Real Kitchen Tours

When Stephen LaRue returned to New Orleans after living away for a long time, he embraced the heirloom appeal of the city, but with his own personal take on the decor of the home he shares with a long-time friend. And because his kitchen and living area inhabit the same space, his design aesthetic carries through. Not only do we love the leather armchairs that serve as dining chairs. but Stephen and Scott have left no wall uncovered.

Who cooks here: Anna Watson Carl of The Yellow Table & Brandon Carl See the kitchen: Anna’s Yellow Table Kitchen Where: Manhattan, New York Rent or Own? Rent Tiny kitchens are the norm in Manhattan and other dense urban areas, and many people merely use their teeny kitchens as a place to reheat takeout and store bottles of wine.

Who cooks here: Anna Watson Carl of The Yellow Table & Brandon Carl Where: Manhattan, New York Rent or Own? Rent When Anna Watson Carl first laid eyes on the 48-square-foot kitchen in her now-husband Brandon’s Manhattan apartment, she wasn’t sure she could make it work. “There was no pantry, no drawers, and about one square foot of counter space,” she recalls with a laugh. “Not to mention the fact that it was up five flights of stairs!

Who cooks and eats here: Christan Vick & Jenna Novic Where: East Atlanta, Georgia Rent or Own? Own Christan Vick and her wife Jenna share a 60s style ranch house in the East Atlanta neighborhood, decorated in equal parts mid-century modern and southern tradition.

Who cooks and eats here: Allen Coin and me, Lisa Pepin! See the kitchen: What It’s Like to Search for an Apartment (and a Good Kitchen) in Hanoi, Vietnam Where: Hanoi, Vietnam Rent or Own? Rent By now, you’ve gotten to know my narrow Hanoi kitchen and how it’s proven to be great for day-to-day cooking. A couple weeks ago, Allen and I put it to the test by inviting our friends from Vietnam, England, Germany, and France over to cook three different dishes together.

Who cooks and eats here: Allen Coin and me, Lisa Pepin! Where: Hanoi, Vietnam Rent or Own? Rent I’ve done my share of apartment hunting in North Carolina. I know how to avoid the big complexes with the bad reviews and click-baiting ads, screen out the euphemisms that mean “old” or “surrounded by loud students,” and write an email to a Craigslist landlord that actually gets a response.

Who shops and eats here: Batya Stepelman of Sparrows & Spatulas, along with her husband, Matt Berman, and their young sons, Otis and Theodore See her kitchen: Batya Stepelman’s Open, Garden-Powered Kitchen Where: Denver, CO Rent or Own? Own This week we visited Batya Stepelman’s family kitchen in Denver, looked in on her flourishing garden, and walked the farmers market together. Clearly this cook loves her vegetables!

Who gardens and cooks here: Batya Stepelman of Sparrows & Spatulas, along with her husband, Matt Berman, and their young sons, Otis and Theodore See Batya’s kitchen: Batya Stepelman’s Open, Garden-Powered Kitchen Where: Denver, CO Rent or Own? Own Batya Stepelman never considered herself much of a gardener. In fact, before moving to Colorado, her first foray into growing anything green was tending a struggling strawberry plant on her fire escape in Brooklyn.

Who cooks and eats here: Batya Stepelman of Sparrows & Spatulas, along with her husband, Matt Berman, and their young sons, Otis and Theodore Where: Denver, CO Rent or Own? Own I recently visited Batya Stepelman’s city garden and warm, functional kitchen, nestled in a historic section of downtown Denver. Originally from Brooklyn, Batya is a self-taught cook, seasoned vegetarian, first-time gardener, and author of the popular lifestyle blog, Sparrows & Spatulas.

When your apartment is only 473 square feet, you’re guaranteed to have a tiny kitchen. And that means that you’re going to have to be smart about storage. That’s exactly what Lauren and Mikko realized when they bought their apartment in Finland. And they came up with some great solutions that balance their two aesthetics perfectly.

