Heart of the Home Kitchen

Kitchens are often referred to as the "heart of the home", and this idea is the key force behind the remodel of this Sedona kitchen.  The image at the top left picture shows a small red heart built into the center of the flagstone floor.   The heart that you see marks the former position of a "kitchen island" that housed an old gas cooktop.  While "kitchen island" may sound good, this one was not-so-good!   The island blocked the path to the refrigerator and the pantry.  So cooking was a nagging bother to the chef of the home...the heart of the home was hurting!  The solution was a "peninsula" instead of an "island".  Lets unpack the reconfiguration of this kitchen.

Here is a list of the design requirements presented by the owner to the Sedona kitchen designer to solve.

• There must be quick access to the pantry.
• The frigerator must be closer to the sink and work areas.
• The sink needs to be near the cook top
• The sink needs to be able to handle large items.
• The cabinetry needs to be retained since it fits the architectural style of the home.
• There must be a way for guests to interact with the chef.
• The countertops must be easy to clean...no more grout.
• The style of the kitchen must fit the Southwest style of the home.
• The whole kitchen must be brought up-to-date.

So here is how it turned out.

• The center island was removed and the cabinetry was reclaimed and reworked to become a "peninsula".  The range was now closer to the sink and the pathway to the pantry was improved.
• The existing pantry cabinetry was relocated and sized to fit the old refrigerator location.  The pantry got deeper and a broom closet was added.
• The refrigerator was located where the old ovens used to be and a new range with oven replaced the old cook top.  The new, deeper refrigerator is now closer to the sink..
• A talented finish carpenter salvaged the beautiful cabinet wood and resued parts and peices to make the reconfiguration appear seamless.
• A bar was added to the great room side of the kitchen so that quests could interact with the cook.
• The old tile countertops wer up-dated with granite.
• The new configuration now boasts a coffee "station" and more storage.

The new kitchen looks like it was always there with one big difference...this Sedona kitchen has a "heart".