My love for kitchen remodels started back when Daniel and I were living in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment in Walnut Creek. When we moved in we were young and in love, and the only money we had was the savings I had built babysitting the year leading up. So, we took the first apartment we found. It was cheap and seemed comfortable enough, and that felt like enough. Plus, the list I had made with all the other apartments we were going to see had flown out the window on our way to our first tour so it seemed sort of.. Kismet.
Every Friday, Daniel and I would cook our regular feast: fresh bread, soups, salads and morroccan fish stew to celebrate the weekend. Both of us love cooking and experimenting with new recipes, and it was an activity that very much brought us together in the earlier days of our relationship– taking trips to my grandparents’ house up north, raiding the garden and throwing together a tasty treat.
Though as we grew into our new apartment, we started to really feel the space we were lacking. The kitchen in particular was a real pain point for us– so small only one of us could fit at a time. The sink was so small that our dishes always seemed to pour out onto the countertops, and even when they were clean there was hardly anywhere to put them.
Rather than sulking over my tiny kitchen, I chose to focus my energy on our clients. Oftentimes prospective clients would share the color schemes they were after, they would share how important it was to get rid of the linoleum floors and tile countertops, or how excited they were about soft-close cabinets. But more often than not, clients hadn’t really thought through the layout of the kitchen. I suppose when you live somewhere long enough you become accustomed to its inconveniences and they just seem normal at a certain point. Just like it was normal to us, that I would be the designated dish keeper since I was the only one small enough to reach the back of the lower cabinets that had been squished next to the sink. Obviously, right?
I fell in love with kitchen remodels because I saw it as an opportunity to help clients reimagine what their kitchen could feel like. Because even if you are a clinical microwaver or a takeout addict, the kitchen for most of us is the heart of our home. It is where we feed ourselves, our families and our friends; where we share and where we gather and where we pour a glass of wine at the end of a long day.
Over the course of my next few posts I want to help you dive deep and consider all the factors to rebuilding your kitchen: where I think it is most worth it to splurge and the small changes you can make to your kitchen to maximize the space you have. Whether your kitchen is 24 square feet or 124 square feet, there are endless ways to reconsider the space to maximize what you have. We will look at appliances and cabinet placement, colors and materials, and with a little consideration we will embark on our journey through your dream kitchen.