design coaching peter and chrissy’s builder grade kitchen plan (i’ve got thoughts!)

Home Decor

Design Coaching: Peter And Chrissy’s Builder-Grade Kitchen Plan (I’ve Got Thoughts!)

Drescription

Oh boy, this is fun. I love inserting myself into other people’s problems (usually when asked) so this whole “help someone else design their house” thing is already making my dopamine spike. After sifting through countless submissions (sooo many good ones–thank you to all who applied!), battling weeks of email hacking snafus, and balancing our super stacked schedule, we FINALLY found our match. You can read about this sweet couple here!

To refresh your memory Chrissy and Peter, our first participants in the Renovation Coach series, have 3 kids under the age of 3, really good taste, and enough experience with remodeling to not hire a contractor. And yet, like all of us, doing it alone feels daunting and scary (because it simply is the nature of the beast).

About The House

The house was built in the 90s and has an addition and some awkward angles and finishes for sure. But the neighborhood is great and the lot is HUGE. They want to change a lot about the house – adding a primary bedroom, moving the powder bath, adding a mudroom, moving the washer/dryer upstairs, and redoing the kitchen (maybe more, but that’s what came out of the 2-hour initial session). For our purposes, we are talking kitchen, but it was so good to know what else they were thinking – how long will this string be??

For total visual context of the space before we get into the ins and out of this kitchen, here is a video of the space! (just wait for the ads to play:))

Back To The Kitchen (Pre-Move-In)

Here’s how it looked when they first moved in. From the drop ceiling to the weirdly shaped island to the unfortunate, immovable structural elements, the kitchen was not their fantasy – both in function and style. Their biggest complaint has been the lack of storage but truly it all needs updating–countertops, cabinets, appliances, flooring, you name it. The flow is a bit weird overall and they’re open to reimagining the space entirely. Oh, and the cabinets are falling apart. “BUILDER-GRADE” (she shakes her fists at the sky).

They’ve already made some killer changes, starting with the floor. They opted for this beautiful wide plank wood flooring, getting rid of the checkerboard, which only enhanced the datedness of the kitchen, but also opened up options. By changing the direction of the wood floors it also really helped to better connect the kitchen to the living areas.

Here is what their kitchen looked like the day we stopped by to check it out. As you can see, they are mid-project and have been agonizing over the best solution for this space to keep moving forward. They’ve explored a number of layouts and have yet to land on the right one (her keynote collages look like mine – abundant and messy a la A Beautiful Mind. When we first got there she had a plan and two hours later we totally changed it (for the better, we think).

Chrissy’s First Mockup (Pre-Meeting)

Christy wanted to extend the size of the kitchen into the space next door (which seemed to be initially intended for a dining room). Desperate for storage and a nice big island for cooking and entertaining, they thought that this could be a good solution. I didn’t, TBH, especially because once you get into the space the biggest issue is two different ceiling levels.

The dropped and vaulted ceiling is really the culprit here. Well, actually it’s just a regular 8ft ceiling in the kitchen zone that feels like a dropped ceiling because the rest of the space is vaulted. But this cross section is definitely structural, holding up part of their kids’ room upstairs, so they have to find a way to work with it.

There were some other issues, as well that they wanted to address.

Speaking of structural, both the wall attached to the stairs and this diagonal corner wall connecting to their current washer/dryer closet, have to stay. In this back area is the entrance from their garage, a tight walk-thru, with laundry on one side (that they want to be moved upstairs) and a teeny tiny powder bath on the other. Ideally, they’d love to find a way to add a mudroom in this area…but one project at a time. My perspective was that all these little moves would end up costing $250k at least and not all of them were worth it. Moving a powder bath 5 feet could cost $25k (could also be less, but you just don’t know) so I advised against it unless they were 100% sure this was their “forever home”.

