A Sanctuary in the Kitchen: How we Transformed Chaos into a Peaceful Retreat

Jun 14

We came home from Christmas break, and water was coming out of the light sockets. The floor had split open in different spots, so it wasn’t like, “Oh, I want to redo my kitchen” or “Oh, this is the perfect time to do it.” It was that we had to go back down to the studs. So the builder came in and ripped out the ceilings and the floor. We literally had everything removed from this spot. I have a 4th grader, 7th grader, and 10th grader that I have to feed, and no kitchen. So that initiated it. Obviously, now it’s a God thing because I have this beautiful, amazing kitchen. The kitchen I had before had absolutely nothing wrong with it. It was 15 years old and beautiful as well. But when you are in a situation where everything needs to be redone, you embrace it and go with it. And that’s what initiated the project.

My original style was more bohemian. I wanted a peaceful and calm place. When you have kids and lots of activities, and you’re working and coaching tennis and doing all the things you do, you want peace and calm when you get home. So that was my true vision: I wanted a place where we could just come, feel safe, secure, and hang out. Not like you couldn’t get it dirty or couldn’t sit at the island. Just come and feel peaceful and calm. Designers I like are Nate Berkus from Oprah. Back in the day, he said, “Only buy things you love.” And then there’s Shea from Studio McGee; this is very much her style, the white and gray look, these color cabinets. She’s on Netflix. Stacy knew that was my vision, looked at all her things, and went with that.

I had seen cornhole boards that Troy had made, and then he made our coffee flight boards for Plaza Globe Coffee. When I stopped in his workshop, I noticed that he was making cabinets, and they were beautiful cabinets. So, I had that in the back of my mind when I stopped in and explained the water damage situation. He said, “I can definitely handle that, and I would love to take on the project.” So he came over, took measurements, and we got started.

They are gems of people. When you meet Stacy and Troy, you just know it. They have six kids, and it’s a family business. Even their kids work for the business. Having people in your house constantly for four months while you’re still living there can feel like an invasion of privacy. It’s not like building a house where you can check on the progress. It is more like eating breakfast in the playroom while there are people working in your kitchen. So, having people you trust and knowing they will do a good job without having to think about it is a huge weight off your shoulders. From the moment I met them, I knew they were good people who cared and wanted to do their best. It was truly an amazing experience.

Troy would come over, measure things, and explain what he was looking for. Stacy understood my vision, and I sent her 5 million pictures. Everything felt effortless, which is unusual when you're doing a project while living in the space. Since I kept all my appliances, we had to work with what I had. I hadn’t been planning for months and months on what to do with my kitchen. It was more like a spur-of-the-moment decision. I didn’t even know what color I wanted or whether I preferred open or closed shelves. They guided me along the way, suggesting ideas and trying different approaches to see what worked best. Since I had to accommodate all my toasters, blenders, and other kitchen items, I wanted everything to have its designated spot. In this kitchen you don’t see clutter, but everything is easily accessible. There’s a cool drawer that holds silverware with Ziploc bags underneath- clever solutions like that. I didn’t want spices on display, so there’s a pullout for them. Everything has a place which is a benefit of ordering custom cabinetry. It is a highly functional kitchen.