Kitchen Tour

Before the renovation, the fridge door literally fell on top of Ananya.

Yes, that’s the “before.” Just wait until you see the “after.”

A hidden, foldable island makes this small kitchen super functional.

It only took them an hour to make!

It’s hard to tell it’s even the same space.

And most of these trash can options are super affordable!

Who said fashion accessories couldn’t double as decor and storage space?!

It can be a DIY-friendly project, too!

You won’t believe the shape of the table.

All it took was a can of paint and some elevated hardware.

Update your kitchen cabinets without spending a fortune — or losing your security deposit.

And hanging it was *so* easy.

Totally change the look of your kitchen floors in just three easy steps.

Now the kitchen has more space for cooking and entertaining.

Here’s how the simple addition made the kitchen warm and cozy.

The vintage gem totally completes this kitchen space.

Plus, it comes in at just a few dollars.

It’s all about making your space work smarter, not harder.

No formal dining room? Absolutely no problem.

The final result is incredible.

Plus, we share all the necessary materials they used.

When real marble wasn’t in the budget, this Brooklyn renter didn’t stress. She improvised.

These smart renters found a way to make their space flow *and* added more square footage to their kitchen.

It’s pawsitively ingenious.

This hard-working design is an inspiring example of getting the absolute most out of your kitchen.

An old dining room buffet became counter space and a one-of-a-kind standing desk with a little DIY magic.

Architect Arjen lives with his family in a picturesque little corner of Amsterdam, in an imposing 18th century building originally designed as military barracks. Their kitchen is typical Dutch style, with two walls of parallel kitchen units, divided by a narrow passage, which opens out into a wider dining and social area. This kitchen is a cosy, yet open space that combines the old and the new, the wild and the domesticated.

Karen Morgan is the clever baker and cookbook author behind Austin’s gluten-free Blackbird Bakery. We showed you the rest of her downtown Austin apartment last week over at Apartment Therapy, but we also have a special look at Karen’s kitchen. She shines doing what she does best: making amazing, doesn’t-taste-or-look-gluten-free-at-all gluten-free food!

This past summer, chef Brandon Boudet and his girlfriend Isabelle Dahlin had us over for dinner during a photo shoot for their Apartment Therapy House Tour. Inside this one bedroom English-style cottage is a small galley kitchen that inspired some of the best food I’ve eaten all year. Brandon Boudet hails from New Orleans, where he was raised in a big Italian family. He studied culinary arts in San Francisco and now lives in Los Angeles.

When I arrived at Samin Nosrat’s house, her front door (which, appropriately, also happens to be her kitchen door) was wide open. I could see her shuffling around inside with a rag underneath each foot as she hastily dried her freshly washed kitchen floor. With sparkling eyes and a wide smile she shuffled forward and welcomed me into her kitchen. Samin is a true treasure of the Bay Area.

Who cooks and eats here: Anne Parker, a food and prop stylist Where: Portland, Oregon Rent or Own? Rent Anne Parker’s Portland kitchen is a small, imperfect rental, but that has not stopped her from making it one of the coziest, treasure-packed culinary outposts I’ve ever had the pleasure of spending time in. Anne has tenderly gathered up a world within this kitchen that is creative, efficient, economic, and very, very pretty.

Sophie and Michael live in an eclectically decorated brownstone in Brooklyn. Their kitchen, like much of their home, is full of a lot of “great deals.” They have a keen eye and seem to be, often, in the right place at the right time. Almost everything in their kitchen was found on sale — often in the ‘discontinued’ pile!When Sophie and Michael embarked on renovating what was once a rooming house, they decided to implement the biggest changes to the ground floor.

Who cooks & eats here: Tom Madrecki, Creator of Chez Le Commis supper club Where: Clarendon, Northern Virginia Size: 850 square feet Own or Rent: 2 years renting Considering the recent abundance of food-centric publications with an emphasis on more intimate dining experiences with smaller crowds, Tom Madrecki had the right idea to start an intimate monthly supper club early on.

Who cooks and eats here: Jeanee Ledoux, owner of Finely Crafted Boutique Where: Decatur, Georgia Rent or Own? Own Jeanee Ledoux is an Atlanta boutique owner who found herself the guardian angel of one of the most unique homes we have seen in a long time: a vintage Lustron prefabricated home in the heart of Decatur, one of Atlanta’s prettiest suburbs.

