2nd Annual Kitchen Reveal

December 1st, 2010

It is good to be home in Florida again.  It is also good to be presenting to you the Second Annual Kitchen Reveal.  Last year I decided to challenge other food bloggers to show us their kitchens because I was curious about where all of them made their magic.  You can view all of the kitchens that were showcased last year here.  It is fine to cook and photograph beautiful food, but don’t you also want to know what the kitchens look like where that happens?  So I thank all of you who have taken the time to let us have a peek at your kitchens this year.

My Lake Lure kitchen is on my header so you all know what it looks like.  The pictures I am showing you today are of the Florida kitchen.  The above picture is the island that I added to the space where a kitchen table would have been. We have a table and chairs on the lanai so it seemed redundant to have another table in the kitchen.  This is where I roll pie crusts, prep extra dishes and serve buffet dinners.

My kitchen isn’t large but it is sunny and has a view of the intercoastal canals from the windows.  It is very different from the warm colors that I have in Lake Lure and because of that I love the difference.

I don’t have room for cookbooks in the kitchen so they are shelved in the bookcases in the living room.  I leave most of my cookbooks in Lake Lure, but for some reason the collection keeps growing here.  Can’t help myself.

But this is supposed to be about all of us.  You have shared more than your kitchens by participating in the Kitchen Reveal.  You have shared a piece of yourselves and I have a feeling that we have all benefited from your generosity.  I loved visiting Julia Child’s kitchen at the Smithsonian but I am just as happy to be visiting the kitchens of like-minded food enthusiasts like all of you.  Thank you for welcoming us into your kitchens.  Please click on the links to the names of the blogs to see more of the beautiful kitchens presented below.

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Stephanie of Adventures in Contesting was actually featured in A&E’s Sell this House.  She is serious about competing in food contests and cooks lots of interesting dishes.  I am glad to have found her blog.  She has gotten over the staging mentality and now has a warm family kitchen.

Susan of Schnitzel and The Trout showed us her lovely kitchen which is also in Florida.  I admire her love of cooking and her husband, “The Trout” who is just as enthusiastic as she is about their culinary accomplishments.  Her kitchen is bright and sunny.

Karen of Karen Cooks  sent pictures of her very functional and organized kitchen.  I love the turquoise cabinets that she has for extra storage.  It kind of reminds my of the cabinets in Julia Child’s kitchen.  I love her gas stove too.

Larry of Big Dude’s Eclectic Ramblings and his wife Bev remodeled their kitchen so that it functioned better for them.  They have a beautiful 6 burner stove and lots of room for all of their different tasks from baking to canning.  Great kitchen design.

Robin Sue of Big Red Kitchen shared her famous red kitchen with us.  It is great to see more of this beautiful space.  Not only does she have a special chocolate cabinet and a chinning bar but she gives us the exact shade of Sherwin Williams red paint that she used.

Barbara of Moveable Feasts posted her beautiful kitchen with a Caribbean flair.  She has an interesting tale to tell about some of the artwork that she purchased in St. Lucia.  This is a great remodel. If you need help with popes for remodeling go to Sarkinen Plumbing and ask for an expert.

Bonnie of City Home/Country Home shared her renovated kitchen in her 1865 limestone farmhouse.  I love her soapstone island and her Viking range.  She has all of the modern conveniences in an authentic looking period kitchen.

Dave of My Year on the Grill just installed new granite countertops and added an island to his kitchen.  His kitchen reflects his witty personality from the snooty wine butler to his wife Jackie’s funny cartoon.  But make no mistake;  Dave is a serious and dedicated cook.

Mrs. Blocko of Tomatoes for Apples posted about her kitchen remodel.  She had very little counterspace before but with a little ingenuity she was able to add a peninsula and a pantry with much more space to store her bulk purchases.  The cabinets went from dark brown to a warm honey.