Who cooks and eats here: Patrick Melroy and Courtney Miller Where: Santa Barbara, CA Rent or Own? Rent Artist Patrick Melroy and landscape architect Courtney Jane Miller cook and eat in a 70-square-foot space on the second story of a 1940s home in Santa Barbara. Their kitchen is drenched in natural light and feels downright heady with the scent of orange blossoms and ocean breeze wafting through the giant windows. It’s one of the most welcoming, comfortable and beautiful kitchens I know.

We can just imagine spending weekend mornings enjoying a leisurely breakfast in Wendy and Gavin’s window seat breakfast nook. We’re guessing those expansive mornings don’t happen that often — not with two boys and two dogs anyway. But for the times when they do, this expansive seating area is ready and waiting. Technically just off the kitchen, the breakfast nook serves as the main dining table for the family.

Who cooks and eats here: Zack Paul Where: Santa Barbara, CA Zack’s Argentine grill fest was revelatory. His grill was specially made just for him, and he prepares his food with care, patience and expertise. So it was only natural he’d create the perfect side dish to complement the elemental flavors of char and fire: salsa!

Who cooks and eats here: Zack Paul Where: Santa Barbara, CA Yesterday we learned all about Zack’s Argentine grill technique, so today we’re going to dive into how to best cook the veggies and meats once they hit that grate! I noticed something right away about Zack’s grilling style: there were no extras! No rubs, no sauces, just the “salmuera” (salt water) basted all over everything. This salt water is a genius concept.

Who cooks and eats here: Zack Paul Where: Santa Barbara, CA Rent or Own? Rent Today we’re focusing less on a specific home kitchen and more on the outdoors; after all, what better way to celebrate summer than to take to the grill?

Who cooks and eats here: Lyn Huckabee, co-founder of the Boston Food Swap and rental issues blog Rentwhich.com Where: Cambridge, MA When I visited Lyn Huckabee a few months ago in her cheery, apple-green basement kitchen, she didn’t know what to do with the mound of cob popcorn she’d recently gotten from her grain share. Cob popcorn? Grain share? That sounded intriguing! But that’s just par for the course for this avid-cook-turned-food-swap-co-founder.

Jesa Henneberry, who has a super-organized kitchen we toured and admired, is all about eating well — not just gustatorily, but also for fitness and health. Since she spends a lot of time planning out and preparing menus for her clients who have the same goals, it seemed like a good idea to ask Jesa for some tricks of the trade. What are the best ways to plan meal aheads and keep a tight rein on portions? Have a plan and a format to follow and cook foods in bulk to be portioned out later.

Who cooks and eats here: Jesa Henneberry, a personal chef and competitive athlete, and her husband Where: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York Rent or Own? Own Jesa, a trained chef, spends her days working in other people’s kitchens. She prepares their meals, organizes their weekly meal plans, helps them with portions, and makes sure they eat well.

Kerra’s tiny Washington, D.C. kitchen was “the worst room in the apartment” before she made a few simple DIY changes — and now it’s the room she’s most proud of! Here’s what she did: Kerra took the doors off the cabinets, painted the walls and cabinet interiors in Rustoleum black chalkboard paint, and covered the refrigerator with contact paper.

Who cooks and eats here: Faith Blakeney and daughter Noa Where: Los Angeles, California Rent or Own? Rent Faith Blakeney is quite the style maven. She puts together eclectic homes with a sense of whimsy, color, and humor — qualities definitely on display in her own small kitchen, which is as joyful and exuberant as she is. The bright white walls provide the perfect backdrop to her daughter’s artwork, as well as Faith’s favorite found objects and collectibles.

Who cooks and eats here: Hannah Vainstein and Nathan Hayden Where: Santa Barbara, California Rent or Own? Rent Hannah and Nathan are two of the most creative, fun, and unique super duos I know, and their kitchen is as stylish, natural and upbeat as they are. Nestled behind the Santa Barbara mission, this kitchen gets a ton of bright, natural light and is the location of many a dance and tea party. Join me as we tour this wonderful space!

Julia Badovinac’s open-plan loft kitchen required a bit of extra planning for storage, since the high-ceilinged space was once an industrial building with no built-in shelving or closets. Fortunately the owners installed a kitchen that ran from one end of the space to the other, and Julia and her boyfriend Julian added on from there.

