All in One: 4 Eat-In Kitchens... and a Feast of Decor Ideas
Country-style tables and spacious islands create lively dining spots in these inspiring American kitchens
Mitchell Parker
5 March 2018
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
1. Fireside chat
Designer: Mary Ludemann of New Old
Location: Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
Size: 28.3 square metres; 5 x 5.6 metres
Homeowners’ request
This is designer Mary Ludemann’s personal kitchen. “I wanted to do something different than a large island, which we’ve had numerous times before,” she says. “We have a scullery and prep kitchen, so I didn’t need the extra working and storage space that the typical island provides. Instead, I wanted this kitchen to feel really personal and comfortable and to feel like the large working kitchens of the past, complete with a fireplace where our family, friends and dogs could gather.”
Dining setup
An antique table surrounded by metal chairs. “We love using the antique table, as you just can’t hurt it,” says Ludemann. “If my husband forgets to put a trivet down before he sets down a hot pot, it doesn’t matter. If the kids are colouring and get marker etc. off their paper onto the table, no one cares. It looks great, gives the room character and can take an absolute beating without anyone noticing or caring. So different from my marble benchtops or actual dining room table, for instance, where I insist everyone uses placemats or a tablecloth.”
Other special features
Bianco Avion marble benchtops with a five-centimetre eased edge. Of the gas fireplace, Ludemann says, “We turn it on for breakfast and dinner every day from nearly October through March. My kiddos will request it if I’ve forgotten to turn it on, and the dogs love to nap in front of it.” The oversize 900-millimetre cast iron single-bowl farmhouse sink, Whitehaven by Kohler, is “a must for cooking, cleaning [and] washing babies or dogs,” she says. Ludemann says deciding on the flush-mount lights (there are 18 of them) was one of her scarier moments. “With the shiplap ceiling, there was no way I could go back and change these out later. I am so glad I took the risk, as it looks fantastic and we get compliments all the time.”
Designer: Mary Ludemann of New Old
Location: Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
Size: 28.3 square metres; 5 x 5.6 metres
Homeowners’ request
This is designer Mary Ludemann’s personal kitchen. “I wanted to do something different than a large island, which we’ve had numerous times before,” she says. “We have a scullery and prep kitchen, so I didn’t need the extra working and storage space that the typical island provides. Instead, I wanted this kitchen to feel really personal and comfortable and to feel like the large working kitchens of the past, complete with a fireplace where our family, friends and dogs could gather.”
Dining setup
An antique table surrounded by metal chairs. “We love using the antique table, as you just can’t hurt it,” says Ludemann. “If my husband forgets to put a trivet down before he sets down a hot pot, it doesn’t matter. If the kids are colouring and get marker etc. off their paper onto the table, no one cares. It looks great, gives the room character and can take an absolute beating without anyone noticing or caring. So different from my marble benchtops or actual dining room table, for instance, where I insist everyone uses placemats or a tablecloth.”
Other special features
Bianco Avion marble benchtops with a five-centimetre eased edge. Of the gas fireplace, Ludemann says, “We turn it on for breakfast and dinner every day from nearly October through March. My kiddos will request it if I’ve forgotten to turn it on, and the dogs love to nap in front of it.” The oversize 900-millimetre cast iron single-bowl farmhouse sink, Whitehaven by Kohler, is “a must for cooking, cleaning [and] washing babies or dogs,” she says. Ludemann says deciding on the flush-mount lights (there are 18 of them) was one of her scarier moments. “With the shiplap ceiling, there was no way I could go back and change these out later. I am so glad I took the risk, as it looks fantastic and we get compliments all the time.”
Designer secret
“This is a very large kitchen, and I wanted it to be welcoming and cosy despite its size,” says Ludemann. “I also needed it to take a beating and not look it, because of the two large dogs and busy kids who are just at an age where they’re trying out cooking and meal prep on their own. I used reclaimed oak for base cabinets around the sink, dishwasher and garbage pullout, as this is a very highly used area and it’s hard to keep painted cabinets in prime condition in the wet and messy areas. I used painted blue-black cabinets everywhere else, because their slick conversion varnish finish is so easy to wipe down and clean. I kept it light by keeping the walls and ceiling a creamy white, selecting very light oak hardwoods and going lighter with the splashback. I also used a very dark rug from Currey & Co. that doesn’t show any of the dropped crumbs or dog hair. It adds a wonderful warmth in the winter, and in the summer I roll it up, as I prefer bare floors on your toes.”
