Over the years, I’ve gotten a lot of requests to do a kitchen and pantry tour. I understand the appeal–I love peeking into people’s kitchens too. It can feel like you’re seeing the inside layer of who they are, and in this case, I can assure you that’s true. This kitchen’s been through a lot. When we first moved in, and for years afterward, it was a tiny, mostly metallic hallway with no lights and a bar sink. Then we made the house bigger to make space for my mother, stepfather, and sister. While we all worked on the house, we moved into a temporary kitchen in what is now my stepfather’s office and a smaller kitchen for my parents and sister. That’s where I wrote and tested my first book. We moved back into this new kitchen in 2011, and I’ve been pretty much living in this room ever since.
This is what you see when you walk in from the mudroom. It’s all one big room, and you can see the corner of our little table. We have a long desk in the basement that we pull up for parties so we can seat more people. The counters in the kitchen are a combination of butcher block and recycled chalkboard from an old school. There’s one little square of recycled marble in the island, and the lower cabinet faces are wormy maple. The wall color, one of my favorite aspects of the kitchen, is a bright poppy orange.
The open side of the island holds the pots I like to look at, as well as two baskets. The lower basket holds cloth napkins, and the upper holds dishtowels.
All of the upper cabinets are open shelves, and the lower cabinets are drawers. In the island next to the stove, there are three drawers. The first holds tools.
The second is the spice drawer. All spices are in 1/2-cup or low 1-cup mason jars, each with a lid painted with chalkboard paint (that’s all Joey). Ideally the jars would be alphabetized, but usually they’re not.
Below those are two drawers where I keep storage containers and tupperware. (They’re a mess, and I’ll keep them to myself, thank you!) Just above those drawers is a big butcher block where I do most of my chopping. The knives all live in an opening in the butcher block. Beyond them are spoons and spatulas.
Right under the stovetop are two open faced drawers where I keep pots and pans and lids.
Our cooktop is induction, and there’s a hood above it that also holds a hanging rack for tools. Just opposite the cooktop is the marble slab which sits a bit lower than the rest of the island. We made it lower so I could roll out crusts and knead dough comfortably, but it’s also where the girls like to work. On the side of the island are these bars to hold potholders, unwieldy but pretty wooden boards, and best of all–lunch boxes. And then of course, there’s my favorite place in the kitchen: the couch. It’s maybe 15 years old, from Ikea, and has no business still being alive. But it fits perfectly. And since it’s already covered in stains, we can eat anything we want on it.
If you’re standing at the stove and looking out into the room, this is what you see. That’s the fridge there on the left of this picture, so it’s directly behind you if you’re standing at the big butcher block.
Turn the other way, and there is the sink.
The sink itself is deep and cast iron. That bowl is for compost, and we use both the lower wooden rack and the upper metal rack to dry dishes. The dishwasher is right there below my beloved KitchenAid and food processor. And yes, those are the books.
This is about half of my cookbooks. The rest are scattered around the house. I organize them by color, because, odd as it may seem, it makes sense to me. Most of the time, this shelf is half empty and the couch is covered in cookbooks.
Turn the corner, and there are more open shelves for dishes and glasses.
I love the open shelving. I know some people don’t want everything out in the open, but honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I keep my all-purpose flour in a massive jar on the counter, and the rest of the flours in the pantry. That blue tray holds everything for coffee and tea, which seems to minimize those things filling and migrating across the counter. They always did before the blue tray.
Below this counter are two ovens. Are the two ovens worth it? For the year when both ovens worked, it was bliss. As soon as the warranty ended, one of the ovens stopped holding its heat, and I spent nearly as much trying to get it fixed as I would have to buy a new oven. I gave up, and now I use one oven for storing all my baking dishes. But yes, two ovens are worth it. And in the corner between the ovens and the sink is a lazy susan that holds appliances with nowhere else to go like the crockpot, popcorn popper, and tortilla press.
Now let’s flip back around to the pantry and baking area. Right next to the books is my cork board. (Again, all Joey.) I hang my measuring cups and spoons on it, and I try to make sure they’re always there. I don’t even put them in the dishwasher, as I’ve been known to tear the entire kitchen apart because WHERE THE %$#@ ARE MY MEASURING SPOONS. There are also more tools, and a constantly rotating supply of kids’ art and postcards from people I love. Also tucked in there below the books is a little stereo, which might just be the most important tool in the kitchen.
