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kitchen – before and after

by 38 Comments

This is our new kitchen.  The layout was inspired by Ina Garten’s barn kitchen.  Of course on a much smaller scale, but I love the symmetry of her kitchen. We used two Subzeros, one all refrigerator and one all freezer and in the center a 48″ Wolf range.  I can’t say enough good things about Subzero.  We’ve pretty much had the same kitchen, black and white wherever we have lived.  This is the first time we’ve splurged on commercial appliances and what a difference.  Yes, they look beautiful, but I swear my parsley lasts two weeks in the produce drawer.   The sink is by Shaw.  It accommodates large pots and since I rarely use a disposal, I did not want a divided sink.   As you can see we have way too many dishes.  This sort of resulted from my working at Williams Sonoma for a holiday season a few years ago.  Really, who needs this many dishes?  They are all Aplico and Pillivuyt porcelain from France and will last forever.  I figure at this point I may as well keep them until it’s time to set my kids up in their first apartments.
This is looking into the kitchen from the dining room.  I was so excited about incorporating brick here and a few places in the house.  I love exposed brick whether it’s in a home, a shop or a restaurant.  In the original house the opening to the kitchen was only a standard door width.  There was a large cabinet that actually contained the heating unit for the house.  Since we needed to upgrade the system, we moved it to the attic.  Originally this space was going to be used for a walk in pantry, but our contractor convinced us to widen the opening and have a much smaller pantry.  We were thrilled with the results.  It improved the natural light in the kitchen and we were still able to put the microwave in the pantry.
The pendant lamp over the kitchen table is from Barbara Cosgrove and the pendants over the counter are from Jamie Young.  So reasonably priced and just the look I wanted.  All the lighting in the house is fromLightopia in Laguna Beach.
The counter tops are honed granite.  Cabinetry is all Mid Continent Cabinetry.  I loved all the options especially the spice drawer pullouts on each side of the range. The faucet is from Rohl.  A California code requires a backwash for the dishwasher. Once we had the inspection it was replaced with a soap dispenser and on the opposite side a sprayer to balance out the sink deck.  The faucet has filtered water on the left side and hot/cold on the right.
I purchased a few new pieces of cookware while working at Williams Sonoma. but I think our favorite cookware is still our Sitram from France purchased at Bridge Kitchenware in New York City.
The hardware on the cabinets, refrigerators and throughout the house is all from Emtek.  I really wanted Nanz, but after several emails and phone calls and still no pricing…I think it’s one of those things…if you have to ask…you get it.  Emtek is the look I wanted and it is priced well and has a nice feel.  We used polish nickel in the kitchen and the same style, but flat black and chrome in other areas of the house.  I love the modern feel and the different options like the t-shaped pulls for the pull out spice drawers on each side of the range.
A place for everything…the pull out drawers are great.  Should have used them in the pantry.
Everything had been removed and this was just the start of putting it all back together.  You can see the door way arch has been added along with brick that is on both sides and will be painted white.
The existing kitchen was in pretty good shape.  We kept the dishwasher and donated everything else to Habitat for Humanity.

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  1. the gardeners cottage says

    dear miss lovely things,this is beyond gorgeous, i knew it would be though. your whole house belongs in a magazine. i love everything about it. please post some pics of your eating nook, it looks fabulous too. truly annie, i'm speechless.xo

    Reply

  6. Snows says

    wowwww!! what a before and after!! How it can be so nice? I love every single part! As Claudia said you have really good taste!! Have a nice day!

    Reply

  10. Georgie says

    Jeepers, your kitchen looks very similar to our, although we have no overhead cupboards. We splurged on good appliances too and doesn't it make a difference? I've said before that our stove top boils water better than any other! Mad, I know. Georgie x

    Reply

  13. puredesign says

    Annie- love,love,love your kitchen! Although,I even loved it BEFORE you remodeled it. I found your blog via a comment on Living it at Home. I was curious as to where you lived in CT. My in-laws live in Stratford, and we love it back there! We have often thought of moving to be close to my husband's family and NYC (my favorite place ever) but this last winter has been a bit frightening. My father in-law, who grew up back east, said it is the worst he has seen. Just curious how it was moving across the country and if you regret leaving the east coast. It looks like you have an amazing house, and I'm sure you are grateful for our weather right now. P.S. My oldest daughter and I love trying new places to eat. Next on our list is Wooden Spoon!

    Reply

  14. mizz craftee says

    Love your new kitchen! My dream is to have a white kitchen!Funny you worked at Williams Sonoma. I worked for Pottery Barn for a while and stocked up on dishes too 🙂 How can you not stock up with that discount?!Have a great weekend!Amber

    Reply

  19. The enchanted home says

    Annie, this is just gorgeous and I agree with so much that you said about the investment being worthwhile with commercial appliances, how good things last and it was funny about the parsley but again so true! I also love Subzero and am a big believer in their products as well….your kitchen is really beautiful, I am sure you are enjoying it immensely! Cannot wait to be in your position…defeinitely very condusive to whipping up all kinds of wonderful concoctions…..thanks for sharing and thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.

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  21. Living It At Home says

    OK…you have my dream kitchen! I love Ina's home and her lifestyle too! I love watching her cook in her kitchen and have always admired how simple the design is. We are considering a small scale remodel in our kitchen. We always get stuck on wether we are going to live in this house long enough to justify the remodel. We are also contemplating the high end appliances too. They look amazing in your kitchen. Love all the details and the layout! You did a wonderful job and I hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for sharing it!~jamilyn

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  28. lizziefitz says

    Found you through Stephanie . Love your new space and how organized you are:))) would it be possible to show an after picture from same angle as 2 nd to last photo? Thanks!!!

    Reply

  34. rachel @ Just a Touch of Gray says

    Wowza! LOVE your kitchen! The wide arched doorway with the brick was such a good call. And those appliances… oh those appliances… my husband would be in heaven! All in all your kitchen is lovely. Don't you love that open shelving!? We have it too (but shhh, I haven't revealed our kitchen yet!). 🙂 Amazing job!

    Reply

  35. The Corson Cottage says

    I discovered your blog last night and now I have become completely captivated by your style. Your kitchen is a dream! We hope to be completely remodeling our new home soon (if our old one ever sells.) I find myself constantly struggling with finding the right balance of casual & charming & modern touches while still maintaining a level of sophistication. You have pulled that off beautifully! Carrie

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