‘Uh-oh’ moment
“Besides trying to accurately lay out all the beams with all the lights – time number three was the golden time – I ended up having to paint the fireplace surround” [seen in the first picture], says Ludemann. “It was supposed to be reclaimed oak as well, and when the panelling was installed, my supplier gave me a combination of reclaimed hardwoods. Some of it was chestnut, and a lot of red oak was mixed in. The red oak almost looked like sunburned skin and did not go with the surrounding white oak range hood and base cabinets, so I asked my painter to spray everything in the same Benjamin Moore ‘Midnight Oil’ colour of the other cabinets. I love it. It brought everything together seamlessly and ended up being one of those happy mistakes.”
Browse more eat-in kitchens
“This is a very large kitchen, and I wanted it to be welcoming and cosy despite its size,” says Ludemann. “I also needed it to take a beating and not look it, because of the two large dogs and busy kids who are just at an age where they’re trying out cooking and meal prep on their own. I used reclaimed oak for base cabinets around the sink, dishwasher and garbage pullout, as this is a very highly used area and it’s hard to keep painted cabinets in prime condition in the wet and messy areas. I used painted blue-black cabinets everywhere else, because their slick conversion varnish finish is so easy to wipe down and clean. I kept it light by keeping the walls and ceiling a creamy white, selecting very light oak hardwoods and going lighter with the splashback. I also used a very dark rug from Currey & Co. that doesn’t show any of the dropped crumbs or dog hair. It adds a wonderful warmth in the winter, and in the summer I roll it up, as I prefer bare floors on your toes.”
‘Uh-oh’ moment
“Besides trying to accurately lay out all the beams with all the lights – time number three was the golden time – I ended up having to paint the fireplace surround” [seen in the first picture], says Ludemann. “It was supposed to be reclaimed oak as well, and when the panelling was installed, my supplier gave me a combination of reclaimed hardwoods. Some of it was chestnut, and a lot of red oak was mixed in. The red oak almost looked like sunburned skin and did not go with the surrounding white oak range hood and base cabinets, so I asked my painter to spray everything in the same Benjamin Moore ‘Midnight Oil’ colour of the other cabinets. I love it. It brought everything together seamlessly and ended up being one of those happy mistakes.”
Browse more eat-in kitchens
2. Lake lounge
Designer: Emily Griffin Design
Location: Marmora on the Lake, Ontario, Canada
Size: 20.4 square metres; 3 x 6 metres
Homeowners’ request
Update a lakeside cottage kitchen and give it a “comfortable, breezy and beachy vibe,” says designer Emily Griffin.
Dining setup
“In every country kitchen I design, I try to put a harvest table in the centre versus an island,” says Griffin. “I find it is much more conducive to hanging out, and because it is table height, not bar height, people stick around longer.”
Other special features
Serving area and breakfast bar with reclaimed-wood open shelves. Industrial pendants. Two dishwashers.
Designer: Emily Griffin Design
Location: Marmora on the Lake, Ontario, Canada
Size: 20.4 square metres; 3 x 6 metres
Homeowners’ request
Update a lakeside cottage kitchen and give it a “comfortable, breezy and beachy vibe,” says designer Emily Griffin.
Dining setup
“In every country kitchen I design, I try to put a harvest table in the centre versus an island,” says Griffin. “I find it is much more conducive to hanging out, and because it is table height, not bar height, people stick around longer.”
Other special features
Serving area and breakfast bar with reclaimed-wood open shelves. Industrial pendants. Two dishwashers.
Designer secret
“A huge win was putting in the big window over the sink to let in more light,” says Griffin.
9 Beautiful and Practical Kitchen Window Treatments
“A huge win was putting in the big window over the sink to let in more light,” says Griffin.
9 Beautiful and Practical Kitchen Window Treatments
3. Island intrigue
Designers: Jen Harris and Stacy Woods of Rosewood Interiors
Location: Coto de Caza, California, USA
Size: 29.7 square metres
Homeowner’s request
A large island for dining, gathering and prepping food.
Dining setup
The large island seats six comfortably and is topped with Eternal Statuario quartz that mimics Calacatta marble. “We wanted the legs of the island to be substantial to balance out the weighted feel of the hood on the opposite side of the kitchen,” says designer Jen Harris. “It also serves to help the island feel more like a piece of dining furniture, rather than a typical kitchen island.” The 1930s-style chairs are meant to “mimic the whimsical chairs of Parisian cafes,” she adds. The slightly darker grey island cabinetry and legs help set the island apart from the white cabinetry and grey walls, and further emphasise the island as a standalone piece of dining furniture.
Other special features
Marble tile splashback. Oversize range hood.
Designer’s secret
“The use of similar-size repetitive objects is a design tip that we highly recommend,” says Harris. “Repetition helps catch the eye and add more interest to the area or space being decorated. We also love the use of natural wood objects of different sizes and shapes on the open shelving. This gives the room a more natural and relaxed feel without taking away from the traditional elegance of the kitchen.”
