Kitchen of the Week: A Baker’s Dream Come True
The smart layout gives a family space to enjoy eating, cooking and baking together
This Maryland mom loves to bake, but her existing kitchen barely allowed her to do so. “Baking is her way of relaxing, and she’s well-regarded in the neighborhood and kids’ school for her baked treats,” designer Kirsten Kaplan says. But it was hard to relax in the cramped and dark kitchen, much less roll out dough, store ingredients and equipment, and set up cooling racks. Plus, she and her husband wanted to work in the kitchen together but there just wasn’t enough room. A renovation gave them functionality, plenty of storage, a comfy eat-in area and a baker’s station that’s a dream come true.
Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who love to spend time in the kitchen, their two kids and their dog
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Size: 312 square feet (29 square meters); 12 by 26 feet
Designers: Kirsten Kaplan and Sarah Cummings of Haus Interior Design and Stephanie Fried and Ryann Last of Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who love to spend time in the kitchen, their two kids and their dog
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Size: 312 square feet (29 square meters); 12 by 26 feet
Designers: Kirsten Kaplan and Sarah Cummings of Haus Interior Design and Stephanie Fried and Ryann Last of Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens
The problems. The existing kitchen was dark and had no real counter space. The dining room was being used for overflow kitchen items and kids’ toys. The counters were crammed with cooking supplies and small appliances, leaving the baker no room to roll out dough or place her cooling racks. The range was next to the doorway, which was dangerous.
The couple wanted to be able to spend time working in the kitchen together, with him making dinner and her baking her goodies.
The couple wanted to be able to spend time working in the kitchen together, with him making dinner and her baking her goodies.
Must-haves. The baking peninsula is the heart of this kitchen. The countertops provide plenty of room for baking activities. And there’s room for the kids to work next to their mom on step stools. The designers created an alcove for the stand mixer. The pantry to the right is for ingredients, while deep drawers hold muffin tins, cookie sheets, cake pans, cooling racks and other supplies.
Style. Aesthetically, the baking zone is differentiated by deep blue cabinets, brass finishes on the hardware and lighting, and the antiqued mirror. The mirror reflects the light, keeping this area bright. (The antiqued part is inside the glass so the surface is easy to clean.) The ovens are around the corner at the far end of the peninsula, across from the refrigerator.
Counters. Quartz is durable and makes rolling dough easy. “White quartz is great because it’s easy to see whether it’s clean or not,” Kaplan says. “And this particular one can be cleaned up with diluted bleach should they spill food coloring or other things that stain on it.”
Cabinet paint: Polo Blue with Dusk glaze, Elmwood Cabinets; counters: Perla White, MSI Quartz; pendants: Arteriors; find bakeware
Style. Aesthetically, the baking zone is differentiated by deep blue cabinets, brass finishes on the hardware and lighting, and the antiqued mirror. The mirror reflects the light, keeping this area bright. (The antiqued part is inside the glass so the surface is easy to clean.) The ovens are around the corner at the far end of the peninsula, across from the refrigerator.
Counters. Quartz is durable and makes rolling dough easy. “White quartz is great because it’s easy to see whether it’s clean or not,” Kaplan says. “And this particular one can be cleaned up with diluted bleach should they spill food coloring or other things that stain on it.”
Cabinet paint: Polo Blue with Dusk glaze, Elmwood Cabinets; counters: Perla White, MSI Quartz; pendants: Arteriors; find bakeware
Before. This photo of the dining room was taken from the same spot as the next photo. You can see that the coffee maker, baker’s rack and dog bowls had overflowed from the kitchen into here. Fortunately, Kaplan was very familiar with the space.
“One of the most fun surprises about the project was that the client’s home was nearly identical to mine!” she says. “Having knocked down a wall to make my own kitchen larger, I knew we could do the same for her. We brought in one of our most trusted contractors to confirm that we could remove the wall separating the kitchen and dining room.” The team removed this wall between the kitchen and dining room, which added about 170 square feet to the kitchen, more than doubling its size.
Better Ways to Use Your Dining Room
“One of the most fun surprises about the project was that the client’s home was nearly identical to mine!” she says. “Having knocked down a wall to make my own kitchen larger, I knew we could do the same for her. We brought in one of our most trusted contractors to confirm that we could remove the wall separating the kitchen and dining room.” The team removed this wall between the kitchen and dining room, which added about 170 square feet to the kitchen, more than doubling its size.
Better Ways to Use Your Dining Room
Sink. Kaplan knew that the dining room window would provide a nice big view of the kids playing in the backyard for whoever was working at the sink. The window is dressed with a soft custom Roman valance. This configuration creates an easy work triangle between the fridge, range and sink. To the left of the sink is a panel-front dishwasher.
Backsplash. “I love the look of a wall completely covered in tile, especially when there aren’t upper cabinets,” Kaplan says. “It’s so pretty and clean, and because these tiles are textured they add movement and reflect the light.” The tiles are wavy white elongated ceramic subway tiles.
Cabinets. The cabinets are Shaker, which brings some modern farmhouse style into the room.
Wall paint: Gray Owl OC-52, Benjamin Moore; cabinetry: custom, Elmwood, through Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens
Backsplash. “I love the look of a wall completely covered in tile, especially when there aren’t upper cabinets,” Kaplan says. “It’s so pretty and clean, and because these tiles are textured they add movement and reflect the light.” The tiles are wavy white elongated ceramic subway tiles.
Cabinets. The cabinets are Shaker, which brings some modern farmhouse style into the room.