Keep going, and you’re at the pantry. The outside of the doors are chalkboard paint, which we thought would be super useful for shopping lists and meal plans. But everyone keeps insisting on covering with art instead. (I’ll pull back for the wide view again, just so you can get your bearings.)
The pantry is filled with metro shelves. I have all sorts of dreams of fancy Pinterest-worthy labels, but cardboard, sharpie, and masking tape seem to do the trick. I put everything I can into glass jars, often labeled with washi tape or post-its. The bottom shelf holds baskets for garlic, onions, and potatoes. I have a shelf in the basement where I keep a lot more of my canned goods. I also buy most of my flours and grains in bulk, and those big bags are all in the chest freezer. I’ll do a second post with a tour of the fridge and freezer. (Just give me some time to scrub those fridge shelves…)
If you’re standing at the pantry, your also right on the side of the marble section of the island. Stand at the marble, and your back is to the couch. There’s a second smaller sink in the island, also absolutely worth it if you’ve got a lot of people in the kitchen.
Just below the marble are the 2 drawers that hold my baking tools. (Also the chalk, so Rosie’s always rummaging around in this drawer and making art projects out of my cupcake liners.)
The second is more of the same, plus a whole lot of cheesecloth and cookie cutters. The third. which is twice as deep, holds pie, cake, and bread pans.
If you’re pulling out these drawers, you’re so close to the couch that you may as well just sit down on it. Next to the couch is the door to outside, where Artie and the lemon tree wait patiently for the summer to return.
And that’s my kitchen. It’s nice having you visit, although it feels strange not to be able to actually feed you. We’ll have to figure that one out for next time. Feel free to ask any questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them. And stay tuned for Part 2 on the fridge and freezers, coming up in the next month or so.
Occasionally I teach workshops, and I have one coming up this fall. Join me and stellar novelist 
So many good ideas! And so warm and inviting. We have been renting for years so I have lots of ideas of what I don’t want in my someday kitchen and some ideas of what I do want. Yours is lovely! Thanks for sharing.
I love closing my eyes and seeing you and your family in this beautiful, colorful space. It’s such a natural fit.
I like how everything is so open, so the vibrancy of the books and pots and pans and the dishware are all on full display. Too many kitchens hide this stuff away, and they add so much character.
And that poppy wall color!
So glad to have you here, Cheryl, even if only in your mind. xo
What a wonderful kitchen! So pretty and very functional. And comfortable. I love the spice container/lid idea…might have to borrow that. I have been looking for a good way to organize that for ages.
Oh, yes- take it! It’s worked so well over here- something about seeing them all from above.
I love your kitchen so much. We used to have a matching blue couch in our dining room, served a very similar purpose (plus it worked really well for nursing babies — mine and for visitors!). I miss it but it was soooo worn out, it had to go. I love love love the light in your kitchen, too. Must be such a pleasure to work there. You do so well with maximizing space, and now when I ever get to come cook with you I will know where things are! 🙂
Fun tour! Earlier today, I made the toaster pastries out of Homemade Pantry. When I whirred together my pastry dough, I actually said out loud, “I love you, Alana Chernila.” That was the best, easiest and funnest pastry dough I’ve ever made. I finally have my go-to pastry dough—thanks!
🙂
Lovely! I love the idea of having a couch so close to the kitchen, to make even those that aren’t cooking feel welcome. Your setup looks like the perfect balance of beauty and practicality.
I read somewhere that a woman has 4 kitchens. . . her past, present, future and her dream kitchen.
Looks like you have them all!
We have the same salt pig! and I have my flour like yours!
and I love your chalkboards!
our cabinets were pulled from a chemistry lab before the school got remodeled. er. plowed down and rebuilt, i mean.
thank you for the tour. can we meet for coffee on the blue couch? I’m just a few hundred miles away. 😀
the light is beautiful in there. do you like your stove? i was surprised, i thought you’d have gas.