‘Uh-oh’ moment
“One of the most challenging components in this room was getting the range hood to come to life like we had envisioned it in our minds,” says Harris. “The first draft of the hood did not have the weight [and] scale to be the focal point that we wanted. We went back and forth with our contractor and client to find the perfect scale. We soon realised that the missing element was the corbels that would extend from the hood down the wall on each side, framing out the stove. With corbels come fire code requirements, but in the end we were able to find just the right balance, and everybody came out happy with the finished product.”
Designers: Jen Harris and Stacy Woods of Rosewood Interiors
Location: Coto de Caza, California, USA
Size: 29.7 square metres
Homeowner’s request
A large island for dining, gathering and prepping food.
Dining setup
The large island seats six comfortably and is topped with Eternal Statuario quartz that mimics Calacatta marble. “We wanted the legs of the island to be substantial to balance out the weighted feel of the hood on the opposite side of the kitchen,” says designer Jen Harris. “It also serves to help the island feel more like a piece of dining furniture, rather than a typical kitchen island.” The 1930s-style chairs are meant to “mimic the whimsical chairs of Parisian cafes,” she adds. The slightly darker grey island cabinetry and legs help set the island apart from the white cabinetry and grey walls, and further emphasise the island as a standalone piece of dining furniture.
Other special features
Marble tile splashback. Oversize range hood.
Designer’s secret
“The use of similar-size repetitive objects is a design tip that we highly recommend,” says Harris. “Repetition helps catch the eye and add more interest to the area or space being decorated. We also love the use of natural wood objects of different sizes and shapes on the open shelving. This gives the room a more natural and relaxed feel without taking away from the traditional elegance of the kitchen.”
‘Uh-oh’ moment
“One of the most challenging components in this room was getting the range hood to come to life like we had envisioned it in our minds,” says Harris. “The first draft of the hood did not have the weight [and] scale to be the focal point that we wanted. We went back and forth with our contractor and client to find the perfect scale. We soon realised that the missing element was the corbels that would extend from the hood down the wall on each side, framing out the stove. With corbels come fire code requirements, but in the end we were able to find just the right balance, and everybody came out happy with the finished product.”
4. Back in black
Designer: Jenny Sutherland
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Size: 27.3 square metres; 4.2 x 6.4 metres
Homeowners’ request
Update the look of the kitchen and dining space while working with the existing cabinetry and Black Marinace granite benchtops.
Dining setup
A bench-height dark-stained table with woven grass stools. “My client uses the table often as the place to eat and gather with family and friends,” says designer Jenny Sutherland.
Other special features
Dark grey cabinets (painted in ‘Cyberspace’ by Sherwin-Williams). Metallic back-painted-glass subway tile splashback. Exposed ducting.
Designer secret
“I felt that the existing cherry cabinetry did not fit in with the industrial-modern look of the home,” says Sutherland. “It seemed more formal and traditional-looking in this particular space. Replacing it was out of the budget, so I selected a dark charcoal grey to enhance the stones in the benchtop and hired Haven Finishing Studio to apply a seven-step paint process to the cabinets. This finish is highly durable and looks like brand-new cabinetry for a fraction of the price.”
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Designer: Jenny Sutherland
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Size: 27.3 square metres; 4.2 x 6.4 metres
Homeowners’ request
Update the look of the kitchen and dining space while working with the existing cabinetry and Black Marinace granite benchtops.
Dining setup
A bench-height dark-stained table with woven grass stools. “My client uses the table often as the place to eat and gather with family and friends,” says designer Jenny Sutherland.
Other special features
Dark grey cabinets (painted in ‘Cyberspace’ by Sherwin-Williams). Metallic back-painted-glass subway tile splashback. Exposed ducting.
Designer secret
“I felt that the existing cherry cabinetry did not fit in with the industrial-modern look of the home,” says Sutherland. “It seemed more formal and traditional-looking in this particular space. Replacing it was out of the budget, so I selected a dark charcoal grey to enhance the stones in the benchtop and hired Haven Finishing Studio to apply a seven-step paint process to the cabinets. This finish is highly durable and looks like brand-new cabinetry for a fraction of the price.”
Tell us
If you enjoyed this story, like it, save it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Read more kitchen renovation stories
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I love the all-in-one kitchen. Our space is much more limited than the ones featured in the article (but to be honest, I couldn't stand having to do all that walking, and I really don't get why you would create another kitchen in the pantry). This layout works really well for me and I regularly have 8 or 10 people for dinner.
We really enjoy having the table dead smack dab in the kitchen. Its so charming and cozy eating together. I'm not saying we won't ever have an island, but for now it's working.