When I first walked into the Emerson model last December, I fell in love with how open the kitchen was. It doesn't feel separate from the living area at all.
There's plenty of room to move around and tons of counter space for food prep. It gets SO much light from the door and windows. I am so, so happy we went with the white/gray combination. It's so airy and cheerful and bright. It always looks so clean and fresh.
This space is really functional. Coffee mugs are above the coffee maker. The girls have the far right top cabinet for their snacks and the bottom cabinet for their plates/bowls/cups and containers, so I use this space to pack their lunches.
We like to keep the countertops as clear as possible. In the old house we had everything out and it not only limited our work space, but it just looked so busy and cramped, even when the kitchen was all cleaned up. We still have a toaster but after we use it and empty it, we put it away. We have plenty of drawers now, so there's no need for a canister of large utensils. Now we only leave out the essentials- coffee maker and knife block. We do leave the mixer out too, because it's pretty :)
Originally Chris was against having a drying rack. He said, "We'll wash them, dry them, and put them right away." HA. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Needless to say, we also leave out the drying rack.
With all the time we gained from moving closer, we can keep it much more tidy. And since it is so open to the main living area, it really needs to be kept that way. It also helps that we have a separate pantry and a ton of cabinets and drawers for storage space. It feels like we filled them all up pretty quickly!
Eating area:
Usually the girls eat at the island since they tend to be messy and sweeping the floor is much easier than busting out the vacuum. Even though we have a pocket office, I still like to work at the table because I have so many things to spread out...plus I like being in the middle of all the action :)
To do:
-Decorate the wall between the window and the door. Also, do something with the wall between the eating area and living room. I welcome any advice/suggestions!
-Build a deck...oh that will be so lovely!!
-Get a centerpiece for the kitchen table.
One of my favorite things about the kitchen is the island. I love to see all three girls sitting there, enjoying meals and each other. I sure do love these faces and the new memories we're making in this house!
