Mushroom Adventures, Fungi Perfecti, and Back to the Roots sell kits that require only sunlight and a daily misting of water.
› Select herbs. Chives, thyme, and oregano are hardy enough to be grown indoors. Avoid basil and rosemary unless you have quite a lot of sunlight.
› Edible flowers. Nasturtiums are edible and delicious in salads and a beautiful topper for cakes. Grow them indoors if you have plenty of sunlight and room for their trailing blossoms to cascade.
On weekends the apartment fills with friends and neighbors for her famous brunches; Kristen is known for making perfect Spanish tortillas and vibrant salads and for serving tumblers of champagne. Behind her cabinet doors are heaps of herbs and tinctures; she is truly a nature artist, consuming them for flavor, for health, and even for a bit of whimsy. “Fenugreek will make you smell like maple syrup,” she tells me.
There is magic everywhere. Tucked into unexpected corners and shelves are cuttings, branches, and bouquets that bring the outdoors in no matter the season. “I have always had a strong affinity for light and airy spaces,” she says. “It is important to me to have a relaxed feel to my space while still keeping it somewhat elegant.”
The kitchen is the hub of the home, with its roughly assembled collection of appliances (such is life in a rental), bumpy plank wood floors, painted-over tin ceiling, and hanging plants. The backsplash, in funky subway tile with green trim and a built-in porcelain soap holder reminiscent of those found in a shower, was covered in paint when she moved in. A lucky ding to the wall revealed the secret behind the paint and she spent a weekend chipping it away.
Her cooking style is influenced by her love of herbs and healing foods and also of the natural colors and flavors that arrive with each season. During the winter when her flower business is at rest, she brings color and fragrance into the kitchen with lots of citrus dishes and highly flavorful cured foods from her chef friends. But what drives her most to cook is to gather people around. “Nothing too fussy,” she says. “I love making salads and soups and having lots of different dishes that complement each other and fill up the table in a beautiful way.”
While her favorite things about her kitchen are the light, funky wood floors and the tin ceilings, her least favorite aspect is the lack of counter space. To compensate, she uses creative ways to expand the surface area of the kitchen and says her best tip for creating a warm, inviting kitchen on a budget is to put up shelves. She tells me, “Kitchen items are really beautiful and look so nice displayed, such as stacked white ceramics and little French glasses.”
Finally, it goes without saying that plants are a very affordable way to bring life into a kitchen, and Kristen certainly makes up for what she may lack in space or matching appliances with a strong sense of vitality and nature.
Kim lives with her husband and three small children in what is, by Manhattan standards, a very large apartment. When they moved there in 2007, it was a brand-new development and had a glimmering marble and dark wood kitchen. After two years she decided the layout wasn’t right for her. In four weeks they completely gutted the kitchen and remodeled it, keeping the original appliances but adding a second dishwasher and sink to help make the kitchen kosher.
Though the room has beautiful finishes and high-end appliances, Kim feels strongly that what defines her as a cook is what comes out of the kitchen, not what the kitchen looks like or what brand her knives are. Her favorite cookware is a mishmash of pieces passed down to her from her mother, mostly from flea markets in Israel.
Aside from the separate sinks and dishwashers, she keeps the kitchen kosher by labeling some of her pans and utensils “meat” and “dairy” in order to keep the two separate. At first glance you might think this is a typical upscale kitchen that doesn’t get a lot of use—white lacquer cabinets, shiny stainless appliances—but open the pristine drawers and cabinets and you’ll find endless well-loved cooking utensils and dinged up pots and pans. Kim admits that the kitchen definitely has signs of use and wear: “There are dings and scratches everywhere.” While the kitchen feels luxurious, it’s not precious; look closely and you’ll see a stash of Nescafé instant coffee jars she keeps for shaking up vinaigrettes, and a refrigerator covered in family photos and drawings.
At one end of the long Caesarstone quartz counter is a lower seating area with benches that slide out; this is where her children do their homework and students of her culinary courses sit as she demonstrates at the stove. At the other end is a tower of baked goods in a tiered glass stand, including her renowned and ever-present Crunchy Biscotti with Chocolate, Pecans, and Coconut, a recipe she perfected over the years with a secret ingredient.
Kim’s kitchen is one of only a handful we have seen that is ready for the pages of a design magazine yet gets used every single day to cook homemade food from scratch. Asked what she would do in her next kitchen, she answered, “I hope to be here for life.”
With this wealth of fresh food so close at hand, the kitchen is the heart of the home. “After we had kids, it became even more of the center,” says Nancy, who made her own baby food and spends a great deal of time in this room. As a photographer she works several days a week in Los Angeles, and she has created a home she is eager to come home to from the city. “Some people need to do yoga when they get home from work at night,” Nancy says. “I just need to be in my kitchen.”
Living on a farm has helped her create small rituals with her children. They check on the chickens and look at the trees, talking about the cycle of growth. They bring fruit back to the kitchen to juice with Nancy’s heavy-duty juicer, a Mother’s Day gift from her husband. “My mom and I also had this daily ritual,” Nancy explains. “We had an orange tree and we made my juice together every day.”
Nancy does most of the cooking, and her style is simple and nourishing. “I don’t use a lot of ingredients. I like to cook low and slow. My favorite pan is our Dutch oven. I just toss in vegetables, olive oil, and herbs de Provence and roast them or make a stew.”
The kitchen looks out on a huge wraparound covered porch. “We spend seventy percent of our time on the porch, and we eat outside a lot,” Nancy says. “We sit down and have dinner as a family every night. Even if we have to go back and work later, this time is always together.”
