Travis and Jess’ Potomac Houseboat Kitchen

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSenior Vice President of Content at AT Media
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning, The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
published May 14, 2010
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Who cooks here? Travis and Jess
Location: Washington, D.C.
Owned or rented? Owned
Kitchen size: 70 square feet

What challenge have you overcome in your kitchen? Houseboat life has no shortage of challenges — have you ever tried to sauté something at sea? — but fortunately these are greatly outweighed by the rewards! The boat is from 1986 and the décor hadn’t been updated at all since then, and cabinet and counter space is minimal. (continued)

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What challenge have you overcome in your kitchen? (continued)
Because it’s a boat, big structural changes aren’t really possible, and weighty updates like granite countertops would be impractical if you’re trying to stay afloat! A stainless steel “wall of utensils,” new paint on the other walls, updating the drawer/cabinet faces, and durable cork flooring were simple ways to update the look and liven the place up a bit.

What’s the story of your kitchen?
We live on a 32 foot houseboat on the Potomac River in the heart of downtown Washington DC, so our kitchen comes with us for weekend trips out on the river! Quarters are tight and with water tank limitations, sometimes-unpredictable electricity, and waves, cooking our favorite meals is always a fun adventure. The small community of liveaboard boaters is wonderful and we love having friends and neighbors over for dinner, so the kitchen is always busy.

What is your favorite meal to cook here?
We love to make paella with fresh seafood from DC’s historic fish market located a few docks away, and herbs and peppers grown in containers on our topside deck.

Go to Small Kitchens contest page and see all entries so far
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
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