The Kitchen
At Home with the Hastys - The Kitchen
The Backstory
New to Hasty Book List? Read about the fire that prompted this home renovation, here.
The Inspiration
Check out this post for more information on what inspired this kitchen re-design.
The moment we knew we really wanted to become fiction authors happened at my kitchen table. On a lark, I said to Wendy, “What if we just try to have some real fun with this and make up a story?” And Wendy, never one to shy away from a challenge, responded without a moment’s hesitation: “Sure, why not?” - Tracy Dobmeier, co-author of Girls With Bright Futures
At Home with the Hastys - The Kitchen
The Goal
If you know me personally, you know I am not the cook in the family. So when it came to designing the kitchen, Eric took the lead. I chose the color of the cabinets and the backsplash, we worked together on the lighting, chairs, and countertops. Everything else was Eric, including the appliances and the special cabinet features. I do not love to cook. But during the pandemic, I found that cooking together can be really fun. Eric enjoys the prep work (primarily chopping) and I enjoy pushing things around as they cook on the stove. We make a good team.
Hardback, Paperback, E-book, or Audiobook? Paperback and audiobook. I am usually reading two books at once. I keep a stack of paperbacks by my bed and a book on audio to listen to on commutes and while cleaning the kitchen. - Tamara Winfrey-Harris, author of Dear Black Girl
The Appliances
All of our kitchen appliances needed to be replaced. This probably comes as no surprise since the fire started in the kitchen below our unit, and worked its way up to the top floor. The most damaged areas were the kitchen and a bathroom right next to it. I was eager to choose new appliances, especially an oven, because I wanted a brand-new, super-safe oven. Did you know that if a fire is caused by an oven older than ten years firefighters more or less shrug it off without further investigation because, and I’m paraphrasing here, “yeah, old ovens catch fire.” Our oven was circa 2006, I think. I’m honestly not sure. It looked better than the ovens we’d had in rental apartments...so I saw it as an upgrade. I’m getting off track. The goal was also to find a local business to support with great customer service and knowledgeable sales associates. Abt delivered just that!
We worked with Kelley. She was friendly but not pushy. If she didn’t already know the answer to our question, she asked someone who did. She steered us away from spending too much money on higher-end models that were unnecessarily costly, but told us when we should spend a bit more to avoid appliances that are known to break easily. Most importantly, she cautioned to never use the self-cleaning cycle on an oven...which, of course, we already knew. But we were pleased that there was someone else out in the world delivering this PSA!
The Cooktop
Since our oven is built-in to the wall, we just need a cooktop. During the pandemic, my husband and I have improved our cooking skills tremendously. This cooktop features 5 burners (I think I’ve only ever used two at a time...but imagine, now I can use five!) The knobs are illuminated in blue light when the cooktop is on, so it is very clear when the stove is hot. In addition, and this is my favorite feature, it has wifi connectivity so I can always double, triple, quadruple check that the stove is off even when I’m away from home (not that I’ve been anxious about that…but…)
The Hood
I know virtually nothing about range wall hoods. So for me, it came down to aesthetics. I wanted it to look sleek without any buttons and screens on the front. I like them tucked away under the canopy. That was my only criteria. For Eric, it came down to CFMs which I think essentially translates to how powerful it is. This hood must have passed the test, because it is the one we got.
The Refrigerator
We had super-strict width requirements (only 30 inches…which we actually had widened to about 33 inches) because of the way our kitchen is laid out. That limited us quite a bit. But we were unwilling to compromise on quality drawers. We went through all the major brands at Abt and tested the drawers, until we found one that felt smooth and durable. We use the refrigerator more than any other appliance, opening and closing it multiple times a day. We wanted something that was easy to use, could hold as much as possible (give our restraints) and was well-organized.