Lara of Lara’s Kitchen posted about her warm kitchen.  I love the Christmas decorations and the closed and open upper cabinets.  Makes me want to come on in and enjoy a special champagne and cranberry drink for the holidays.  She even gives us the recipe.

Pondside has posted more than images of her pondside cottage that she shares with her husband, The Great Dane.  She has shared memories of all the kitchens in which she has dwelled in a life of travel.  Sit back for a good read.

I will continue to add more links as the day progresses and you get your posts up.  It is not too late to join the fun.  Just let me know that you are posting your kitchen and I will include it here.  Even if you can’t post until tomorrow, that is fine!  I am having fun with this.

Thank you everyone.  This has been inspiring and a truly worthwhile experience.

2nd Annual Kitchen Reveal

November 16th, 2010
Peek into my kitchen.  Do you want to see more?  I know I do when I look at all of your blogs.  When I walk around the neighborhood here in Florida in the evenings, I am always gazing in windows to see what I can see.  If someone stood on our lanai, this is what they would see; heaven forbid that anyone would get this close, but I have been known to try this at other peoples’ houses.  Please forgive me strangers.  I was once caught at a new house under construction that was done by the luxury home builders Sydney on Lake Lure gazing into the windows, totally ignoring the NO TRESPASSING signs.  The owner who lived next door and could see what I was doing yelled at me and the only defense I could give him was “I’m a decorator and I  just couldn’t help myself.”  That has become my standing defense for everything.  “I’m a decorator”.  But I am also a cook and kitchens fascinate me.
Last year I did the First Annual Kitchen Reveal and I couldn’t have been happier to see all of your kitchens.  To see the wonderful bloggers who participated go here.  My thanks to all of you.  Kitchens are very personal spaces and they range from small and charming to large and imposing.  It amazes me how easy it is to turn out wonderful meals in even the most humble of spaces.  One of my favorite kitchens is the one in our rental apartment which is behind our Lake Lure cottage.  I cooked here for two years while we were working on the renovations to the cottage.
It was hard to cook on the left side of the stove because I had no splatter proof surfaces to protect the walls from grease.  But at least it was cozy and I had tall ceilings to make the small space seem larger.

Another view of the kitchen from the living and dining area.  At one point I told David that I would be completely happy to live here forever and he grumbled that he wished he had known that before we started to add 1200 Sq. feet to the lakefront cottage.  Sometimes it is better to keep your mouth shut.

So here is the deal.  I would love to see the spaces where all of you turn out your wonderful meals.  I have declared Wednesday December 1st as the 2nd Annual Kitchen Reveal Day to blog about your kitchen.  It can be as detailed as you want it to be or just a picture or two.  It could be just the space in your kitchen where all of the pictures are taken for your blog or the view from your kitchen window.  All you have to do to be a part of the Kitchen Reveal is leave a comment on this post to let me know that you will blog about your kitchen on December 1st and on that day I will link to all of your blogs here so that everyone can view the community of kitchens participating in the reveal.  I look forward to seeing your kitchens.  I am such an unrepentant voyeur.  But I have a feeling all of you are too.  Let’s share.

The First Annual Kitchen Reveal

November 18th, 2009

I am totally overwhelmed by the response to my request for pictures of your kitchens. I really didn’t know what to expect. Everyone who responded did such a beautiful job of opening up their kitchens to us that I feel we would all feel comfortable stopping by for a cup of coffee and a good chat. My Florida kitchen is different in many ways from the Lake Lure kitchen. The Lake Lure kitchen is all about tradition and home. That is where I keep my collection of copper cookware and cherished heirlooms from my Mother and Grandmother. The Florida kitchen is for our more carefree lifestyle where lobster pots and fun dishes are the norm.

Last year, we embarked on a kitchen remodel that brought about significant changes. We made the decision to swap out our old formica countertops with sleek Corian surfaces, giving our kitchen a more modern and polished look. As part of this transformation, we introduced a single Corian sink. While I appreciate the ample size of the single sink, I can’t help but admit that I still hold a preference for a double sink setup.

