Laura fully renovated her studio apartment and its bathroom a couple of years ago, but she wanted to think about the kitchen for a while — not to mention save up for something good! And she has it now: A cool green kitchen for her small city studio, with just enough space and efficiency to cook well.

A long-time food blogger and serious mixologist, Laura loves to experiment in her kitchen. When it came time to renovate, she chose a number of traditional elements that were reliable and would serve a working kitchen long into the future.

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Most likely, these elements will make future owners happy as well. Beyond the practical, Laura wanted the design and color scheme of her kitchen to be a natural extension of the rest of the apartment. The resulting color coordination creates a soothing seamlessness that makes a lot of sense for a studio. Laura expanded the opening between the main living area and the kitchen so that the two sections of the apartment have an even stronger connection.

Laura loves to entertain and she is comfortable throwing an elaborate dinner party for friends. Her dining table may have to expand for such an occasion, but her beautiful new kitchen is always ready for the challenge.

10 Questions for Laura (& Her Kitchen)

What inspires your kitchen and your cooking?
There were two things I was very mindful of when designing the kitchen. First, I aimed for functionality. I wanted my kitchen to be very user-friendly, with plenty of storage. Second, I wanted it to feel like it was an extension of the rest of the apartment. The color palette is the same as the main room of my studio and the backsplash echoes the Moroccan-inspired print on my rug.

When it comes to my cooking, however, I get inspiration from numerous sources: The Greenmarket, my fishmonger (Fish Tales in Cobble Hill), food blogs, restaurants (love to recreate dishes at home), magazines, watching "The Barefoot Contessa," and more.

What is your favorite kitchen tool or element?
My dishwasher. Seriously. I love it so much that I've named it: "Sven." I can't tell you what a pleasure it is after one of my dinner parties to quickly rinse off the mountain of dirty dishes and then plunk them into Sven for a real scrubbing. The sound of Sven hard at work is like a lullaby as I head off to bed.

What's the most memorable meal you've ever cooked in this kitchen?
That was an easier question when it came to my old kitchen. It served me well, over the course of many fantastic parties with marvelous friends and sensational food!

Have only thrown a few dinner parties since this kitchen was christened, but I think a major multi-course extravaganza is a must-do for the fall.

Biggest challenge in your kitchen?
I hate cleaning the stainless steel appliances, but they are awfully pretty when I do take a cloth to them.

Biggest indulgence or splurge in the kitchen?
I'd have to say that it was the green marbled-glass tile backsplash. I fell in love with it and agreed to hit the tippy-top of my budget in order to have it.

Is there anything you hope to add or improve in your kitchen?
Not at the moment, but I'm always keeping my eyes open for new ideas.

What is your favorite cookbook?
There are several I love to dive into. Lately, I'm partial to "The Last Course" for Claudia Fleming's amazing dessert recipes, especially for ice cream. The gelato and sorbetto recipes in "Molto Gusto" are also incredible.

What are you cooking this week?
I'm throwing a dinner party, so I'll be making a Greek Panzanella Salad as a starter, followed by Garlic-Thyme Roast Chicken with Fennel and Corn as the main, and then a Brown Butter Peach Cake for dessert.

Resources

• Backsplash tiles — Dal-Tile
• Cabinets — Ikea
• Bar tray — One Kings Lane
• Refrigerator — Drimmers
• Microwave — Home Depot
• Pots, pans, oven mitts & more — A Cook's Companion
• Contractor — CL Renovations
• Design Consultant — Keith Carroll Design

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• Kitchen Tour Archive: Check out past kitchen tours here

(Images: Jill Slater)