Redoing A Kitchen For A Family of 6
No matter how hard you might try, the kitchen always ends up being the most used room in the house. After Christine Andrew, of Hello Fashion Blog, and her family moved into their new home, the kitchen needed some work for their growing family. Taking inspiration from their California surroundings, the end result is an ideal space for just about anyone! We chatted with Christine to learn all about her vision when it came to the project!
Tell us a little about yourself and your business?
I started Hello Fashion in 2011 as a means to connect with “the everyday woman” in a relatable, accessible manner over all things fashion, beauty, travel, and more. My blog has expanded to include moments of my mom life, couple’s style with my husband Cody, and most recently our home building and decor experience as we just moved into our first home.
What’s a typical work day for you like?
Balancing mom life and working from home, the 9 to 5 schedule goes out the window. When I have a lot of going on for work, I am usually up by 6:30 to get stuff done before the kids wake up. Now that I’m pregnant, sometimes that doesn’t happen, but it’s always the goal. :) Now that it’s summer and there isn’t a set schedule with the kids, no 2 days are the same. During the day, I’ll typically have a few shoots or meetings, and then after the kids go to bed I try to wrap up everything else that has stacked up on my plate throughout the day. We have someone that helps watch the kids a couple days a week and then other days kids are with me while I work.
Take us through your kitchen, what was your vision when designing the space?
I went back and forth between doing color and keeping it white. We really wanted it to feel open, warm, and welcoming. We have 3 kids (soon to be 4!) so we wanted to keep it kid-friendly and casual. We also wanted our house to have a European meets California costal feel, with mixed metals, natural wood elements with white quartz countertops.
What was the most important thing when it came to the design?
I don’t know about most important, but the elements I was most excited for were open shelves, our Italian oven, and a farmhouse sink that overlooked the view of the city below.
Are you a big cook? What are your kitchen must haves?
I am definitely more of a baker than a cook, but when we moved into our house I made a goal to cook more and now that I have more space, I am more comfortable cooking and enjoy it more. The kids are also at an age where they like to help in the kitchen, so it makes it more fun when we can do it together. My cooking must-haves: salt and garlic!
What is your favorite thing about the space?
I love the sink with the view of the city. Now that I can do dishes with a sunset view, I don’t know if I can ever go back!
What, if any, were some of the challenges with bringing your vision to life?
One of our challenges over all was envisioning how everything would piece together. I am such a hands-on, visual person so it was really hard for me to picture the end result without actually walking through the space or seeing the vision before it came to life. We used a designer (@erinhansendesign) and she really helped so much making sure everything flowed! When they first put our countertops in, I thought the color was too gray and was convinced we had to pick out new countertops, but once we got the walls and cabinets painted, I was obsessed with the full effect. You don’t realize how much all of the pieces can play off each other until they are all installed and now the countertops are one of my favorite parts of the kitchen.
What are your favorite places to shop for kitchen pieces? (decor or cookware)
Mcgee & Co - they have that perfect California costal vibe that we love and we got a lot of our kitchen decor from there. I also love Crate and Barrel and you can never go wrong with Target. Wayfair is also a lifesaver with their fast shipping. And I can’t forget Anthropolgie!
What’s on your home ‘wish list’ right now?
Keeping my house clean, ;) On a more realistic note, we have a lot of glassware but all we need to complete the set are cute tumblers that are both kid and family friendly. I’m also on the lookout for a new silverware set - somehow we lost half our utensils in the move!
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone embarking on a project like this?
Having a designer was a huge help to us since she could visualize the end results better than we ever could have! If that’s not in your budget, take the time to put together a mood board. You can paste all your finishes and decor inspiration into Photoshop or, if you aren’t digitally inclined, print every piece out and add it to a pin board. It’s also important to have a clear budget in mind and prioritize what’s most important to you. Start with the items that you can’t live without first to see where they fall in the budget and go from there. That way you are spending on those items that are most important to you so when you have to compromise due to budget, it’s on those items that are further down your priority list. If you are building a space with a significant other, ask what their must-haves are. Even though I made most of the decisions and was the biggest voice in the process, I really wanted to make sure I included Cody’s priorities as well.
One thing I wish we had done different - think ahead! Even though we knew we wanted to have another baby, we weren’t pregnant at the time of building so there are little things like having space for only 3 bar stools instead of 4 that you don’t think of until too late. Definitely plan ahead and make sure it’s a space that will fit you and your family perfectly for years to come. But overall I am so excited how the space turned out and can’t wait to make lots of memories here!
Photography: Lucy Call | Interior Design: Erin Hansen Design | Interior Design: Studio McGee