I’m sorry about your oven. maybe someone will call the wolf reps and get one of their ovens in there… 😀
we have a drawer dishwasher that is one of my favorite things. they make two of those too, and though i have one, i can see how two would be v useful when lots of cooking is happening for lots of folks.
happy end of january.
sam
Absolutely on the coffee date. 🙂 And yes, we went back and forth a lot between induction and gas, and we settled on induction mostly because some people have health issues when living with gas stoves and my mother is super sensitive. It’s responsive in a similar way to gas, and for the most part, I really like it. Sometimes I miss a an old-fashioned dial and a flame, though. This one involves a bunch of touch screen beeping- it’s just not quite the same.
I was procrastinating cooking dinner ( which is what I’m doing 75% of the time I read your blog) But seeing other people’s workspaces always gets me moving! The husband thanks you for this post 😉
I love this post and I loved seeing your kitchen, thank you for sharing it! Lots of love happens there, I can tell.
Thank you so much for opening your kitchen to us. I LOVE kitchen tours! Yours is awesome. I also store so much of my stuff in jars, looks prettier that way. I hadn’t thought of buying in bulk for flours and storing in the freezer. Do you fill plastic bags full at your whole foods store or do you buy from some place like Amazon?
Thanks again for the tour. Looking forward to the freezer/fridge tour 🙂
Lisa, we have a local coop and I actually buy through them. Do you have a coop where you are? Usually, there’s some sort of option for a “buying club” and you can order big bags of things like rice, oats, and flour at a discount. If I don’t want quite that much, I’ll buy in bulk from the bins at the store. I only tend to mail order things that I just can’t find here.
Thanks for the info! Yes, we have a local co-op, but I never thought of buying big bags. I will check with them the next time I’m out there to see if they offer that option. I am beginning to use a lot of spelt and oats these days and it would be nice to have it on hand.
Your kitchen is awesome! I have a large island like you but not so many cool drawers and shelves in it as yours has 🙂 Maybe someday!
I have a random question about your fig bar recipe- why on earth do they soften so perfectly after the first day!? They are AWESOME, and I know you note in your cookbook that they have a little crunch right away but will soften, and I thought that seemed weird because any other cookie I make seems to be the opposite…but it’s true! Love, love your cookbook- I am picky about what cookbooks I keep around, and yours will be here forever!
Oh, the fig bars! I was just mulling this question over, as I’m working on a nutrigrain bar for my next book and wanted to find that same softness with a dough that was a bit simpler. I don’t have a scientific answer, but I think it’s the shortening that causes it to soften on the second day, paired with the moisture of the figs seeping into the dough. I’m so glad they’ve been a hit, and that you’re enjoying the book, too.
Thanks for responding!! Be sure to keep my email in case you need a reviewer of your new book! 😉
I loved the tour. Thank you for sharing! The center island, I am sure< is custom made? and it is so functional. A lot of great ideas, too. i love to have the kitchen with open cabinet, chalk board, and the custom made center island one day!!
Yes, Tomoko, it’s custom made to fit the space! It was definitely worth it, as it serves so many uses now.
Opening one’s kitchen is like opening one’s heart. If I didn’t know that you had a beautiful heart by reading your words, I would know now. 🙂
🙂
I actually excitedly just pointed out to my husband, “Look! There are dedicated baking and cooking spaces! And check out that rack above the sink for dishes to dry on!” Totally pinning this to steal ideas from some day in the future. What is the countertop you used around the sink? I am in search of opinions regarding durable countertops that aren’t insanely expensive, dent/scratch resistant, and aren’t incredibly high maintenance. Thank you so much for taking the effort to clean it all up and photograph it so that we could take a tour!
Michelle, that’s all recycled chalkboard, and I LOVE living with it. It’s not expensive, but it’s a bit hard to find. What state do you live in? If you’re nearby (I’m in MA), my friend Adam is quite a resource when it comes to recycled chalkboard. Or he might have some ideas as to where you should go to find it.