Wall paint: Gray Owl OC-52, Benjamin Moore; cabinetry: custom, Elmwood, through Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens
Layout. It’s easy for Mom and Dad to work back-to-back in the kitchen. She bakes at the peninsula while he cooks at the range. Both have easy access to the refrigerator and sink. The main food pantry is to the right of the refrigerator and the garbage and recycling pullouts are across from it. The open shelves, beverage refrigerator and banquette, front left, are in their own zone.
Open shelves. Shelves composed of stained wood and iron brackets provide a spot for everyday items in front of the window.
A focal point and a splurge. This is the view as you enter the kitchen. “It’s a long, narrow space, so we knew we needed to create a focal point at the far end of the room,” Kaplan says. They decided the counter in the background would be a good place for display. They added glass-front cabinets and designated the countertop underneath for something special. “This is where she puts out her latest treats, whether in a cookie jar or tarts or cupcakes on a stand,” Kaplan says.
They used a geometric mosaic tile the homeowners loved as an accent here. The tile was a splurge, but by using it as an accent in two prominent places (here and over the range) Kaplan was able to make a big impact with just a small amount. She also saved money by retaining the existing oak floors and using an inexpensive elongated subway tile for the backsplash.
Mosaic tile: Artistic Tile
Open shelves. Shelves composed of stained wood and iron brackets provide a spot for everyday items in front of the window.
A focal point and a splurge. This is the view as you enter the kitchen. “It’s a long, narrow space, so we knew we needed to create a focal point at the far end of the room,” Kaplan says. They decided the counter in the background would be a good place for display. They added glass-front cabinets and designated the countertop underneath for something special. “This is where she puts out her latest treats, whether in a cookie jar or tarts or cupcakes on a stand,” Kaplan says.
They used a geometric mosaic tile the homeowners loved as an accent here. The tile was a splurge, but by using it as an accent in two prominent places (here and over the range) Kaplan was able to make a big impact with just a small amount. She also saved money by retaining the existing oak floors and using an inexpensive elongated subway tile for the backsplash.
Mosaic tile: Artistic Tile
Floor plan. While the baking peninsula was a major part of the renovation, the couple wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be too specific for buyers should they ever decide to sell their home. So the area also functions well within a work triangle, and the counters are at standard height.
Other details. There are 54 inches between the peninsula and range, plenty of room for back-to-back work by the couple. There are skinny spice pullouts on either side of the range and drawers for pots and pans to the left of it.
Find designers to help with your kitchen plan
Other details. There are 54 inches between the peninsula and range, plenty of room for back-to-back work by the couple. There are skinny spice pullouts on either side of the range and drawers for pots and pans to the left of it.
Find designers to help with your kitchen plan
Oven and microwave. There’s no photo of the oven and microwave, but this rendering shows you that they’re on the side of the baking station. The garbage and recycling pullouts are to the right of the oven.
Hardware. The cook’s zone has white cabinetry and matte black hardware. A brushed brass faucet ties this side to the baking side.
Sconces: Savoy House; wool rug: C.G. Coe & Sons; hardware: Emtek
Sconces: Savoy House; wool rug: C.G. Coe & Sons; hardware: Emtek
Banquette. The other end of the kitchen is zoned for eating. “Because the family wasn’t using the dining room for dining, we made room for a light-filled eat-in breakfast nook complete with a custom built-in banquette,” Kaplan says. This photo shows the view from the front door of the home — it was important to make it a pleasing one. An oversize pendant anchors the space, while Louis Ghost chairs allow a clear view of the custom table.
The beverage refrigerator and open shelves used for everyday china and glasses are located next to the banquette to make setting the table and grabbing drinks easy. And whoever is doing those tasks is out of the way of the cook and the baker.
The geometric pillows that the homeowner fell in love with were the inspiration for the entire color palette in the room: navy blue, light gray and soft white.
Kitchen table: custom, Tritter Feefer; Louis Ghost chairs by Philippe Starck, Kartell; geometric pillow fabric: Pindler; pendant: Hudson Valley; browse drum pendants
The beverage refrigerator and open shelves used for everyday china and glasses are located next to the banquette to make setting the table and grabbing drinks easy. And whoever is doing those tasks is out of the way of the cook and the baker.
The geometric pillows that the homeowner fell in love with were the inspiration for the entire color palette in the room: navy blue, light gray and soft white.
Kitchen table: custom, Tritter Feefer; Louis Ghost chairs by Philippe Starck, Kartell; geometric pillow fabric: Pindler; pendant: Hudson Valley; browse drum pendants
Laundry room. Another part of the renovation was the laundry room, which doubles as the entry zone from the garage into the house. In order to connect the two spaces, the designers used a similar color palette but with a more utilitarian bent. The cabinets are the same style and color as the kitchen cabinets, minus the glazed finish. The floor brings in the grays seen on the banquette cushions. The hardware is in silvery metals to play off the stainless steel sink the homeowners wanted and the details on the appliances.
The homeowner’s great idea. “She came up with the idea for the butcher-block countertop. Because the carpenter was able to use a piece that comes in a ready-made size, it saved us on the budget,” Kaplan says. “It also adds so much warmth and picks up on the flooring in the kitchen.”
Contractor: Dynamic Renovations
More
How to Create a Dedicated Baking Station
Browse more Kitchens of the Week
The homeowner’s great idea. “She came up with the idea for the butcher-block countertop. Because the carpenter was able to use a piece that comes in a ready-made size, it saved us on the budget,” Kaplan says. “It also adds so much warmth and picks up on the flooring in the kitchen.”
Contractor: Dynamic Renovations
More
How to Create a Dedicated Baking Station
Browse more Kitchens of the Week
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