This kitchen is the control center, or heart of the home.  Once the day is started here is where it all starts.  Meals, family time, and the social media connection (lap tops, smart phones and tablets).

The previous kitchen was placed in the center of the house between the bedroom and living room.  When the kids were young that was a perfect place for it.  

The kitchen, living-family room, dinning room and foyer are one large room, 32′ x 36′.

In the remodel we switched the kitchen area with the familyroom, which broght it closer to the garage door and the mud room.  This made it easier to bring in groceries and also gave us the oportunity to have a real ‘pantry room’.  Having a utilitarian pantry meant we needed LESS cabinets in the kitchen.  That made the kicten less kitchen like and more of a diplay area for the art of cooking and family time.  This an entertainment kitchen!

We used figured American black walnut (grain matched) and tiger maple for the cabinets.  The counters are granite for easy mantence.  There is one book matched walnut counter that serves as a bar and buffet counter for the dinning room.

Besides the pantry room there are two tall and deep pantry pullouts that hold food items. I was able to do away with the need for many wall cabinets because of the 2 tall pullouts and the pantry room.  I was able to hide the size of those cabinets by placing them with the refrigerator. BTW  the pantry room is just 6 ft off the kitchen and unseen from the kitchen.  I used the ‘wall cabinets’ mostly for display and kept 2 six foot wide windows that look out onto the back yard pool, deck and landscaping.

There are 26 drawers in the kitchen (some are pullout behind doors).  The plates, bowls and some glasses are kept in a drawer next to the DW.

To sum up the goals.  We wanted a kitchen that didn’t look like a kitchen, a kitchen that was fun and easy to use and be in with friends and faimly.