There are lots of options to think about when preparing for a kitchen remodel: appliances, countertops, lighting and flooring. These are the big picture items that make up the total aesthetic of your remodeled space.
But another aspect to consider when preparing to renovate your kitchen: functionality and organization.
And while we love Marie Kondo and the idea that every object has its place, we take it a bit further when helping our clients plan a kitchen renovation by considering mis-en-place.
Mis-en-place is a French culinary term. It literally means “put in place” and is a term that chefs use to have everything at hand to prepare a meal before the cooking begins. In a commercial kitchen, where hundreds of meals must be prepared quickly with streamlined efficiency, without sacrificing flavor or appearance, mis-en-place ensures that the chef has everything prepared and within easy reach.
The basic concept of mis-en-place is that planning, preparation and organization ahead of time results in a better finished product. To make that concept a reality at the dinner table, The English Contractor worked with these homeowners to create a kitchen that is a model of efficiency and functionality. Kitchens are in our wheelhouse for sure—but not just designing cabinetry on the outside, but also what they will look like as well as what they will hold on the inside. We go beyond the hailed work triangle to really think about every inch of functionality within the kitchen.
On the surface, you can see that these homeowners wanted a kitchen that was an elegant extension of the house and a model of efficiency. Designed to allow easy access to the primary dining area and the family room, this kitchen allows multiple people to work while still having access to the action in the rest of the house, ideal for family dinner and entertaining larger parties.
That’s not where it stops. This room has been transformed into a chef’s kitchen with tools and ingredients close at hand, without sacrificing design or style.
Between two SubZero refrigerators, both beautifully concealed with antique white wood panels, lives a custom-made appliance garage, with the drawer microwave located conveniently below.
No more searching in a deep, dark pantry for ingredients. This narrow cabinet was created to keep everything in view, making the most of this corner of the kitchen.
But not everything in this kitchen was designed to be immediately visible. Electrical outlets were placed underneath the upper cabinetry, out of view so as to not disrupt the tile backsplash.
The dishwasher was given a custom-made wooden panel to look like drawers to balance with the drawers at the other end of the cabinet run. Now you see it, now you don’t. The only downside of this symmetrical design is that the children in the household have a valid excuse for not loading the dishwasher if they can’t find it.
In addition to offering abundant storage and counter space, the center island also houses a Wolf warming drawer, to make every day cooking and more formal entertaining a breeze.
From continues to follow function in this remodeled kitchen. The Wolf range is surrounded by all the necessary cooking and meal preparation supplies, neatly organized so beautifully in drawers that each one is a work of art in itself. From spices to cooking tools, each drawer is customized to both organize and display its contents.
Peg organizers in deep drawers give the homeowners a way to store dishes that keeps them well organized and close at hand. In every inch of this space, these clients have maximized storage space. Upper cabinetry allows some storage, but also glass doored shelves allow for display of decorative items.
Stylish organized continues in the adjacent dining area with coordinating custom cabinetry.
This panoramic view of the kitchen highlights the gorgeous cabinetry in antique white and stained cherry finishes. Looks beautiful, doesn’t it? The kitchen is the heart of the home. But now you know hidden behind those beautiful cabinets are the organizational bells and whistles that make this space a workhorse, too.
