( kitchen inspiration )

January 31, 2012








when we began to plan our future home,
we knew the most important room would be the kitchen.

it seems that, no matter how big the living room is,
no matter how many seats are available at the dining room table,
absolutely everybody ends up in the kitchen.

( not to mention that patrick is a great cook,
and i am a very talented eater of foods. )

these are some of our favorite inspiration images,
calm and open spaces that invite you to sit down, have a cup of coffee.
and wide pathways to eliminate the awkward step-spin dance that happens in tight spaces.

we tracked down an antique bar back,
a massive cabinet with wavy glass doors along the top
and more storage down below, that will form one wall of the kitchen.
it's my kind of old. solid, sturdy and not a bit fussy.

the rest of the kitchen will be a lighter tone... perhaps white, perhaps a shade of grey.
( i am loving the calm, muted tones in these images. )

and we are quite certain that we don't want toe kicks.
it's perhaps a bit unconventional but i love how grounded and solid
the cabinets feel when they sit directly on the ground.

and i do get tired of the ring of crumbs and dog hair that hides underneath the toe kick.
there, i said it. home design based on my own laziness!

does anyone have a kitchen without toe kicks?
love it? hate it? let me know!
i'd love to hear your thoughts.

xo. r



( images are linked to sources, happy exploring. )




8 notes:

  1. I pondered that too when we renovated our kitchen. Previously one of our work surfaces was an old hutch sans toe kick. What I discovered? Too tough on the back if you have to do much prep. My .02cents :)

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    1. hard on your back because you have to lean forward a bit more i'm thinking? that's the stuff that's hard to know until you've lived with it, thanks so much for sharing!

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    2. I agree with Jen. I've been cooking more since the economy has been icky, and long stretches at the kitchen counter have made my back ache. Having to lean over slightly without a toe kick would make it even worse.

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  2. ...Wow. I love these. My personal fav's are photos number 1 & 2. Photo 1 has that farmhousey look with a bit o' a modern touch and I love the second photo for the color of the cabinetry and the tall wall cabinets. Great choices. :o)

    ...And yes, it is true that you do want a toe kick. When we remodeled our kitchen back in the 90's I too wanted the straight to the floor look thinking it would get rid of that crumb catching alley that exists down there and was told by the fellow that designed our kitchen that I do not want that. I could either have the toe kick or the cabinetry could be up off the floor and done like the lower cabinets were separate pieces of furniture. I went with the toe kick because number 1, it was more expensive to go the other route and number 2, if I was concerned about cleaning out the crumbs in the toe kick I'd certainly be freaking out having crumbs and what-not all the way under my lower cabinets. (if that makes any sense:o)

    ...And it's odd that you posted this today because yesterday afternoon I was working with paper clay at the kitchen island but I was standing on the other side where you sit versus the other side where one would work & where there's a toe kick. Anyway, lemme tell you that after a hour of standing there working my back started to kill me. The only thing I can think of is that I was on the wrong side and leaning in a bit. You wouldn't think it would matter but it does. :o\

    ...Thanks for sharing your journey - I'm loving your choices!

    ...Blessings :o)

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  3. To even entertain the idea of living in such a space excites me. Of course, this is a far-off wish. I will say, however, that I am so taken with picture no. 3 that I might try much harder to make my Big Bright Kitchen of the Future a reality.

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  4. thanks so much for weighing in on the toe kicks. now i've got my heart set on one thing, and the sage voices of reason telling me another. i think i might mock-fill the toe kicks in our current kitchen and try living with it before we make the final decision. better be safe than sorry!

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    1. Probably an excellent idea - to be honest, I was thinking about toe kicks when I was working on our kitchen, and thought, what on earth are these dumb things for? Other than trapping hair and other gross things...I mean, they aren't even tall enough to get my vacuum cleaner in there to suck it up. Maybe because I am so tall, I just don't notice? Maybe Patrick can weigh in on the dilemma?

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  5. i loove no.1. i think it is the bit of natural wood with the white. i think it is perfectly unfair that you have you have to choose between the practical toe kick and the pretty sans kick cabinetry. ( but i vote toe kick, as i have too worked with both situations and find it to be much more comfortable. oh boo. )

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