All new homes offer a certain amount of excitement and allure, but this Ohio home and its kitchen are second to none. With two islands, two dishwashers, and two ovens, it is clear that bigger is better for this family of five.
Fancy functionality
Homeowner Faye Eidi and her family designed their home with a single idea in mind: to bring people together. And, with three children, a family dog, and an open-door policy for family and friends, the Eidi family wanted their kitchen to be the focal point of their home. “Like most families, the kitchen is the center of the home where everybody gathers,” Faye says. “We wanted to design our home around that.”
Luckily for the Eidi family, Jim Deen, of Kitchen Kraft, was ready to utilize his creative mind on another Eidi family kitchen. The Columbus based kitchen remodeler had worked with the family on their past homes and was looking forward to creating a layout and design that would fit the family’s busy lifestyle. “I’m always excited to work with Faye and her family,” says Deen. “We’ve built a really strong working relationship over the years, so the family trusts me to assist with the layout and design of the kitchen to build something they love.”
And build they would. Because this was a construction for a new home, the opportunities for increased functionality were endless. The first step was revisiting the existing blueprints to maximize the space available in the kitchen. With an emphasis on tasteful architecture, Deen and the family were able to establish a layout that touched on all their kitchen needs.
When asked about the best part of the kitchen, the answer for Faye was easy. “The two dishwashers. There’s something so nice about having the extra dishwasher and having room to rotate through our clean and dirty dishes,” Faye says with a laugh. “It makes our lives so much easier.”
Deen is in full agreement. He believes that a full kitchen is a happy one, especially when it comes to utilizing appliances. “I always recommend two dishwashers if the kitchen has enough room,” Deen explains. “Functionally, it is such an improvement in the kitchen, especially when you plan on hosting or entertaining.”
Twice the islands = twice the fun
Having two islands was an exciting perk of the layout reconfiguration. Faye explained that even before her family built this home, the kitchen was always the most popular room of the house. Given the everyday visitors she entertains, Faye and her family needed a little more space than usual.
One island is reserved for cooking and serving, while the other is dedicated to guests. Faye opted for quartzite countertops throughout her kitchen because its durability supports her love of cooking and her family’s never-ending kitchen buffets. “When we have people over, we usually serve food buffet-style,” Faye says. “People can come and help themselves whenever they’re hungry.”
Bigger is better
With a kitchen of this grandeur, an equally exciting set of appliances was needed. The solution? Unique spacing and extra-large appliances.
Unlike most homes, the fridge and freezer live on opposite sides of the kitchen. “We designed it to have a 36-inch refrigerator and a 36-inch freezer that aren’t side by side,” explains Deen. “They were paneled to match the cabinetry and put at different ends of the kitchen to look like armoires.”
An additional plus: the range that separates the fridge and freezer. At 60 inches, the range is a centerpiece in the kitchen (as opposed to the traditional 48 inches homeowners have come to expect). It has become a necessity for the numerous meals she curates weekly, from fettuccini alfredo to Mexican lasagna.
One word to describe this kitchen? “Epic,” states Deen. “This kitchen is one of the best I’ve seen. Between the islands and the appliances, the opportunities for use are endless. It’s absolutely epic.”
Beautiful hues of blue
The kitchen itself is dressed in trendy whites and neutrals, but the eye-catching blue stands out. Faye says the missing piece from the kitchen was “bright watercolors. We needed something that caught the eye no matter where you were.” This blue accent was carried throughout the kitchen configuration, from the seating to the cabinetry in the laundry room. “[The blue] is so beautiful when the sun comes in through the windows,” adds Faye.
Building a home to grow in
It takes a village to build a home from its conception, and the Eidi family proved to be no different. Between Faye’s initial vision and Deen’s expertise, the final kitchen offers every amenity and comfort the family could have dreamed of. It is a kitchen that the Eidi family can continue to grow in, and experience many more years of gathering and enjoyment.
“We love entertaining and having friends and family over. Over the years, we’ve turned into the hang-out house,” says Faye. “People come in and can spread out. They sit, they eat, they laugh—they feel welcome in our home.”
RESOURCES
Designer Jim Deen, Kitchen Kraft; Cabinetry Grabill Custom Cabinetry; Flooring 24 x 48 porcelain tiles; Countertops quartzite; Backsplash marble; Appliances Dishwasher, 60” range, 36” refrigerator, 36” freezer, and ice maker, all from Thermador; Miele coffee station