Laura’s gorgeous Glasgow apartment has many stunning details — high ceilings, original, restored features — but it’s the kitchen and accompanying dining room that are truly eye-catching. If the kitchen island above looks vaguely nautical, that’s because it’s made from reclaimed ship parts! As Laura tells Apartment Therapy in this recent House Tour, she loves a mishmash of old and new things.

Who cooks and eats here: Steven Soria of Make Smith Where: Santa Barbara, CA Rent or Own? Rent When I realized my favorite local leather designer Steven Soria was also an amazing cook and lived a block away from me, I had to see where this magic alchemy took place.

Where: SAT Foodlab, Montreal, Quebec Who cooks here: Michelle Marek and co-chef Seth Gabrielse Yesterday I gave you a peek inside Montreal chef Michelle Marek’s home kitchen, and today we’re going to visit her restaurant. No, we don’t usually write about restaurants at The Kitchn, but we certainly take inspiration for home cooking from them, and I felt that it would be interesting to talk to Michelle about how home and restaurant cooking differ from one another.

Over the past couple of days, Jay McDonald of EIEIO & Co. Winery has led us through the vineyards of the Willamette Valley in Oregon and shown us the ropes on crafting Pinot Noir. A consummate entertainer, Jay now shares his culinary expertise on pairing food with the ever-versatile Pinot Noir. (Of course, he’s slightly biased toward Pinot from Oregon!

Who cooks and eats here: Meg van der Kruik of Beard & Bonnet, a vegetarian and gluten-free food blog, her husband Todd, and her children Eliza and Kash. Where: Long Beach, CA Rent or Own? Rent I’m always smitten by a living space that fully represents the personalities of its inhabitants. You know the kind. It’s more than just a space — there is life to it, a story. Meg’s house is definitely one of these places.

Who cooks and eats here: Ellen & Greg Gartland Where: Chicago, IL Rent or Own? Own Ellen and Greg Gartland’s simple and beautiful kitchen is a result of the pair’s creative approach to renovation. “Rustic elegance,” might sound like an oxymoron, but that’s exactly what the Chicago couple achieved in the design of their loft.

When asked about their favorite room in their fantastic Amsterdam apartment, Elena and Judd unequivocally said the kitchen: “It’s really the anchor to the house, and with our small but open floor plan it is great to cook and chat at the same time.” This is a lovely little kitchen — just check out that stove! The couple designed and built the kitchen themselves using stock cabinets with custom doors and handles by Wouter Verhoef at Moving Works.

Who cooks and eats here: Cecilia, her husband and her two children Where: Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City Rent or Own? Own Cecilia has tremendous enthusiasm for life, art, design and food, and her home is a testament to this. Her kitchen is incredibly sleek and blends in so much with the design of her home, that you might not even know it’s a kitchen when you first see it. Nothing would make Cecilia happier.

Bryan and Sarah’s Brooklyn galley kitchen is a mix of gray, black, and white — a minimal color scheme that suits the couple who cooks there! It’s also home to “many dinner parties, espressos, and a playful dartboard with scoreboard,” so in our view it also sounds like a lovely place to be. “Our inspiration draws heavily from time spent in NYC, Norway and our childhoods in western Canada,” say Bryan and Sarah in their recent tour on Apartment Therapy.

We bet this lovely eclectic kitchen is just spectacular around the holidays. It already looks so cozy and welcoming! This kitchen belongs to the Mackay family, who live in Glasgow, Scotland. The home it’s in was built in the 1840s, and it was originally the billiard room of a large mansion, but was converted to a home in the 1940s. Now Claire and Marcus Mackay keep it full of reclaimed furniture, hand-me-downs, and homemade pieces given to them by friends and family. So lovely!

Who cooks and eats here: Adam and Alicia Whitely (and a new baby boy) Where: Montgomery, Alabama Rent or Own? Own Leftovers? Nonsense. Do-overs are an option cook Alicia Whitley rarely explores in her culinary adventures. With all the options out there, Alicia thinks diving into something new for daily meals makes perfect sense and is where she finds joy in the kitchen of her home nestled in one of Montgomery, Alabama’s oldest neighborhoods.

