Heaven is... a Spacious Chef's Kitchen

I wish I had a picture of how teeny our SF kitchen is.  Let me paint the picture - its roughly 5'x5' and has two itty bitty countertops on either side of the farmhouse sink (can I just add, the sink is the one kind of awesome thing in the space!)  Naturally, we do not have a dishwasher (Kris calls me his dishwasher... sooo not funny), so one of the two small counter-tops is consumed by a dish drainer.  This leaves me about one square foot to prepare food - not exaggerating at all.  To say that cooking ANYTHING in this kitchen is difficult is an understatement.

To add to this tragedy, I happen to love to cook, so I find myself constantly day-dreaming of hosting fabulous dinner parties, and hanging out with friends and family in a beautiful, spacious kitchen.


Houzz
Can we talk about the tin ceiling tiles above the TWIN ISLANDS?!  This must be how starving children in Africa would feel if they saw a photo of a Las Vegas Buffet.  I don't even know what I'd do with all this counter-space!  You could teach cooking classes here!  You could start a bakery here!!  The tiles bring some old school glamour - it reminds me of some of the turn-of-the-century hotels in San Francisco - but the installation of modern glass lights makes it fresh and contemporary.  LOVE.


Your Total Renovation
Wow - between the panelled ceiling, the grand fireplace, and the contrast between detailed white cabinets and glossy black counter-tops, this kitchen is both dramatic and cozy.  The floor to ceiling windows don't hurt either :-)


confettiandcocktails
To me, this is farmhouse kitchen meets French Chateau.  The details on the cabinets keep it quaint while the huge arched window, intricate chandelier, and ginormous hood range create multiple focal points for the room.  I'm also loving the white marble backsplash - all the white coupled with the vaulted ceiling keeps it feeling airy even though this space isn't super expansive!


30.media.tumblr.com
More black and white - I'm sensing a theme here! In kitchens, and in all rooms, I'm a huge fan of keeping things simple and neutral.  This room doesn't look boring because of the small details - the hood on the range, the lantern, and the fresh flowers.  These are the things you can more easily change, but be sure you don't commit to a trend that will easily go out of style.  Kitchen appliances are pricey, so don't throw your money away on a quaint country fruit themed back-splash (a popular look in the '90's).  Go for a look that has been popular in the past and present - timeless wins every time.


Un-named Source
I hate not being able to track photo's back to their original sources, but this kitchen was too lovely to leave out!  I love the idea of a dine in kitchen - people congregate in here for parties and dinner anyways, so having the table in the kitchen is so functional - it provides seating, and allows people to linger, long after the meal is finished.  When Kris and I start a family (and buy a home) I absolutely want to be sure that we have a large dining area in the kitchen.  I picture our kids doing homework there while I cook dinner.  A girl can dream, right?


paloma81
Again, a smaller space in the scheme of my imaginary kitchen, but between the globe light fixtures, the nail-head trim on those chairs, and the gradated tile, I know this is a look that Kris would love as much as I do.  It's modern without being "modern".  It has just enough classic charm to keep it soft.