A Family-Friendly Kitchen Remodel

With five doorways leading in to the kitchen, this space serves as a hub for this home. The ingredients for this kitchen's recipe for success are family-friendly function, well-appointed storage, and stylish details. Soft white cabinetry gives the kitchen a light and bright atmosphere, which is grounded by dark oak floors. A mosaic-tile "runner" adds a decorative element while warming the kitchen floors with radiant heat.

The handmade ceramic tiles on the kitchen backsplash behind the stove add subtle color, texture, and pattern to the kitchen while working with the calming color palette.

The kitchen island sports two different countertop materials to designate a dining area and a prep surface. The dining surface is topped with a Carrara marble and is surrounded by barstools, creating the perfect place for a weekday morning breakfast. The dark finish on the island contrasts with the perimeter cabinets and coordinates with the dark floors.

A checkerboard chopping block designates one end of the island. It is directly across from the range, which saves steps during food prep.

A pullout within the cabinet below the chopping block holds a basket designed for storing no-refrigeration-required produce, such as potatoes.

Partitioned dishware drawers are sensibly located next to the second dishwasher. The pegs inside the drawer keep stacks of dishes in place and can be repositioned to accommodate different sizes of dishes.

Opposite the island, a large divided window provides natural light for the kitchen. Turned wooden legs give a furniture look to the base of the generous-size soapstone sink.

The focal points in this family-friendly kitchen hub are a deep apron-front sink and soapstone countertops that sport dramatic veining. While the look recalls a look from another era, the sink setup is all modern. A deep basin accommodates the stacks of dishes that come along with entertaining, and ridges carved into the countertop next to the sink serve as a built-in drying rack.

Faux double cabinet doors conceal pullout drawers for pots, pans, and lids. Because the unit pulls out, it is less likely bulky cookware will get lost in the recesses of a cabinet.

More drawer than cabinet, a pullout provides easy access to garbage and recycling containers. The clever feature keeps these kitchen necessities close at hand but out of sight.

A shallow drawer at countertop level houses place mats and napkins within easy reach. The drawer also helps keep linens nice and flat to reduce wrinkles.

Drawer dividers provide specific slots for frequently used utensils. The drawer's placement next to the cooktop keeps necessary tools at the ready.

Spices are neatly organized in their own drawer with angled shelves near the cooktop. The angled shelves inside the drawer ensure the small jars are kept orderly.

With a mahogany finish, an antique-look breakfront fills a tall order for storage and vintage style, which melds with the rest of the 1920 Colonial-style home. When the kitchen was remodeled from its grim galley configuration, the homeowners took care to include several era-appropriate details, including this breakfront, custom-milled windows and doors, and beaded, recessed-panel doors on the cabinets.

To create adequate space within the footprint of the kitchen, square footage was borrowed from an adjoining room. This coffee bar and baking center fits comfortably in the hallway between the mudroom and the butler's pantry.