Wow! I’m sorry, I realized I misread your piece. I thought the pantry doors were the recycled chalkboard, and now realize you were describing the counters. So sorry to make you answer a question that was clearly stated 🙂
I’m in PA, sadly, but I live near a very cool retailer that exclusively deals in discarded construction materials, so I’m sure to have a source there. Now, if only there was more money in the ol’ bank account so we could buy a house sooner than later…
Ah yes- the pantry doors are just painted with chalkboard paint. But I think you should probably be able to find the slate at your source, too. (And good luck! Maybe the right place is just taking its time until your ready 🙂 )
thou shalt not covet … thou shalt not covet … thou shalt not c…
oh heck, I WANT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
man, what i wouldn’t do for half that counter space, half those drawers!!! although, if anyone’s gonna get ’em? i am so, so glad it is you.
well, well done, my friend. clearly, a kitchen with much thought (and heart [and soul]) behind it.
but still, any extra drawers? send ’em my way 🙂
xo,
molly
I’ll send you a few drawers and bit of extra counter space- think the post office will ship? 🙂
thanks alana for sharing! love seeing what works for other folks. wish i could come over for a cup of your chai and hear more about it in person!
any time, Kat 🙂
oh, this is NICE. So much more interesting to me than most kitchens I see online. I can tell yours was thoughtfully arranged and it’s used hard. Thanks for the thorough tour! Maybe I’ll do this, too. . . . hmmm
Thank you SO much for sharing. I have, for ages now, peered past whatever was “supposed” to be featured in your pictures and tried looking at your kitchen. 😉
Also, since I went back and read the archives (in order, obvs) I watched that room transitioning.
Question. I have many of the same jars for storage, but I’ve scoured the city trying to find those big ones with the white metal lids (you have “grains” and what looks like popcorn, in yours). Any tips? All of the restaurant folks I’ve talked to (annoyed and pestered) say that now their supplies come in plastic.
Julie, those are actually olive jars. I have a friend who made tapenade for the farmers’ market, and she was always trying to unload the jars. So maybe target a Greek restaurant or somewhere you know might be buying a LOT of olives? There are also lots of good sizes of jars at Fillmore container, although the shipping’s a killer. But take a look there, too: http://www.fillmorecontainer.com (so glad you liked the tour- happy to have you here!)
i loved seeing your kitchen tour! it is so warm, and oh the cookbooks! there is something about your writing – in your blog and book both – that makes me feel like we are friends. i have to remind myself that i haven’t actually met you. thanks for sharing.
Oh, thank you, Pamela. 🙂
Geez. I love my kitchen dearly and we have a wonderful & steady relationship, but after seeing yours, I may have to leave mine in the dust while I hightail it straight to the loving embrace of yours!
Just viewed your tour and loved it. A kitchen really is the heart of a home. I wondered about the artwork on the wall by the dining table. All those squares of bright color. Do tell.
I was wondering if anyone would catch that- that’s our map! Last year for our 10th anniversary, Joey sent little tiles out to all our friends with a light mark of a map. They each made tiles and sent them back, and then it was up on the wall as a surprise for me. It really is wonderful- I’ve been thinking of trying to finally do a post on it- mostly to have the opportunity to photograph it.
Oh you must do a post, that would give us all (me) a closer look. And what an original idea for your anniversary. Quite the romantic.
Thank you for your kitchen tour! It’s always fun to see what other folks do with the space they have. And I love the open storage – I hope to have some at some point! Ours is a little galley kitchen with the laundry room at the end. I had a W/D hookup installed in the garage a few years ago and used that space as an office. My office is now in the extra bedroom, and the former laundry is a dedicated pantry. I have two HUGE rolling shelves for pantry items and appliances, and then a corner rack for pots, pans and bakeware. That area alone has transformed my kitchen into an area that’s a joy to use now. You’ve given me lots of other ideas, though. Again, thanks for sharing!
This makes me so happy. You have the perfect kitchen!
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HI! I’m late to this post, but love your pantry and wanted to thank you for sharing. I also use a lot of canning jars for storage, but have been looking for jars like the one to the right of you big jar with the popcorn. It’s been difficult to find jars like that with a lid with a gasket/seal. I’ve only found them with the glass lid that just sits on the top. Where ever did you find it?
Thank you, Anne! And it’s true- I found those ages ago, maybe at Goodwill? And I’ve never been able to find them again. But if I do, I promise I’ll come back to this post and let you know.
Just found your blog Alana , a truely beautiful functioning kitchen, it shows a big personality and a bigger heart, love it!
Thank you, and welcome!