Who cooks and eats here: Peter Hoffman, his wife Susan, and their teenage daughter Where: West Village, New York Rent or Own? Own Decades before most people had ever heard the term “farm to table,” chef Peter Hoffman was shopping at New York’s farmers markets and biking its fresh produce back to to his restaurants, Savoy (now closed) and Back Forty/Back Forty West.

Assigned seating for dinner parties was de rigueur back in the day and had very prescribed rules of etiquette. Nowadays, you might occasionally see a dinner party seating plan, especially at weddings but also big dinners like Thanksgiving. Sometimes I suspect that this practice has survived because we want to use all those pretty/cool/interesting place cards more than any excessive need to control the table, but it can also be a hospitable gesture to offer each guest a named place at the table.

If I needed any further convincing after this that IKEA kitchen cabinets can look way more expensive than they are, there’s today’s House Tour on Apartment Therapy. Meg and Steve’s modern and cozy Toronto home (which they call “modernozy”) includes a beautiful, chic kitchen with — yes — a few high-end elements like Caesarstone counters and Thermador appliances. But the foundation? IKEA’s Ankurum cabinets!

Who cooks and eats here: Generations of the Pepin family Where: Lake of Bays, Ontario, Canada Rent or Own? Own This kitchen is not at all glamorous. To call it rustic would even be too kind. It’s old, it’s small, it has a lot of quirks, and I wouldn’t change a thing. My great grandfather built the house by hand in 1937. My dad grew up spending summers fishing, swimming, sailing, and running a dock-to-dock paper route with his brother by boat.

If you’ve ever wondered how a food stylist and food photographer would set up their home kitchen, here’s your chance to get a firsthand peek: Johanna is a food stylist, and her partner Derek is a food photographer. Together they live and work in a Chicago loft with a large, open kitchen and dining space that fits with the couple’s eclectic, creative style.

When asked to name their proudest DIY project in their 1926 Craftsman home in Phoenix, Liz and John definitively said the kitchen: “We put together all of the cabinets, hung the upper ones, did the glass tile backsplash ourselves, painted, put in the oven with the help of our neighbor, and I drew up the plans for the city permit to add the gas line for the range,” they tell Apartment Therapy.

Erin and Nathan’s Echo Park kitchen is so cheery and unassuming, and very well-suited to its owners, who run a bohemian clothing shop. The boho look of their house in the hills is very appealing to young people, Erin says, who always tell her it’s their dream. “Really? Don’t you want something fancier?” she says. But we can understand why people are so charmed!

Who cooks and eats here: Amy and Christian Where: Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, New York Rent or Own? Own This is Amy and Christian’s first kitchen together. They were married a few years ago and compromised on a neighborhood in Brooklyn that would work for both of them. The kitchen has been renovated to perfection, and while it was mostly an ‘Amy project’ they both enjoy it to its fullest!

Who cooks and eats here: Orvin and Donna Baker-Brenningstall Location: Denver, Colorado Rent or Own? Own Merely a block away from the strip malls and bustling traffic of Denver’s Colorado Boulevard lies the newly renovated log cabin complex of Orvin and Donna Baker-Brenningstall. Donna and her husband purchased their home in 2011 and completed their renovation earlier this year.

Who cooks and eats here: Emily Stoffel and her husband Chris Stoffel Location: Menlo Park, CA Rent or Own? Rent I arrived at Emily’s cottage-like home in Menlo Park, CA, not really knowing what to expect. Em and I had cultivated a pretty ferocious online friendship through our respective blogs, but hadn’t met in person until this point. This is the life of blogging. It’s much like blind dating. I stood at her front stoop and knocked. She answered.

Grainne and Ian live in a 1910 Edwardian terraced house in Edinburgh, Scotland with fireplaces (plural), high ceilings, wonderful wood floors and built-ins, and oh right — a fabulous, antique-filled kitchen that opens out to a garden. Sigh. “When we bought the house we knew the kitchen had to go,” says Grainne in this recent Apartment Therapy House Tour. “It was fitted and just not our taste.