Stepping into the kitchen, this is your main view: a bank of tired cabinets, the sink, the dishwasher, and a view that overlooks the dogs’ potty zone. (Did I mention they have two cute pups?) The whole house actually gets really great light exposure from the many windows in the living room, and Chrissy hasn’t loved looking out into this area. They’ve discussed removing this window entirely (or maybe the one in the dining room) or just shifting it over to make room for their ideal cabinet layout. Regardless, they will put in new windows should they keep them here.

Plumbing will likely stay on this back wall to keep costs and complications down. But they want to shift the sink over, swapping it for a bigger/better one, then flanking it with a panel-ready dishwasher and trash drawer. And of course, all of this means new cabinets, countertops, hardware, appliances, etc. Again, here is their last mood board (which is rapidly changing, per the usual design process).

Chrissy has great taste and design eye – I loved her mockup. None of these elements are final except for the style/color of the cabinetry. The one thing they know for sure is that they love the AXSTAD blue kitchen cabinets from IKEA. The price is right and the look and color really speak to them. Us too. Initially, she wanted to extend the cabinetry all the way across, into the vaulted ceiling dining area, creating a bar zone and prep area with more storage. But she’s struggled with the right combination of cabinets that will align with that ceiling height jump in a visually pleasing way.

Additionally, they are losing the corner cabinets, instead shifting the oven zone in line with the back wall to create more of a galley-style kitchen. In order to make this work and look right, they will need to address this weird wall situation and plan to bump it out to make it flush with the walkway opening. Doing this will also add about a foot of space to the powder bath on the other side (another project they have plans for, but again, one thing at a time!).

Another part of Chrissy’s design (and we are definitely aligned here) is to keep the island. Well, this funky island will not be staying, but a new rectangular island will take its place. Again, one of their big issues is having enough storage, so prioritizing extra cabinetry here makes sense. They talked about keeping the stools where they are currently, but Gretchen had the idea to build in the overhang at the end of the island instead, near the garage entrance. Enough room for the kiddos to have a seat on a couple of stools while dad cooks, and plenty of room to stand and gather around the back of the island when entertaining–which they do a lot of–while maximizing storage along the backside. The cooktop would stay here (though at one point in our meeting, we discussed swapping it with the sink but that would likely be too much of a ha$$le).

Behind the island is their “pantry”, in quotes because it’s more of a Harry Potter closet than a pantry, positioned in the void under the stairs. In all of Chrissy’s plans, integrating a new pantry cabinet was a staple of her design. If you scroll back up to her mockup, she originally envisioned it next to the paneled fridge, likely coming out past the 8ft ceiling divide. The problem then became making it look right with the vaulted ceiling. Would it come up past the 8ft and intersect with the vault? Or stay the same height? Does IKEA even make cabinets to fit a situation like this? And how would this all shake out measurement-wise?

Well, Gretch suggested instead turning the original stair/pantry wall into a grand wall of floor-to-ceiling-pantry cabinets, closing off the existing door, and moving its access to the side hallway with some clever angled doors or drawers. Both Chrissy and Peter perked up at this. Of course, it will all have to make sense dimensionally and could be impacted based on the size of the new island. And it means more projects. But it could be a very cool statement moment and would give the chef something more interesting to stare at than the current situation.

With more storage going in the island and the potential for a larger pantry area across it, the initial bar/cabinetry build-out into the living space now becomes less crucial. But the problem still remains. How do you integrate this living area with the kitchen so it feels cohesive and connected? Ending the cabinets in the same place as they are now might keep the kitchen feeling small. But extending it into a wet bar or just more counter space isn’t super functional if they also need this area to hold their dining table. Sure, it’d give them more storage but it’s unlikely they’d actually use it for prep space.

Our Solution?

So what if instead, it became a built-in dining banquette, flanked with cabinets and shelving? This might feel more visually intentional than closed-off cabinets and could address the ceiling shift in a way that makes sense–to us at least. Remember, Chrissy is not married to this window staying here, so a new window could shift around or it could leave altogether and make room for a matching bookcase to flank either side of the bench (with the window in the middle?). The bench (and the shelves) would provide even more storage, but could also turn this wall into a really beautiful, thoughtful focal point.