Judith Jones, the cookbook editor best known for championing and publishing Julia Child’s Mastering The Art of French Cooking, died yesterday in her home in Warren, Vermont. But her reach goes far beyond Julia. In the culinary realm, she brought us Lidia Bastianich and Edna Lewis — and long before then, she played a critical role in getting Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl into bookstores and homes.

Who cooks and eats here: Shawna Mullarkey, her husband, and their three children. Where: Novato, CA When I walked into Shawna Mullarkey’s kitchen, I think I audibly gasped. The light floods into the space, illuminating the clean, white walls and custom cabinetry. The chandeliers sparkle (yes, I said chandeliers, plural). A single beam made of reclaimed barn wood punctuates the space with rustic warmth. Antique flea market finds, succulents, and an enviable cutting-board collection, oh my!

A couple years ago, without really planning it, l found myself standing in William Faulkner’s kitchen. In Oxford, Mississippi, for the Southern Foodways Symposium, I did what every tourist to Ole Miss does: I visited Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home just off campus.

After dating for three years, Caitlin is moving into Jed’s two-story Highlands home just west of downtown Denver, Colorado. I happened to catch them as they were combining their belongings and officially meshing their lives together. The couple’s focus is readily apparent by the fact that although there were boxes and clutter around the house, the kitchen was already organized!

Lauren Scott has no trouble telling you how to find her Petaluma, California home. “It’s the only one on the block that looks like a giant Easter egg,” she says. She and her husband live in a big, pink Victorian-style house that can’t be missed. When I arrived she welcomed me inside and showed me her kitchen. Little did I know I’d also get the chance to adore her beautiful, four-month-old baby girl and eat a delicious lunch she whipped up fresh from her garden.

Although Rubén wasn’t born or raised in the generally warm and sunny Mediterranean city of Valencia, his years as a college student in this region decisively influenced his cooking style. During that time he managed to learn and prepare almost to perfection what is considered by many to be the quintessential Spanish dish: paella. (His friends even gave him the noble title of The King of Paella!

Melody is an architect and an avid home cook, so when she and her husband set out to build a new home in the hills of Portland, Oregon, they put a lot of energy into the cooking and dining spaces. The resulting kitchen is open, airy and perfect for hanging out with guests who can relax at the counter or the stunning reclaimed wood table at the adjoining dining room.

As a food writer currently making do with a less than optimal rental kitchen, I find it especially satisfying when I get to visit others in my profession who, after years of cooking and recipe testing, have pulled their preferences and experience together to create, at last, their dream kitchen. This is how it was when I visited Carla Snyder, a cookbook author and food writer who lives near Cleveland, Ohio.

After years of moving around both coasts, Lilian and her four young children settled down close to her husband’s family in the rolling country hills of Ohio. Lilian and her husband finally had the opportunity to build the home they had dreamed of for years, and when they did, they put the kitchen literally in the heart of the home. This is Lilian’s “forever kitchen”, as she puts it. It was built to age. It has the space to feed four young kids, now and as they grow.

Scott renovated his kitchen entirely on his own, figuring it out as he went along. You’d never guess it from spending time in this delightfully bright space, a classic with a modern twist. He’s certainly made the most of this funky layout with the use of strategically placed pantries and a keen sense of organization. Scott is also one of the most inventive cake makers I’ve ever met.

I’ve driven by Kathy Delgado’s store, Vintageweave Interiors, a dozen of times. She specializes in amazing French farmhouse style antiques and home decor. I am not sure how I got so lucky to get an invite to have lunch with her and tour her own kitchen, but I did! When I walked through Kathy’s front door I went right to the kitchen, where I promptly ooh’ed and ahh’ed. There are lots and lots of linens, and everything in the kitchen is very tactile.

Who cooks and eats here: Krista and Lorenzo Ricchi Where: Florence, Italy Rent or Own? Rent Krista, an American lifestyle-travel-blogger-expat, lives with her Italian husband in a cozy yet elegant apartment in the Santa Croce neighborhood of Florence. Their kitchen is typical of European rentals; it sits flush against one wall of the living/dining room. However, there is a lot more style and functionality going on here than in most of the apartments I’ve rented in in the US!

Who cooks and eats here: Wendy Cracknell and friends Where: Lake of Bays, Ontario, Canada Rent or Own? Own I’ve known Wendy my whole life. My earliest memories of her include her curly red hair, glasses, truly gigantic pet cat Dudley, and her pink and orange tie-dye Prince t-shirt. She’s my next-door neighbor in my favorite place in the world, the Lake of Bays in Ontario, Canada. Our cottage on the Lake of Bays is a sacred spot for my family.