Who cooks and eats here: Victor Wasserman and Rajiv Pinto Where: Chicago, IL – Andersonville Rent or Own? Rent I’m no stranger to Victor Wasserman’s garden. All summer long Victor and his partner, Rajiv, entertain friends for picnics and outdoor “movies in the garden.” Their garden is more than a gathering place, though: the abundant produce also makes its way upstairs to their delightful and eclectic kitchen.

Marti and Jarrod’s Lincoln Square kitchen is a great example of how to make a boring rental kitchen (with those ubiquitous oak kitchen cabinets!) into something really great. “I wish our kitchen cabinets weren’t oak and I really wish they didn’t have that arch at the top,” says Marti.

Who cooks and eats here: Justina Blakeney, her husband, and their 1-year-old daughter Ida. Location: Los Angeles, California Type: Rental kitchen Justina Blakeney is a designer, maker, mother and all-around style maven. She cooks much like she decorates, with a wild sense of color, flavor, freshness and authenticity — and she does it all in a small space with a whole bunch of stylish tips and takeaways for those us in awkward, imperfect kitchens!

Who: Joy Wilson, otherwise known as Joy the Baker Where: Venice Beach, California Today on The Kitchn we are joined by a special guest, Joy the Baker! After years of following her blog, laughing at her podcast (co-hosted with Tracy Benjamin), and devouring her last cookbook, I had the privilege of touring her approachable and exceedingly organized kitchen in Venice Beach, California. Guys, this is where all that butter, sugar, flour, magic and alchemy happens!

Who: Julia Stotz and Brian Guido, both photographersWhere: Wicker Park, ChicagoThe first time I met Julia and Brian I was a friend’s guest at a brunch of over 20 people. The two kept everyone’s glass full, while all the guests got to work in every corner of the spacious kitchen preparing their own entrees to share.

Take two avid cooks from California and put them in a craftsman cottage in Seattle and what do you get? A kitchen full of personality and color, designed to combat the long grey Northwestern winters. Mari and Adam have renovation plans, but in the meantime they’re created a cheerful and cozy spot for themselves and the three dogs that make up their family.

“I feel like I’m on a boat.” These are the words I found escaping my mouth while spending time with Becca Piastrelli in her narrow Oakland, CA kitchen. She laughed and agreed her tiny kitchen is reminiscent of a ship’s galley —  cozy, bright, and a bit quirky! Becca and her husband Tim moved into their current apartment after occupying a much larger home in Sonoma County. They welcomed the change and the vastly shorter commute into San Francisco for work.

Rebekka Seale’s home smells like lavender, lemons, and melted butter. It’s small and cozy, the type of place in which you want to snuggle up and read a book on a rainy afternoon. Everything in Rebekka’s kitchen and dining room is meticulously matched, from the white subway tiles to the fresh flowers that grace her windowsill. She even bought a minty, mossy green-yellow nail polish to match her favorite ice cream flavor (Jeni’s honey pistachio).

While Dana’s whole apartment is pretty fantastic, it’s hard to deny that the kitchen takes the cake. It’s rather jaw-dropping, in fact. What was once an oddly juxtaposed shabby chic kitchen in a former industrial loft is now an incredibly sleek and seamless space, complete with a room divider/storage wall of kitchen appliances!

One of my favorites belonged to a Cretan-born woman named Eva Green who spends half the year on Kea in her hill-top stone home, and the other half of the year in Australia.The house is a former mill, made entirely out of stone. “When I came here there was only a dirt road,” she said. Originally coming to the island distressed from a divorce and wanting to be alone, she found out the little building was for sale and bought it. It had a donkey stable and an outdoor toilet.

Bo and Lindsey are right at home in the Old Cloverdale historic district of Montgomery, Alabama, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy seeing the world! Ten years ago Lindsey moved to Montgomery as part of the city’s historic preservation team and met lifetime resident Bo at a neighborhood house party.