On the left side, you might notice an intriguing and somewhat eccentric contraption, which might appear like a torture device at first glance. However, it’s actually a specialized wine bottle opener, adding a unique and perhaps whimsical touch to our kitchen decor. Speaking of design choices, I must express my fondness for the corner sink arrangement that we opted for, offering an appealing aesthetic and a delightful view of the water through the two windows.

Now, let’s discuss the anchor plumbing that plays a crucial role in all of this. The plumbing, often unseen and underappreciated, serves as the foundation of our kitchen’s functionality. Behind these elegant features and design elements lies the plumbing, ensuring a seamless flow of water and proper drainage, making our culinary tasks efficient and enjoyable. So, while we revel in the visual aspects of our kitchen remodel, let’s not forget to acknowledge the plumbing work done by Kamloops BC to make this space truly remarkable

My stove is adequate but I would like to replace it sometime with a stainless steel gas stove. But the oven is large and it will be great for our Thanksgiving turkey.

The pantry is beyond the stove. I am not showing you the insides because we have only been here for a week and I am not organized yet.

Across from the stove is the microwave and refrigerator. Again it would be nice to have a stainless steel fridge but I think we will keep things as they are for now.
Below are pictures of my friend Lyla’s kitchen. She doesn’t have a blog but I asked her to send me pictures of her kitchen. We have just reconnected after not seeing each other since we were twelve years old. She loves to cook and wanted to share her kitchen in Michigan. Her problem was lack of counter space. She extended her counters in front of and around the windows to allow more work space and places for people to help out in the kitchen. She also mentioned that you might need to install new windows for additional nice ambiance and scenery while cooking if you need so as maverickwindows says.

She made her kitchen work for her. This is how all of you made your kitchens work for you. I was so glad to see what all of you had done. Here are all of the links in alphabetical order.
Dave from My Year on the Grill
Dave is trying to take over his wife’s kitchen. He is slowly getting more and more cabinet space for his grilling condiments. His wife is a talented faux artist because, I swear, his back wall looks like real brick. Some of his kitchen pieces were wedding gifts from the real Star Trek stars.
JoAnn has a knitting blog but she also loves to cook. Her kitchen is small and efficient with a wonderful place for cookbooks at the end of her counter. I was touched by the plaque that she displays next to her stove which was originally in her Mother’s kitchen. She leaves us with a recipe for Two-toned fudge brownies.
Kate gives us a picture of the progression of her ideas of what makes a great kitchen. If June Cleaver and Margaret Anderson can have lots of counter space why can’t she. Her kitchen island is very important to her. I think she cooks in pearls.
Katherine and her family have survived Katrina and moved to the mountains of Tennesee. One of the features in her kitchen is her Grandmother’s Turkey platter which has survived four moves. Her beautiful kitchen is the hub of her home and in the center of everything.
Mary’s kitchen is just what I would have expected. She lives in Oregon and her kitchen is bright, beautiful and organized. You have to see her full and functional pantry. She turns out amazing food on a daily basis.
Natashya turns out beautiful food from a small but efficient kitchen. She packs alot of cooking tools into a small space. Her collection of bundt pans and full pot rack are to me envied. She also has a very handy husband.
The other Penny has just moved into a new home and is making it her own in so many ways. Her kitchen is absolutely beautiful. She has accessorized beautifully and I am waiting for her first Beef Bourguignon.
Rosa is cooking out of a beautiful kitchen in Germany. She has a unique storage area and lots of sun coming through her kitchen windows. She loves to make her own pasta.
Toni lives in a 900 sq. ft. Tuscan style older home in California. She remodeled her kitchen a few years ago and it is stunning. Her pride and joy is the hand made glass light fixture over her kitchen island.
My thank you to all of you. I have enjoyed seeing your kitchens and getting to know you better.

© Penny Klett, Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen. All rights reserved.