You might have seen this month’s feature in Domino Magazine where I revealed my cabin renovation. Now I’m beyond excited to give you a deeper look at my kitchen in partnership with Samsung.
When I was daydreaming about our cabin, I knew the kitchen would be the heart, the center of activity. First, it’s BAM right there in the middle, and second, that’s where everyone ends up hanging out, right? When I first saw the cabin, the kitchen was this awkward, closed off space – low hanging ceilings with a soffit and then heavy oak upper cabinets fortified against the rest of the space. This did not seem right – the soaring A-Frame ceiling demanded an equally airy space. The appliances were all different colors and the oven range was hidden behind the sink. I wanted the kitchen to invite people to sit at the counter and help cook, not cut off the cook via a pile of dirty dishes.
The cabin needed a complete reno– and the decision to install Samsung appliances was an easy one. The entire kitchen and laundry room are decked out with their sleek and functional pieces. I’m not much of a gear-head/techie – that’s more my husband, Craig – but I am truly geeking out over these. Every item has something incredibly special and practical about it. This isn’t something I would typically notice, but now that I have a baby, every small efficiency counts.
My Samsung Family Hub fridge connects to Instacart, so I can immediately place grocery orders when I notice I’m running low on something; when I’m out shopping I can look at the inside of my fridge on my phone to answer the perpetual question of, “But do I need more milk?” The dishwasher is incredibly quiet and equipped with Samsung’s WaterWall technology which cleans every dish and its adjustable upper rack makes room for bulky or delicate dishes. And you know we’re baking at the kitchy cabin – enter the Flex Duo range! This convection oven delivers fast and even baking, plus wifi connectivity, so I can keep tabs on what’s cooking while I’m busy around the house. These appliances are perfect for families!
A kitchen has the challenge of being innately utilitarian. No matter what, it needs to serve a function, so design and style can’t get in the way of that. My aim was to open everything up and choose touches to make the kitchen a cozy, usable space, but one with style too.
So, the first thing to go were those upper cabinets. It’s amazing how removing them immediately opened up the house. Adding a fresh coat of paint (I used Whisper by Dunn Edwards) immediately brightened up the room. I could not believe the transformation that happened. It was immediately airier, and light seemed to bounce around everywhere.
I chose an L-shape for the kitchen, so there was space for a row of Shaw stools in walnut from Rejuvenation. I love the idea of everyone gathering around the kitchen, so counter stools invite that kind of “pull up a chair” dynamic. The cabinets are all Ikea with SemiHandmade Doors in “slab antique” on top. I love the whole idea of SemiHandmade – you get a custom kitchen look and quality at a fraction of the price – and “slab antique” has a lovely warmth to it rather than a stark white.
In the mountains, engineered wood is preferred to hardwood. The weather is harsh, and all of that expanding and contracting means the hardwood gets wonky really fast, whereas engineered wood keeps clean lines all year round. I reached out to Lumber Liquidators for their engineered wood and chose Tobacco Road. It’s acacia with a beautiful rich tone that’s not too dark. I also chose a walnut counter top from Lumber Liquidators to complete the look.
To accent the wood pieces by Lumber Liquidators, I chose Rough Sawn Salvaged Fir shelved with brass strap brackets by Rejuvenation as floating shelves. It’s minimalist and modern, but still has enough character to work in the space. I piled stacks of green and blush ceramics by Lux Eros, one of my favorite artisan ceramicists, onto the shelves. I love the handmade, chic look of her pieces – they’re so unique and beautiful. All of this is tied together with a giant wallop of color by Fireclay Tile. I chose a blend of saffron, avocado, and sorbet pink as my color cues throughout the cabin, and these custom handmade tiles are just so joyful and unexpected. I joked from the beginning that I wanted the cabin to be anti-hygge – no soft white monochromatic tones and nordic minimalism. I want après ski fondue party vibes! I chose the Agrarian line for both the kitchen and laundry – so high impact! I love the element of surprise it brings to the room.
As much as the stove, the sink is a popular spot in my kitchen – Craig, my husband, is the best at keeping my messy ways in check. I love the Beale MeasureFILL Touch Kitchen Faucet by American Standard. I am constantly flooding my counters by filling a pot with water, but getting distracted and forgetting that the faucet is on – so the MeasureFILL technology feels specially made for me. It delivers a precise set volume of water on demand, so if I need 2 cups of water for a recipe, I can literally set it and forget it. There’s also the touch on and off functionality using the dial, plus the ability to be used as a manual faucet. The look is sleek and simple – perfect for my modern cabin kitchen. Above the sink I have a simple, minimalistic pull-down shade from The Shade Store. I love how it adds a soft glow to the kitchen if you pull it down.
And finally, I have to talk about the laundry room! I adore the moment of opening the doors and being surprised by a riot of color. The cupboards are painted in Dunn Edwards Shaded Spruce with another hand painted Fireclay Tile adding a geometric feeling. It’s the same color palette as the kitchen, but a different pattern to mix it up. I try to make any space where I’m doing a chore as pretty as possible. So, if I’m folding laundry, I want to be staring at happy colors and beautiful tile. It’s all grounded with my sleek and beautiful Samsung FlexWash and FlexDry. The dryer has a second compartment to dry delicates, while the main load is drying as well. And like the wifi technology that comes with my oven, this washer and dryer offer the same. I’m able to monitor the cycles all from my phone – hello multitasking! So not only is the space beautiful, it’s efficient as well.
I hope you guys enjoyed seeing the big Kitchy Cabin Kitchen reveal! I can’t wait to share the rest of the house with you.
