Just like Two Peas in a Blog, the fashion blog Katey Haines started seven years ago with her twin sister Betsy, Katey’s kitchen recently received a redesign. While the blog has taken a backseat to more current platforms, Katey’s kitchen has finally taken center stage.
“We don’t typically feature food photos on our blog, although we will share what we’re cooking for dinner on our Instagram story,” Katey explains. “But I wouldn’t even take a photo of my outfits in the old space. It was dated and dark. Since the remodel, I have taken lots of photos in the new kitchen. It is so bright and beautiful now.”
Stepping out of the shadow
“As soon as we bought this house, my husband Kirk and I both said we wanted the kitchen to be our first renovation project,” Katey remembers. “Here we are 17 years later.”
It’s not an uncommon storyline. Children are born, mechanical and structural projects take priority, and then one morning you wake up and realize you’ve just lived with it for the last night.
The Haines family, which has grown to include daughters Dylan, 17, and Drew, 9, and son Davis, 15, reached out to the team at Dave Fox Design-Build Remodelers to help them tackle this decade-in-the-making project. Katey partnered with designers Steve Dempsey and Michelle Mixter. Together they helped bring the Haines’ kitchen out of the shadows of the late 80s and into the aesthetic of 2022.
“Katey and Kirk wanted a space that was warm and welcoming for their family,” Mixter says. “While the old kitchen was relatively functional, it was dated. There was so much more potential to expand the space and take advantage of the gorgeous views of their back yard. “Katey was amazing to work with because she trusted our expertise. She relied on us to guide her on the design elements.
Details make the difference
One of Katey’s biggest concerns with taking on this renovation was making sure the new kitchen looked like it belonged in her home. “Our house is an older build,” Katey says. “The hard part was making sure this kitchen didn’t look too new.”
To blend the old with the new, the designer placed two open shelves above the bar area. “There are so many cabinets and appliances in the space, we felt it was important to create an area of negative space,” Mixter explains. “It brings an element of personality to the kitchen and does a nice job of tying in with the existing design of the home.”
The new oak flooring in the kitchen was stained to match the existing flooring on the main level of the home. This small design decision made huge strides to connect the kitchen to the rest of the house where the oak trim, doors and floor were untouched. The kitchen floors were stained to match them precisely.
The bourbon bar area, located next to the Sub-Zero refrigerator, is Kirk’s favorite part of the kitchen.
“The beverage fridge and icemaker under the bar were last-minute decisions, and we use them all the time,” Katey explains of the appliances that rounded out the bar nook.
Working in the zones
The original kitchen had one, big, angled island that, “you kind of got trapped behind,” Katey describes. “I knew we wanted to keep some sort of island, and when we knocked down that wall (between the refrigerator and range) we knew there would be a big area where we could put a second island. I always wanted an island that could double as a bar area with stools, so I think that is my favorite element of the new space.”
The kids enjoy sitting at the island to do homework after school or hanging out while Katey cooks dinner using her second, functional island where the farmhouse sink is located conveniently between the range and oven. It also comes in handy when the family entertains.
The layout is Mixter’s favorite element of the space. “It is a really unique play on a two-island kitchen,” she explains. “We couldn’t focus on the traditional working triangle design in this space. Instead, we created working zones. The range wall is the cooking zone, the first island with the sink and dishwasher is the prep zone, and the second island with seating is the living zone.”
Dealing with delays
Just like everyone else in the world, Katey and Kirk experienced delays due to COVID-19. The biggest holdup was with appliances, but the team at Dave Fox Design-Build Remodelers came to the rescue.
“The kitchen was almost done, but our range was on extreme back order,” Katey remembers. “The Dave Fox team gave us a loaner range to use for a few months so we could get into our kitchen and use the space 100 percent. That is the customer service you get when you work with them.”
Double vision
Betsy, who lives in North Carolina, got to see the kitchen before the range was installed but hasn’t seen the space since completion. Katey is excited to show the space to her identical twin. Maybe Katey’s kitchen will serve as a backdrop for the duo’s next photo shoot where their kids will most likely be serving as their photographers.
In previous issues of Housetrends, we shared the “before” and “during” phases of this kitchen remodel. Learn more of the design process and see several photos of the original space at housetrends.com or on Instagram @davefoxdesignbuild and @twopeasinablog.
RESOURCES
Contractor Dave Fox Design-Build Remodelers, Interior design manager: Michelle Mixter, CKBD, Allied ASID; Design consultant: Steve Dempsey; Countertops Cambria from Midwest Quartz: Colton on islands and range wall: Charlestown in matte on bar; Cabinets Blair from Omega Cabinetry: Pearl on range wall; Mitten on islands; Meteor on pantry wall; Appliances range, speed oven/microwave: Wolf; refrigerator, ice maker, beverage fridge: Sub-Zero; Backsplash tile Sonoma Tilemakers Astoria from Hamilton Parker; Pendant light Crystorama Fulton; Farmhouse sink Signature Hardware Grigham from Ferguson; Faucet Kohler Bellera from Ferguson; Bar wallpaper Arthouse Reflections; Hardware Top Knobs Exeter in honey bronze for perimeter, ash gray for island
Article by Sarah J. Dills | Photos by Paul Miller (unless otherwise noted)
Article originally appeared in May 2022