Kitchen Decor Ideas – A Place to Nourish Body and Soul

It is where a dinner party eventually settles; guests slip into a relaxed ease and speak freely. This is the ideal place for the first, innocent kiss as the guise of dining chairs is less pressured than a sofa. Secrets are revealed here. There is something about a kitchen that breaks down formality and makes you feel comfortable.

I’ve often thought about my kitchen design. There would be large windows, perhaps in the vintage casement style, with a row of cachepots blooming with herbs. A white tile backsplash punctuated with blue etchings of Dutch farmers carrying bales of wheat. Copper pots would dangle above the deep farmer’s sink. This vision was quite similar to the kitchen that belonged to my husband, Allan, when we first met. My family even remarked on how uncannily similar his style was to my own.

Though I did not marry him because he came with the right kitchen, I did envision all the events that were to take place in this magnificent space. The accent color is bottle green, featured in the cabinets and vintage accessories such as a tin breadbox and blender. Allan’s seltzer-bottle collection, the remaining survivors of a few earthquakes, hold guard above the cabinets. We’ve meddled with recipes. He’s watched me go through a container of my favorite ice cream. I’ve helped my stepdaughter with school reports at the tall vintage table. The classic setting fits the events that occur here.     

By Jacqueline deMontravel
Photograph by JaimeeItagaki

What to Expect From a Kitchen Expo

Kitchen expositions can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never attended one before. What can you expect? Most kitchen expos offer everything including the kitchen sink, which can make choosing one that best fits your needs challenging.

The first thing to know is that there are a few different types of expos. There are the weekend shows, which can be cross-country or local, and expo showrooms that have a permanent retail location.

Typically, weekend shows have the latest and greatest products, and offer a one-stop shopping experience. And, because you are working directly with the manufacturer at the weekend shows, you may be able to get a lower price on products and services because retailer overhead is eliminated.

Expo showrooms offer a coordinated buying experience, allowing consumers to work with just a few vendors and/or service providers, rather than a different one for each part of your kitchen project. Moreover, the showrooms often buy in bulk, and thus can pass along the savings.

To make a decision on which is right for you, recognize what your needs are, what designs you’d like to see in person, and what questions you have. Next, do a little prospecting: Check out some Web sites and take a look at a list of vendors that will be showing at the event/showroom, and which professionals will be available to answer your questions as well as any other services they may provide.

What to expect from a kitchen expo:

• Trade professionals to answer your questions
• New product releases and innovations
• Hands-on experience (vendors will have tile samples, color swatches, etc.)
• Free seminars
• First peek at kitchen trends
• A forum to meet and share information/contacts with other consumers

All of these services are available for you to get ideas and buy products for your own home. Consult the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s Web site (nkba.org) to find an expo near you, and you’ll have a chance to see samples of products such as the newest in counter tops and cabinets to transform y our home and add to its appeal. View displays of kitchens, windows, appliances, furnishings and more. Come with ideas, photos and an open mind. At the very least, you’ll leave with inspiration.

A Craftsman Kitchen

Sue Abbe Kaplan fell hard for the coastal charm of Venice, California. She loved the gardens in its neighborhoods and its one-of-a-kind walk streets, the sections where homes on opposite sides of the street are separated by pedestrian walkways instead of roads with garage access through the alleyways.

The energy and diversity of the city appealed to her. Venice “felt right,” but it took 12 years before she made the move from Westwood and apartment living.When Kaplan bought her 1,200-square-foot, 1913 bungalow in 1998, she didn’t know much about Craftsman architecture. It was her desire to transform the all-white, cottage-styled bungalow to a home with personality that motivated her study of the Craftsman era.

“My goal was to bring back the feel of the house,” Kaplan says. “It has beautiful flow.”  The comfortable ambience she’s achieved may look casual but it’s actually the product of a good eye and the right combination of furnishings, textiles and fixtures in concert with the talents of interior designer Dayle Zukor. Kaplan and Zukor’s collaboration is smart, sophisticated and subtle.

Kitchen Redux

As a new homeowner, the kitchen was the first project that Kaplan tackled. She converted an all-white room with generic cabinets to Craftsman splendor with all modern appliances. As it worked out, the kitchen was renovated twice. The first time, she installed upper cabinets made of light maple with glass and wood doors. The bottom cabinets were refaced to match. Ritson built her a stunning island with drawers and a cutting board that can slide for use in two directions and a marble top for baking. She installed a compact wine cellar and new wooden floors.
In 2007, Kaplan grew tired of the glass-door cabinets that required dishes be stacked neatly all the time. She installed new drawer and door faces with a darker wood color and slag glass for the cabinet doors. She replaced the original cook top with a modern one.


A Bit of Notoriety

Kaplan is known as an active leader in the Venice Walk Streets Neighborhood Association, and her bungalow was part of the annual Venice Garden and Home Tour in 2007. A book titled Cottages in the Sun, The Bungalows of Venice, California is due out this spring that will feature Kaplan’s home along with 27 other distinct architectural and decorating styles in the neighborhood (see page 58).
What started out as a labor of love has brought Kaplan a slice of architectural immortality and that is a good thing.