Jean Greenfield's husband did most of the major work on her beautiful vintage-inspired kitchen in her Arts & Crafts-style San Anselmo home. Jean is no stranger to the food industry; she has worked in it for 30 years and maintains a website called My Recession Kitchen. The kitchen is very tiny, but it makes wonderful use of the space with floor-to-ceiling cupboards, a built-in tool rack, and slide-in extra counter space.
In addition, she extended her space-saving skills to the backyard, where she has managed to find room for a vegetable garden, several fruit trees (almond, peach, apricot, and apple,) raspberry bushes, grape vines, strawberry pots, and even asparagus! She also has a huge blackberry patch and a goji berry bush.
I loved the beautiful marble counter tops and back splashes and Jean's lovely collection of vintage blue-tinted Ball jars and her jadeite dishware.
While I was there she baked a wonderful pear and chocolate scone. She keeps her youthful appearance by eating a diet of whole grains, fresh produce, and raw foods. Below she discusses how her kitchen came together:
What inspires your kitchen?
What’s ripe in the garden or what’s in season in the market.
Favorite tool or element:
Favorite tool: Blend-tec Blender
Favorite element: Ball jar rack
Biggest challenge in your kitchen:
Space to store equipment and space to cook.
Dream tool or splurge:
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
What are you cooking this week?
• Roasted potato and squash hash
• Pear chocolate chip scones
• Tomato Soup (I got some tomatoes in the garden to use)
• Pesto to freeze for later use
Proudest DIY
• Efficient use of space in a small kitchen
• Custom kitchen tool rack and Ball jar space
• Starting my own cooking / gardening blog: My Recession Kitchen
Resources:
• All cabinets were custom made by my husband Ed Greenfield (Alliance Construction in San Anselmo, CA - 415-457-2466)
• Marble countertops came from Fox Marble in San Francisco
• Kitchen tool rack was custom made by Ed Greenfield
• Stove – KitchenAid
• Refrigerator – GE
Thank you for letting us peek into your kitchen, Jean!
Related: Kitchen Tour: Steve's San Francisco Color Inspiration
Update! Jean has posted her Pear and Chocolate Scone recipe.
(Images: Kathryn Hill; Tara Greenfield)
What a beautiful kitchen!
view taracakes's profile
Great kitchen!
view milktea's profile
Very beautiful kitchen and I love the raised beds. But, I really am scoffing at these "small" kitchens being featured. I know plenty of people who would love to have that much space.
view syrupandhoney's profile
That corner photograph with the sink below the windows reminds me of this photo which was the color inspiration for when I redid my kitchen.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyrabellacqua/3339957614/
view dmstudio's profile
Lovely kitchen but I'm more interested in the pear and chocolate scone! Will she share the recipe?
view mstina's profile
This is so beautiful. I love the green with the marble. I agree, though--I feel like I have a normal-sized kitchen and it is quite a bit smaller than this.
I second the request for the scone recipe.
view brittanykate's profile
Thanks for all your kind comments! I will post the scone recipe on my website soon.
view myrecessionkitchen.com's profile
breathless
view VeryDelishVeg's profile
Love the corner window. Can't do it in my layout but it's dreamy.
view Charlotte's profile
drool worthy! I love the color scheme and the vintage blue Ball jars - I collect them too.
view violetcassis's profile
totally super duper kitchen!
view kdkaboom's profile
I love it!
I have all my dry goods in antique Ball jars as well-- but I don't have the space to display them so beautifully!
view geekgirl's profile
wonderful kitchen!
view Sassy in SF's profile
I love the colors! Do you remember the names you used for the walls and trim?
view NolaCottage's profile
Update! Jean's pear and chocolate scone recipe has been added to this post.
view Kathryn Hill's profile
I have an older kitchen myself, and my pull-out board is one of the few things I love about it. In fact, in my soon to be renovated space, I would like two of them. Jean's boards seem to be attached. Mine is simply one loose board about 3 feet long, which I remove periodically so I can thoroughly wash it.
view bakingstone's profile
There's something comforting about old those Ball jars w/ Zinc lids - my folks had quite a collection of them that were passed on to them by my grandmother.
view bepsf's profile
Yes, the shelves with jars are perfect. Are those under cabinet fixtures using LED lights?
view ElementalLEDstaff's profile
I love the hints of green everywhere. Lovely kitchen design!
view KitchensPro's profile
My grandmothers kitchen sink is situated just like that one. The ledge is filled with african violets...it's sooo pretty.
view stellato's profile
Oh! It's so beautiful, it hurts! I love the semi-opaque glass in the cabinets, admire the neatness, covet the marble, and most of all crave the light in this lovely, lovely room.
view romateamo's profile
Nola Cottage: The paint color we used is Benjamin Moore Regal Premium Interior Latex. Pearl Finish/Pastel Base 310 1B. The color code is C16/D5/L71/2
ElementalLED/Staff: No, the lights under the cabinets are not LED. They weren't available when we remodeled the kitchen.
view myrecessionkitchen.com's profile
this kitchen is a dream...i long for a window over my kitchen sink. in ny they don't exist!
view The Sale Rack's profile