Who cooks and eats here: Mallika Basu, her husband, and two young children Where: London, England Rent or Own? Own Entering Mallika Basu’s southwest London home involves a moment of transition, and then surprise. From the entrance, her home looks quite the same as its neighbors in a long row of Clapham townhouses. The front hallway and staircase signal the Victorian heritage of the home, down to the carefully restored tile in the entryway.

Who cooks and eats here: Ivka, her husband Angelo, and Totti the dog Where: Florence, Italy Rent or Own? Rent Ivka’s Florence kitchen reflects her cooking philosophy: simple, clean, and no superfluous clutter or junk. Despite being a humble rental space, Ivka frequently and enthusiastically cooks up Italian classics for a crowd! When I visited her we shared a cup of her grandmother’s herbal tea (grown in her very own garden in Croatia!

Who cooks and eats here: Michelle Marek, chef at Foodlab, and Anthony Kinik, film professor and food writer Where: Montreal, Quebec Rent or Own? Rent When I was in Montreal a few months ago I looked around, as I always do, for a cook to visit, someone willing to open up their own home kitchen to all of us. On this trip, I got a double pleasure: a visit with chef Michelle Marek both at home and at the restaurant, Foodlab, she runs with her partner Seth Gabrielse.

Who cooks and eats here: Sandrine Follère, painter and sculptor Where: Toulouse, France Last week I had the great pleasure to visit with Sandrine Follère, an artist who lives and works in Toulouse, France. She welcomed me into her home; gave me a tour of the studio where she teaches, sculpts, and paints; and cooked lunch for both of us to share. Sandrine is a gifted improvisational cook and I learned quite a lot from watching her.

Who cooks and eats here: Teja Ream & Neil Collier, daughter Elsa, baby Owen and two dogs Where: Los Angeles, CA Rent or Own? Own Teja used to store her fabulous collection of heels in her oven, and she rarely cooked if at all. Now she’s a busy working mother of two, serving as creative director at a major record label, while husband Neil is a full-time software engineer —and together they manage quite a lot of home cooking.

Who cooks and eats here: Joanna Goddard of Cup of Jo, Alex Williams, and their two kids, Anton and Toby Where: Brooklyn, New York Rent or Own? Rent We at The Kitchn have been long-time fans of Joanna Goddard and her lovely, always-on-point lifestyle blog, A Cup of Jo, for so many years! We are delighted to share a peek into the kitchen she shares with her two small children and her writer husband, Alex Williams. (Alex does most of the cooking and all of the dishes! Can I marry him?

Who cooks and eats here: Rebecca Odes and Craig Kanarick, and kids Where: Manhattan Rent or Own? Owned for five years See the kitchen tour: Rebecca and Craig’s Family Kitchen in Manhattan This week we’re visiting Rebecca and Craig, two independent entrepreneurs who live in New York City with their children. They built their dream kitchen — full of smart, interesting details.

Who cooks and eats here: Rebecca Odes and Craig Kanarick, and kids Where: Manhattan Rent or Own? Owned for five years Here at The Kitchn we have visited all types of kitchens, from small and cozy to big and dreamy. I love seeing how people make the most of limited spaces, but I also really enjoy seeing cooks’ dream kitchens — their finally, at-last, this-is-what-we-always-wanted home.

Who cooks and eats here: Chef Cameron Stauch; his wife, Ayesha; children, Lyla (11) and Kiran (6); and his family’s cook, Hong Where: Hanoi, Vietnam Rent or Own? Rent through the Canadian Embassy Canadian Chef Cameron Stauch has cooked for Queen Elizabeth, Will and Kate, and the Emperor and Empress of Japan. As the husband of a Canadian diplomat, he’s lived and cooked in Delhi, Hong Kong, and Hanoi, and he’s currently working on a cookbook of vegetarian Vietnamese recipes.

Who cooks and eats here: Samantha, Todd, and Elin Mae Wennerstrom Where: Santa Barbara, California Rent or Own? Own Samantha, Todd, and baby Elin share a newly remodeled, bright and airy kitchen in Santa Barbara, California. Samantha’s relaxed and timeless fashion sensibility seems to be perfectly echoed in this space — where the couple recently installed open shelving, marble countertops, and new appliances.