How We’re Living Now—Part 1

Kitchen/Dining

The essence of home is a notion that, while hard to describe abstractly, seems to be understood intuitively.

Patterns of Home—The Ten Essentials of Enduring Design

The Plan

When we set out to design our house we saw our cooking and eating areas as our central gathering point. We knew that we wanted our children to be able to sit at the counter as we cooked and while they did homework or worked on projects. We also wanted to be able to entertain guest at the same location, busily working on the evening’s meal, even as we were able to visit with our guests and enjoy their company. We wanted enough room around the appliances and island to allow for three or more people to be involved in cooking a meal. We also knew that we wanted a dining area that was intimate enough for everyday use—we didn’t want a formal dining room that we rarely used—but one which could also easily accommodate several guests without leaving us feeling cramped or crowded. Most importantly we wanted, no matter where we were in the kitchen or dining room, to always be able to look out the windows to the stream.

What we changed

While it’s hard to be appreciative of the problems we had with the framing contractors, there was one thing that came out of that insane mess that was actually a benefit to us: we got to walk around the house so much that we really knew how it felt. One of the things that became obvious during this time was that the wall and bookcases that the architect had planned between the kitchen and the living room really had to go. It blocked an essential part of the view to the outside and it separated the livingroom from all of the action that might take place in the kitchen. While we were trying to find new framers we determined that this wall had to go… we couldn’t have made a wiser decision. Not only did removing this wall extend our view, it allows the kids (and guests) to enjoy our company while still feeling as if they’re in a private place. Piano practice—which takes place in the living room—can be attended to while we’re cooking dinner or doing dishes. And best of all, the fireplace, which we use as our main source of heat during evenings and weekends, is not limited to heating one room. The opening we created between the walls allows the heat to pass into the kitchen and dining area without a problem.

How we’re living now

I’m thrilled to say that the kitchen/dining area has worked out better than we ever could have imagined. As far as the work area goes, we have been able to have as many as five people working comfortably around the island, stove, sinks, fridge, and dishwasher with little more than the occasional bump and squeeze. Guests at the house have done just as we’d hoped, they gather around the island while we work, go and stand by the fire while still making themselves part of the cooking conversation, or play the piano while the rest of us work and enjoy the music. The dining area is large enough that it easily accommodates up to twenty people. (That’s as large a number as we been able to test so far. But it doesn’t feel so large that it’s uncomfortable with just a few people. We’ve had kid’s birthdays, family gatherings, girl’s nights out, sleepover/dance/popcorn/dinner/ice cream get-togethers that haven’t felt crowded and romantic dinners for two that haven’t been overwhelmed by the room. Best of all we’re able to enjoy the stream outside as if we were outside in all four seasons, which has been pure pleasure. We simply couldn’t have built a better room for living in.

We spend the bulk of our time here and we love every minute of it.

What we still have to do

Fresh coat of paint on the walls, paint the trim, and finish the tile for the backsplash, and the stone and mantle around the gas fireplace. Not a lot really, unless of course you count the fact that we a similar checklist for every other room in the house. Oh well, we’ll finish up in twenty years; just in time to start everything all over again.

What we’d do differently

There’s very little wrong with this room but there is one small thing we’d change and it’s something that I’ve only recently come to the realization of. The first time my uncle walked into the kitchen he looked at the hardwood floors in the work area and rolled his eyes. (I believe my aunt also told him to mind his own business within two seconds of the eyeroll.) My uncle and aunt have built a brilliant kitchen in their house in California. It’s versatile, beautiful, and most importantly, it’s built for work. It has a tile floor. It’s a work floor. It’s meant for business, but it’s probably the most beautiful and artistic floor you’ll ever see in any kitchen anywhere. So beautiful, in fact, that it was featured in American Bungalow magazine.

My uncle’s eyeroll wasn’t condescending and it wasn’t because my floor wasn’t as beautiful is his is. He just knew what I’m only now beginning to realize: A kitchen made for work needs a tile floor. Our oak floors are beautiful, but kitchen floors are prone to spills—just today a gallon of milk took a dive from the fridge to the floor—and hardwood gets oogie and damaged from all the abuse that a working kitchen can give it.

At some point in time during the not-going-to-be-very-near-future we’ll change the hardwood to tile. Other than that this room is as good as it gets.