via milas-deli on Pinterest
I've been fortunate to work on many unique creative projects and events over the years. So when a client whose house I've been working on over the past couple years recently started a cookie business and mentioned that she needed help creating a dedicated kitchen in said house, I was all in!
The challenge of course is creating something that is functional, safe, adheres to state codes, and (duh) looks good. And something that works for her growing business now and in the future until she's able to move into a commercial kitchen. Our first decision was where the kitchen would go. The initial thought was that we'd build it out in the dining area of their large open kitchen (there's a separate dining room) - see below from back in 2022. It would allow her to use the existing double ovens and be close to a water source etc.
But...the ovens are old & need to be replaced and she's limited by their size (the ideal is a commercial convection oven). She's also got 2 young kids and this is the heart of their home (I took the above picture from the primary living space) so even with all the creative ideas I had brewing, it wouldn't be the most functional or attractive. Plus she's found herself needing to prep/bake/package/ship more and more (a good problem to have!) so we nixed this location.
And what we landed on is a bit unusual but perfect for this unusual situation: a formal living room off the foyer that we thought about maybe turning into a den/adult entertaining space at some point. But it's completely unused at this point and offers a good amount of space to build out what we need.
shortly after moving in 2022
The columns needed to go before this project; now we have an excuse to finally move forward. Thankfully they're not load-bearing so the plan is to remove them and put in french doors so the room can be closed off and not visible from the rest of the house. The idea is to add a fun fabric to the inside on swing arm rods to offer flexibility for what she wants to show or not show on a given day.
Like any design project, the scope has grown over just the past few months, with her ideally wanting as many commercial appliances as possible. I've been able to help on that front in a non-designer kind of way...my family's business Boston Showcase Company is a 100+ year old specialist in foodservice design, equipment, tabletop and more. My brother recommended convection oven options and a mixer that would work well for her needs, keeping in mind that commercial appliances tend to be loud, hot, and often have specific power and/or venting requirements. We updated the electrical (and added additional recessed lighting - we'll incorporate some decorative lamps or sconces) and rewired so that the whole room has its own breakers. She doesn't need a water source but we did add a fridge and freezer to our list.
All the appliances were delivered in the past couple weeks so we've been able to finalize the layout of the room, along with most of our storage pieces. You can see below there are windows, a fireplace, angled walls, jut-outs and more to contend with but my client has a good feel for how she's going to utilize each area and we're both feeling really good about the overall flow of the room!
More to come on specific products & organizational plans but lastly, since there is no good reason NOT to have fun with this space, we're going to paint the entire room pink, keeping in line with the business branding. Looking at one of the Benjamin Moore colors below...from left: Valentine's Day, Spring Azalea, Pretty Pink and Rhododendron.
Until then...
Emily
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mStarr design studio is an interdisciplinary studio providing bespoke interior decorating & content creation services, and handmade interior accessories. We inspire others to embrace real life & slow design intended to evolve. We’d love to work with you!
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