So that’s where we left them, with plenty of new ideas and potential solutions swirling. The biggest question now is how does this all fit together?? Does that wall really have the right length for a double oven, sink, trash drawer and dishwasher, drawers, panel-ready fridge, open shelving bookcase (that starts at exactly the right spot with the weird ceiling shift), plus a built-in dining bench? How big should the island be? Can a grand pantry wall fit into the mix?

Their Homework

We were so excited about the layout change, but Chrissy really needed to figure out math-wise if they could fit their appliances AND the cabinets in the same kitchen footprint, utilizing the island for the cooktop and knowing that we’d have more storage in the new pantry and the floor-to-ceiling library cabinet focal moment in the dining room. We can’t really do much until we know that the layout will work within the footprint (we all feel hopeful).

They have to do some homework to get all of those answers, so we’ll check back in with them soon. I also tasked them with taking an inventory of their kitchen things, what all they’ll need to store, and mapping it out based on the new proposed design — a practice we swear by! Maybe they’ll find they don’t have so much of a storage issue after all?

As I was writing this I realized that this is a LOT to try to understand without you being in the space. If you’ve made it this far you are as invested as we are. With 3 kids under three years old, attempting a kitchen remodel is a doozy (thus me wanting to help). They think they can get it done in under 3 months and I’m loving their enthusiasm. They aren’t hiring a GC and instead are going to hire subcontractors and manage the project themselves, which honestly I think will make it go faster if they are on top of it and certainly could save them some money. They have already started getting bids and making relationships with subs and honestly, we all know that no one can get shit done faster than a mom, so maybe the 3 kids under 3 years will actually prove to be the motivation to drive fast. Regardless, we are along for this ride and hoping to not just be a backseat driver. Next up is seeing the update on the layout with our new plan and then we’ll go shopping for tile and stone (assuming that we are good to use the IKEA kitchen).

Since this is the first time we are documenting someone else’s project (and not doing renderings, etc) let us know if you have suggestions on the rollout of this – it’s a lot of information to get so we’ll try to break it down so you can weigh in and also gleam any help for your own project. A huge thanks to Chrissy and Peter for being our guinea pigs:)

Don’t Cut Too Soon—The Right Way to Harvest Rosemary Without Ruining Your Plant

Fragrant rosemary is a staple in your culinary toolkit—and it's even better when you've harvested your own. Fresh rosemary is more flavorful and aromatic than dried, and the plant is easy to grow in your yard, kitchen garden, or even in a container on your patio. Here's how to harvest rosemary the right way, plus tips for storing and preserving this tasty herb for later use. When to Harvest Rosemary You can harvest small amounts of rosemary as needed at any time of year. Summer is also a good time to harvest rosemary to dry, freeze, or otherwise preserve, as warm weather and lots of daylight give the plant the conditions it needs to regrow. However, avoid taking more than 20 percent of the plant at any one time to avoid damaging it and hindering regrowth. Wait until plants are at least 3 years old before harvesting.1 The ideal time to harvest rosemary is in the morning, after any morning dew has evaporated but before the hottest part of the day. For the most flavor, consider harvesting rosemary when buds have formed on the plant but before the flowers have opened, as the oils are most concentrated during this time.2 Note that rosemary flowers are also edible and can be harvested along with the foliage. How to Harvest Rosemary the Right Way Wait until plants are 6 to 8 inches tall before taking your first harvest. Examine your rosemary plant and look for healthy, tender stems. Avoid cutting into woody stems. Use sterilized scissors or pruners to cut tender branches just below a leaf node. To harvest small amounts, cut stem tips—the 2 to 3 inches at the end of each branch. To harvest rosemary for drying or preserving, cut sections of softwood that are around 8 inches long. Avoid removing more than about a quarter of total plant growth at any one time. Wait for small plants to regrow what you've removed before harvesting again. 3 Tip You can support overall plant health by harvesting the tender tips of rosemary regularly. This can encourage a bushier, more compact growth habit while spurring regrowth. Wait until after the plant has flowered to do more significant annual pruning. How to Store Rosemary Here's how to store your rosemary harvest, whether you plan to add the fresh herb to recipes or preserve it for future use. Storing Fresh The best way to store freshly harvested rosemary is in the refrigerator. Wrap the sprigs loosely in a slightly damp paper towel, enclose them in a plastic bag without sealing it, and put them in your vegetable crisper. The herb can last for up to two weeks when stored properly.4 Drying Drying is an easy and hands-off way to preserve rosemary. Rinse sprigs off to remove any dust or dirt, but avoid getting clean sprigs wet. Allow any surface moisture to dry by laying out the rosemary on a clean, dry paper towel. Once dry, cut away any dead or damaged plant growth before tying herbs into loose bundles. Hang the bundles in a warm, dark, dry place with good ventilation. Avoid exposing the rosemary to sunlight, which can cause it to degrade and lose flavor and color prematurely. You can also dry rosemary sprigs in a food dehydrator or by laying the sprigs out on a screen, turning them frequently to help them dry evenly.2 Dried herbs retain their best flavor and aroma for 3 months after harvest when stored at room temperature or up to a year if stored in the freezer.5 Freezing Rinse rosemary sprigs or tips to remove dirt if needed, then allow them to dry thoroughly. Place the herb in a zipper-lock freezer bag and press out the air before sealing. Label the bag with the name of the herb and the date, then store it in the freezer for up to a year. Another option is to strip the leaves from each sprig and place them in ice cube trays. Top off with water or olive oil and freeze, then store the cubes in a zipper-lock bag in the freezer. Avoid refreezing rosemary after it thaws.

