Today’s post is sponsored by Ingrid Williams Real Estate.
The Gathering Place
Kitchens are fascinating. Homes in general are always interesting, with their history and commentary on culture. But kitchens carry a distinctive mark of a family. Living rooms are pretty much structurally stagnant. Bathrooms remain consistently utilitarian. Bedrooms take on the flair of the individual. A kitchen, however, tells the story of a family. It truly shows their heart.
One thing I find so intriguing about kitchens is that everyone has them. Everyone. All around the world if you were to walk into a house, a hut, an apartment, a condo, an igloo even, you would find some semblance of a kitchen. From the beginning of time kitchens have been a part of humanity, drawing us to gather with each other. For sustenance, for community, for belonging. The kitchen, of all rooms, brings us together as a unit.
What I love about the kitchen is that no matter what size, people want to be there. In the morning a family of five will shuffle around a tiny galley kitchen, reaching into cupboards, opening the fridge, stirring eggs. They will dance the dance of breakfast, getting ready and filling their bellies. Next door, a husband and wife will sit at their island sipping coffee, remembering bustling mornings when the table was full. Down the street, roommates shuffle in and out of their breakfast nook, nodding good mornings as they fill up their cereal bowls. The kitchen nourishes us in so many ways, not the least of which is relationally.
Dream Kitchens
Dream kitchens include top of the line appliances, granite countertops, and beautiful lighting, but the beauty of the kitchen is that none of that is required for a kitchen to be dreamy. Dreamy kitchens have big pots and lots of wooden spoons for stirring. Dreamy kitchens have dirty dish towels strewn about and floured handprints on the cupboards. Dreamy kitchens have sinks piled high and just a little bit of sweetness hanging in the air. Dreamy kitchens are lived in and loved.
Finding your own dream kitchen starts by imagining what you want in your kitchen. Large islands and comfy stools invite casual family interaction. Bright lighting and large windows create an airy, free-flowing feel. Flooring solutions provide comfort and stamina for parties and large family meals. Kitchens that open into living spaces or attach to breakfast nooks or dining rooms help foster a sense of community and allow the cook of the family to remain part of the action. Kitchens don’t necessarily have to fit a certain mold to fit the bill for a gathering place; they just have to be inviting and fun.
Maya Angelou said, “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” She must have been thinking of the kitchen. This is the room in the place we call home that we really can go as we are and not be questioned. How many of your childhood memories are in your PJs at your breakfast table? How often do you prepare late night snacks with your spouse? The day begins and ends so often in the kitchen. We are safe there, we are not questioned. And if we are, we can always say we’re just hungry.
Featured Kitchens by Orton Homes
I thought I would include some kitchens of my favorite builder, Orton Homes. If you are thinking about building, I specialize in new construction. While I am able to work with any builder, I am partial to Orton Homes. They built my own home last year, and I love the quality of their work. Give me a call today to discuss your new build. No pressure consultation — just conversation.
Connect with Ingrid
Ingrid Williams is a mom of five and a licensed Realtor for Re/Max Precision. Several of our DMMB families and readers have had the honor of working with her, and she is highly recommended throughout Central Iowa.
Ingrid is a wealth of knowledge and can answer your questions on anything from finding the right Realtor to moving strategies to house hunting with kids.
Check out her website here and her Facebook page.
To receive amazing local coupons and/or real estate advice, contact her at [email protected] and she’ll add you to her monthly email list.
And for help in determining if this is the right time for you to sell your home, give her a call at 515.371.5277 and she’ll be glad to come out and do a free market analysis on your home.
Ingrid, I really liked how you painted such a vivid picture of what a kitchen really is. To add to your comments on creating a dreamy kitchen, I think that many homeowners get hung up on the idea of needing a major kitchen remodel to create their dream kitchen, which will cost tens of thousands of dollars. If cabinets are structurally sound and the layout is working, many times a dream kitchen can be achieved on a tight budget with some new finishes and a little paint.