Five years ago Johanna and Scott moved from the Pacific Northwest to the Netherlands, and in the process left most of their things behind. After three moves around the Netherlands, they finally settled in a flat in Amsterdam. It was semi-furnished, but the couple still managed to bring their own international, eclectic style to it. The kitchen is simple and minimal, but a few personal touches give it life.

In December of 2011 at about 3am, an electrical fire started in the top floor of Michele and Ryan’s beloved Seattle home. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the entire top floor of their home was destroyed, and the first floor badly damaged. Not ones to give in to misfortune, however, Michele and Ryan marched on, renovating and rewiring their entire home, which included new DIY exposed shelving in the kitchen!

Erin Bennett-Jenkins, a prop stylist, and her husband, Matt, an animation director, moved into their 1926 Craftsman home in August of 2012 with their son and immediately tore into the renovation of their kitchen — or rather what had been a kitchen. “It was horrible!” says Erin, who can laugh about it now. “It was tiny and dark, and there were huge holes in the floor where the subfloor had rotted and the tile broken through.

Jewelry-designer Alison Macleod loves beautiful things, both old and new, and her two-bedroom Glasgow flat is filled with collected objects that tell a story — in fact, Alison says her friends are always intrigued “by all of [the] bits and bobs” around the apartment, including in the kitchen!

When Josh and Sarah moved into their lovely home in the Cherry Hill Historic District of Grand Rapids, they customized every nook and cranny to their impeccable style. Together Josh, a graphic designer, and Sarah run the lifestyle blog When Regarding Ruffles, so it’s no surprise their house reflects all of their creativity — especially the kitchen!

Julie Morelli and Andy Schwegler are the witty and creative minds behind Chicago based print shop Nourishing Notes and boutique design firm Letterform. Their mission is simple, “We believe there’s nothing better than food, family, friends, and laughter.” The two met in in design school and have been together for ten years, and married for two. A truly collaborative pair, they share a business, home and love for cooking.

“I am a sucker for old buildings,” Tara says of the 1910 brick apartment building she moved into a year ago. “Give me a little vintage charm and I will overlook a multitude of sins.” The apartment has charm to spare: French doors leading into the kitchen, black and white checkerboard floors, and the original insulated “icebox,” which now serves as her baking pantry.

Lola Milholland is an avid home cook with an amazing range of culinary abilities from making her own whole wheat English muffins to spice blends such as za’atar, tortillas from scratch, organic yogurt and growing her own mushrooms — she cooks with tenacity and confidence! Lola is also the assistant editor for Edible Portland, a soulful publication in which Lola collaborates with local farmers, recipe developers, chefs and photographers.

If you live in Los Angeles you probably know of or have dined at Casa Vega, a family owned Mexican restaurant that has been open since the 50s. You may also be thinking, “Wait! I know Christy and Casa Vega from someplace else…” Yes, she was on Bravo’s Flipping Out with Jeff Lewis. It is always really intriguing to see the personal kitchen of someone who works in the restaurant business, so I was very grateful when she gave me a sneak peek.

Seven years ago Kathleen bought a derelict century-old carriage house, gutted it, and transformed it into a warm and wonderful home. The Eastern design aesthetic of the renovated space filters into Katherine’s kitchen as well. It’s easy to imagine what joy this kitchen brings to Kathleen. She can cook, host, share, and celebrate all in one glorious spot! Like the rest of the home, Kathleen tried to salvage as many materials from the original building as possible.

The very last thing I did in Parma during my visit this past fall was to stumble into Gloria Canelli’s magical apartment and gasp. Gloria is an archaeologist whose excitement for the world’s little artifacts is immediately evident when you step into her home, but especially so when she takes you to her kitchen.

Tamar Adler, accomplished chef and author of culinary memoir The Everlasting Meal as well as many published articles, is generous and passionate about fresh homemade food. Her Brooklyn kitchen is roomy, practical and functional—a place where wild tomato canning parties for 20 unfold and quiet solitary cups of tea are sipped. It’s a delightful place, where I wanted to stay and chat and pick the brain some more of one of my favorite authors.