How to Avoid 'Airplane Ear' So Your Ears Don't Pop on Your Next Flight

It’s a feeling that air travelers know all too well: an uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, popping sensation that takes over your ears as your plane lifts into the sky or touches down on the tarmac. The condition is more commonly known as “airplane ear,” and according to the Mayo Clinic, it happens when the air pressure in your middle ear and the air pressure in the environment are out of balance. Symptoms of airplane ear can include ear pressure, a feeling of fullness in your ear, and muffled hearing. You’ve probably experienced it firsthand, but you might not know how to deal with it. If you’re a frequent sufferer of airplane ear, try these expert tips before your next flight to keep the discomfort in check. Nissim Khabie, MD, is a board-certified otolaryngologist at Ears, Nose and Throat Speciality Care of Minnesota. Brian Taylor, AuD, is the senior director of audiology at Signia. Who Experiences Airplane Ear? “Everyone will react differently to pressure changes,” says Nissim Khabie, MD. Our ears pop when we experience a change in air pressure and our Eustachian tubes—which connect the middle ear to the back of the throat—can’t handle the change, according to Khabie. Many people won’t experience any ear discomfort on a flight if their Eustachian tubes are working properly, says Brian Taylor, AuD, the senior director of audiology for Signia. If your Eustachian tube doesn’t work properly—like when you have a cold or suffer from Eustachian Tube Dysfunction—you can take a few preventative steps to ensure the pain and pressure is as minimal as possible. How to Protect Your Ears While Flying Consider Over-the-Counter Options If you have a cold or allergies, Taylor suggests you take an over-the-counter decongestant pill about an hour before boarding. During flights longer than two hours, an over-the-counter nasal spray can be used about 20 minutes before takeoff and again about 30 minutes before landing. If your flight is shorter, Taylor says one dose should be enough. “The pressure and pain are more pronounced on the descent, so it's important to have the nasal passages as clear as possible at that time,” he explains. If you have high blood pressure, exercise caution using these meds. It’s also important to take these steps if you’ve been sick recently. Use Earplugs For people who are generally susceptible to airplane ear, earplugs can be great tools. “Specific earplugs designed to help reduce the pressure in the ear canal reduce how quickly the pressure changes,” Khabie says. Thankfully, disposable earplugs are often sold over the counter. Try Pressure Equalizing Have you ever heard that yawning or chewing gum before takeoff and landing can reduce ear pain? Taylor explains that these simple behaviors can be all it takes to ward off airplane ear. “For someone with normal Eustachian tube function, yawning, swallowing, or chewing gum might offer some relief during flight,” he says, emphasizing that it’s normal to experience a mild amount of pressure as the altitude changes. However, if you have congestion, Taylor says these steps likely won’t be enough—that’s when you should consider over-the-counter interventions like nasal spray and decongestants. In addition to helpful behaviors and over-the-counter solutions, staying hydrated can help, too. Be sure to drink plenty of water while you wait at the gate, and keep it up on the flight. Ask Your Doctor For frequent fliers who struggle significantly with airplane ear even after trying the suggested precautions, Khabie said ear tubes can be an option. Ear tubes—tiny, hollow tubes usually made of plastic or metal that are inserted via a surgical procedure—allow air into the middle ear and prevent fluid from building up behind the eardrums, according to the Mayo Clinic. “If ear pain and pressure linger after the flight more than about a week, consult your healthcare professional; sooner if the pain is severe,” Khabie says.