Microwave and Oven Combo
Besides the fact that it is a brand-new oven and automatically safer than our “older than ten years” oven, I love that the interior of this oven is blue. Not that the blue interior was a deciding factor, it is just a nice little bonus. We already had a built-in microwave combination oven prior to the fire, it was one of the selling points of the condo because my husband is tall and apparently tall people don’t like to bend over? He says it is harder for tall people to get to the ground. At 5’4” I’ll have to take his word for it.
Beverage Center
This was a new addition to the kitchen. Because our refrigerator is so small, we felt adding a beverage center would open up a lot of space for other food items. This beverage center holds 16 bottles of wine and 54 cans.
The Dishwasher
This is when the expertise of a knowledgeable Abt sales associate comes in handy. We would have just purchased everything from a single brand, but she informed us that for virtually the same amount of money we could get a significantly better dishwasher. And since it is a really clean look without any logos on the front, it coordinates well with the other appliances. No one will notice it isn’t part of the set. My favorite part about this dishwasher is that the door will automatically pop open when it is done to release excess steam for drier dishes. AND it is super quiet...they claim to be the quietest dishwasher brand in the US.
A special shout-out to Kelley for all of her help picking out appliances, answering our questions, and finding us amazing deals! If you’re shopping for appliances in the Chicagoland area, be sure to stop by Abt and tell them I sent you!
At Home with the Hastys - The Kitchen
The Details
The Stools
We love these stools so much. They are the Lenox Upholstered Counter Stool from West Elm in Mineral Gray Distressed Velvet with Blackened Brass. We eat breakfast on these stools every morning and I sit here while I read the recipe and Eric cooks.
Lighting
These pendants match the flushmounts we chose for the front and back entryways. I’ve mentioned this several times before, but we seized any opportunity to reduce the number of decisions we had to make. I love the size and simplicity of these globes, which remind me a bit of a classic diner.
The Sink
Okay, I knew nothing about kitchen sinks before the fire. I honestly never really thought much about them because you get what you get when you live in an apartment. So my husband and I spent a few weeks researching our options.
This sink is made of Silgranit, which is 80% natural granite mixed with a high quality acrylic...which doesn’t mean a whole lot to me. What does mean a lot to me is that it is a heat, scratch, and stain resistant material and easy to clean...now you’re speaking my language. We opted for Anthracite (a matte black) to go with our cabinet pulls and light fixtures, but it comes in a variety of colors including white, several shades of grey, brown, and tan.
The sinks are made in North America and come with a lifetime warranty.
The Faucet
In a previous post I shared a different faucet. A faucet Eric LOVED and was unwilling to compromise on. Well, we had to compromise when we realized our contractor made a mistake measuring the height. Although this faucet wasn’t our first choice, we like how it nearly disappears into the tile, making the area look more minimialist.
Glass Rinser
Was it necessary? No. Do we have fun rinsing our glasses? Everyday.
Hand Soap and Lotion
I have this hand soap in lotion at every sink in the house. It is the best: smells good and doesn’t try out your hands.
Tha Cabinets
I posted about cabinet materials, pulls, and the countertop in this post about the kitchen design inspiration. But I wanted to show you some of the details and special features of our cabinets here. For the silverware drawer, we opted for a built-in double-drawer organizer (picture 1). We added on a half-size pull-out pantry primarily to hold cooking oils and other similar products. This has been so handy to have these cooking essentials right next to the cooktop. They would otherwise be stored in the pantry which is located across the room. Beneath the cooktop we added these drawer organizers to store any utensil we would use with our pots and pans (I.e. nothing metal that could scratch a non-stick pan. See picture 3.) In another drawer located in the island, we store the rest of our metal utensils and other odds and ends that we use for food prep. We used this same drawer organizer as well as some fo these to fill in the extra space (picture 4.)
At Home with the Hastys - The Kitchen
Bonus: 5 Cookbooks to Help Break in Your New Kitchen Appliances:
French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian
Old World Italian: Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy: A Cookbook
The Full Plate: Flavor-Filled, Easy Recipes for Families with No Time and a Lot to Do
Just Feed Me: Simply Delicious Recipes from My Heart to Your Plate
