Heart of the Home

After buying a house, investing in replacing the roof, heating system and wiring most people turn into their kitchens.

Photo Credit // Emily Neuman

So many has been written about kitchens, and how to remodel on a shoe string budget, that you'll excuse me if I stop myself here. Kitchens like humans are one of the most complex spaces to work on. The concept of having fire and water along side electricity to play with is hard enough. Add to the mix political and emotional baggage kitchens evoke in us, and the picture gets murkier, (and you thought that getting the newest cabinet look is all you had to deal with).

The famous Swiss-French Architect Le Corbusier coined the term "A house is a machine for living in", these words ring especially true when it comes the kitchen.

Kitchens are live beings, they require so much thought and detail it can be exhausting, and like baking they require precise measurements (miss an inch on the counter height and you'll feel it in your neck and shoulders).

That is why when IKEA recently announced they were coming out with a new kitchen cabinet system I needed to go on a walk and get some air. Yes many contractors will try to stir you away from IKEA systems I'm not taking on that argument. But we can't ignore the fact that  IKEA marks the changing attitudes towards kitchen design, especially in the US. Gone are the days of Oak and Taupe let in some bright yellow hues, bold textures, graphics and clean lines.

Contemporary kitchen meets a house from the 1700's

To me a kitchen is the heart of the home, and I treat it as yet another member of the family.

It is where things get messy, then clean, where creativity is always present (yes even grilled cheese sandwiches need a little flair), it is the meeting point of all members of the household, it is how we get nourished.

My approach to kitchen design is done with the at most respect to the home in which it goes into. It requires understanding how you cook (if you cook), how you move around the kitchen as a family or individual, do you want your kitchen to be out of sight or an integral part of your home.

The main point is there are many trends out there, they tend to not only dictate the color and shape of the cabinet they also, in a way, change our attitudes in how we react and move in a space. I can't promise they will improve the cooking though.