IT’S TIME TO ORGANIZE – Small Entry Organization Hacks For Those Of Us Who Are “Mudroom-Less”

My favorite mom quote goes as follows – “Without systems there is chaos. Without systems there is chaos“. One of you deserves credit for it, left sweetly in the comment section two years ago, and I chant it ALL THE TIME. This applies to every single part of our lives, and as someone who unfortunately isn’t innately gifted in the organization realm, and yet abhors visual mess, I HAVE to create systems, or else the house is so chaotic and messy and it actually affects my mental health (thus the choice to live more minimally with less stuff). Labels are my boss. Baskets make me feel safe. So when we were brainstorming about how to talk about organization in the New Year, I ranted about all my pain points at the mountain house – the “no mudroom entry,” the exploding vanity, the lack of linen closet, the hall utility closet that housed both the vacuum and the board games. All solvable, WITH A SYSTEM that includes starting with the right product. And even though we knew we were moving to Portland it still seemed like a good time to come up with some better solutions – both for guests that stay, my family when we return in winter/summer, and of course for the blog. So we partnered with Target to highlight their new and always loved organizational products to ease our chaos and make our homes and brains calmer after the holidays. Systems, it’s all about systems :) The “No Mudroom” Entry We packed in a lot of solutions up here, for ideas for all your pain points. Not everyone can enter and exit through a designated mudroom, especially apartment dwellers, and us. But walking into chaos, stepping over shoes and the visual pile of coats drives me NUTS. Now the elements that you MUST have here are simple – A Drop Zone (could be the bench or the tray on the shoe rack) – This is for mail, keys (if you don’t have hooks), and bags. Get yourself a tray, bowl, or basket (and a hook if you want to never have to look for your keys again). Shoe Storage – This could be a shoe shelf like this (which is nice because it can be wheeled away if you have guests over), a trunk, or a basket. While I prefer something more enclosed, getting my kids to “drop” is a challenge enough so ‘arranging’ is a monumental feat. Plus a shelf keeps them from getting scuffed up and you have less searching to the bottom of the basket time. Someday, crossing fingers, we’ll graduate to this. Don’t have a coat closet? ME NEITHER! So you need either hooks on your wall, a coat rack, or a freestanding piece of furniture. The first two are better for small spaces (plus wet coats can’t dry off in an armoire). 3. A Place to Hang Coats/Scarves, and Hats – Could be standing or to save space use a wall-mounted hook system like this. Use the anchors provided (I’ve skimped on those before), try to do a weekly depopulation based on the weather, and put away coats in hopefully a coat closet nearby, leaving just what you need here. 4. Designated Baskets for Daily Needs – Under the bench: 1. “House shoes/slippers” (easy to change into when you come home, 2. “Dog accessories” (leashes, bags, treats), and 3. “Hats and gloves”. I love these baskets with the wood on top, but opting for something more closed will make it look cleaner (just make sure you know what is in them so you don’t have to do the “search and bury”). Shout out to that bench – please note the good joinery under the seat!! So good. The “No Entry” Entry For those of us with even less space or perhaps at the back, side, or kitchen door we have a one-piece unit for all of those same needs – it’s pretty genius. At the top you have hooks for coats/hats and scarves, then a bench to sit on for shoes and a surface for a drop zone, with shoe storage underneath. ONE AND DONE. It’s a small space solution that packs a ton of function into one piece. All you need is a 4′ blank wall near your door and you can live a better life in a small space. Pretty sure someone should write a book with that title. So no, you don’t need “an entry” to have an entry. You just need a good, solid system and Target has truly made it even easier.

How Far Apart Should You Plant Tomatoes in Your Garden?

Know what kind of tomato plant you're sowing—determinate tomatoes need less space than indeterminate varieties. Determinate tomato varieties do better in containers or raised beds because they do not need as much space. Proper spacing of tomato plants protects from potential diseases and set plants up to fruit more. Whether you start your tomatoes from seed or buy tomato seedlings, keep in mind while you plant them that proper spacing is essential for successful growing. As a rule of thumb, allow 2 to 3 feet of space in all directions for each plant, though the exact spacing depends on what type of tomato you're planting.1 Read on to learn about properly spacing determinate vs. indeterminate tomatoes, the pitfalls of insufficient spacing, and other tomato growing tips. Spacing Determinate vs. Indeterminate Tomatoes Before planting, check the seed package or the plant label, which should tell you if the tomato variety is determinate or indeterminate. Both tomato types are vines, but determinate tomatoes require less space than indeterminate tomatoes so the exact spacing depends on what type of tomato you are planting. Tomato spacing is usually given in two measurements: space between plants and space between rows. Determinate Tomatoes Determinate tomatoes grow only to a certain height, then flower, set fruit, and ripen within a short timeframe. They can be planted as little as one to two feet apart (though ideally in the 18-14 inches range) in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. The plants are often compact enough that they don’t require support. Because of their limited growth, they also don’t need pruning. Indeterminate Tomatoes Indeterminate tomatoes are the exact opposite—they have a long growing season that only ends with the first fall frost. They need a much more generous spacing than determinate tomatoes and should be spaced at least three to four feet apart in rows at least four feet apart. Indeterminate tomatoes should always be staked, trellised, or caged. Pruning the plants is also essential to keep the vigorous growth under control. Why It's Important to Space Tomatoes Properly Proper spacing between plants is important to keep tomato plants healthy. Even with the best care, these plants are prone to numerous diseases including fungal diseases (like early blight and late blight) and viruses (like tomato mosaic virus). Plants growing in crowded conditions with poor air circulation are an ideal breeding ground for fungal diseases to spread. Generous spacing between tomato plants is also important to give you easy access for pruning, weeding, and harvesting without the risk of damaging neighboring plants. Signs Tomatoes Are Planted Too Close Together Unfortunately, not giving your tomato plants sufficient space will backfire sooner or later in the growing season. You'll know that you skimped on spaced if these symptoms are true of your plants. Poor harvest. The plants are growing slowly or producing a poor harvest because they are competing for nutrients and water. No visual borders. You cannot tell where one plant ends, and the next one starts because the vines have become entangled. Soggy foliage. The foliage remains wet for hours after rainfall even in warm summer weather because there is inadequate airflow. Difficulty harvesting. Harvesting the tomatoes is tedious because you cannot easily access the plants from all sides. Additional Tomato Growing Tips To make your tomato season a success, here are some other key tips for growing delicious tomatoes: Plant them in full sun where they get at least six to eight hours daily. Get the soil ready for planting with soil amendments and compost. Also, check if the pH is on target (between 6.2 and 6.8).2 Fertilize them every two weeks during the growing season. Make sure to water the plants deeply and regularly at the base. Harvest them at the right time. Not all tomatoes are red when they are ripe so know the checklist of signs to look for.