Where it all happens
By Katherine and Greg
This one is for Holly, who keeps asking to see our kitchen. When Katherine’s parents saw the color scheme we’d chosen, they promptly gave us John Deere dish towels. A friend made our curtains. We love Ball jars and have a chronic Tupperware shortage. What do we love about our kitchen? All the counter space. What do we hate? The counters and not having a gas range.
Like a lot of things I made the table from junk on the curb
This is our favorite place for date night. Greg took the photos lining the wall on our honeymoon in Venice in 2003.
This recent addition is more stylish than the old shelf that used to hold the cookbooks
We picked up this sideboard at a charity consignment shop. Greg removed the middle shelf and swapped out the hardware, which is pretty evident from the rings behind the pulls. Distress is good. The wooden tray on top is the till from Katherine’s grandparent’s old store in Springfield, Tennessee. Look close, the outhouse salt and pepper shakers are a gift for her parents. No one spoil the surprise.
The best bar in town
Another vintage find, Greg used his winning smile and a cash-money offer to talk the sales guy into letting these stools go for a Franklin. The KitchenAid is a Christmas gift from his parents.
There is some sort of organization here I think
Ever see those advice columns on what “luxury” items aren’t worth the money? Name-brand pans are usually on the list. Ignore them. We scrimped and saved to buy a pan a month off our registry after we got married.
Who put those peaches there?
The spice rack was a wedding present to Katherine’s parents. They gave it to her when she moved away. (We actually have a spice cabinet, but like this out too.) Katherine gave me the chopping block one Christmas.
Bonus to anyone who can guess what Katherine likes to collect
What were we making this particular Sunday? Cherry and peach bruschetta and dog treats. (The recipe’s coming.)
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide 
LOVE the green kitchen! Green is one of my favorite colors. My kitchen is all red…I wanted to step outside my comfort zone. This is a beauty of a kitchen. I can’t wait till I live somewhere more permanent and get a chance to create an ENTIRE kitchen from scratch (apartment living doesn’t really let me do that to the extent I’d like). Also, I remember Katherine’s rooster collection from a previous post–her teapot certainly is adorable!
Thanks, Erin. We’re not big on nicknacks so Katherine tries to have roosters on functional things, for the most part. Her mom once got one of her sisters a rooster something or other. Got the girls confused!
Adorable kitchen! Amen to bad counters and electric stovetops…I HATE mine (actually, hate doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about my awful coils…yes coils. Argh). I agree on the quality cookware, I had cheap for years and will never go back after gettin all clad d5 for our wedding. Even on the crappy stove, they cook like a dream ( when the coil temp doesn’t freak out). I think I need to post some pics now 😉
Seriously though, nice work on the kitchen, it looks like a wonderful place to spend time!
Katherine hates even seeing the counters, even a glimpse, in any picture I take. As for the stove, at least it’s a glass top. It’s easier to clean, but not as easy as you’d think.
I fracking HATE my glass top stove. I’d rather have coils. At least you can clean that stove top. The glass top (smooth all around)never gets clean-even with the fancy cleaner and scrubbers and and and… My kitchen is configured that I have to have a JenAir stove with a down draft-so sadly when I replace this POC I have to get another one. However, I will be going back to coils. I could get gas, but that would be some major coin in piping it in. Funny though, I love the oven. But, I use the oven about 1/3 as much as the stove top.
I know. It looks clean but you can never get the streaks out!
A virtual tour. Very cool. Just a glimpse of Venice. Your blog is superior to any cooking show on TV! Just today a colleague said that now she is addicted to your blog too. Keep up the excellent posting and photographing. I can now envision your kitchen when I read your posts. Thanks to Holly for the excellent idea. And I know it is Roosters. (once someone asked what roosters say in different parts of the world)
Thanks, Ruth. You are going to give me a big head! I’m tickled one of your colleagues reads the blog.
a) Katherine likes to collect Rooster things! 😀
b) A retro sort of looking kitchen is the last thing I imagined your kitchen to look like – it’s AMAZING!
c) I am fascinated at the handiwork put into making that table.
d) That peach is officially mine now.
e) Scanning kitchen left to right, you notice something that stands out – that looks like it’s in the wrong spot. Can anyone guess?
…did anyone say that it’s that fancy shmancy new millenium oven propped in the middle of a retro era?!! Awesome! 😀
Yep, you’re right! We do like modern kitchens a lot, but we didn’t have the money to redo the counters and cabinets so we painted the cabinets. The homeowner had stenciled “home sweet home” on one wall and “my troubles are over for I am home” on the opposite wall — and that was the first thing Katherine painted over. I left out the refrigerator which is stainless steel on the front, black on the sides.
What a great kitchen! Love the yellow paint.
Thanks, definitely the brightest room in the house. Although, we like green, orange and yellow. It’s not as 70s as it sounds!
I absolutely love this post. First off, your kitchen has so much charm. I love the colors.. definitely relaxing and country. And that table made out of junk is my favorite. I love when items that aren’t used to their potential get a new home and a new idtentity. Wonderful job. I just love it.. warm, relaxing, and home. And I definitely need me a KitchenAid mixer 🙂
You’d be amazed what people leave on the curb down here. And yes KitchenAids rule.
Very nice kitchen.
Thanks, definitely bigger than the ones we had out West.
I love the amount of counter space – and natural light you have in the kitchen. I also love all of the wood furniture. You guys are welcome to come decorate my kitchen anytime. 🙂 Love it! The colors are actually the same as in my mom’s kitchen when I was growing up. It’s such a happy, warm color scheme.
Thanks, Kristy. When we moved in every room in the house was a different shade of beige.One of the first things we did was paint.
I can just feel all the warmth and love in this kitchen!
Thanks for sharing this ( and your recipes) with all of us!
Thanks, Perry!
Love your counter space but, more importantly, your cupboard space. My kitchen is seriously lacking in cupboards. I, too, detest electric ranges and find myself constantly moving pots & pans around because coils grow too hot. I couldn’t agree more about the cookware and feel the same way about good cutlery.
When we lived in San Diego we used the laundry room as a pantry and an armoire in the living room to store our pans. You’re right on the cutlery too.
What a wonderful place to work in…airy,light and lots of space. A great view to the outside from that fabulous table…Great photo’s showing us where all the great recipes are created! x
Thanks, Yvette.
Your have a very warm and inviting kitchen. I like that butcher block; I’ve never seen one of those in years!
Katherine probably got it eight years ago from a Crate & Barrel outlet. She gets me some great Christmas gifts.
You guys have a beautiful kitchen! The cheerful colors are so inviting and would make me want to spend a lot of time in there. And your date night spot is just the best! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
You’re welcome Karen.
You do realise how many people are dreaming about such a kitchen? I thought mine was spacious and big, but now I feel as I cooked in a tiny hole 😉 Your kitchen looks very functional and I love the chopping board. The green is such a joyful colour! If you haven’t mentioned it, I would never guess so many things are made (congratulations on the table! I’m really impressed!) or transformed or bought second-hand. Great idea to show us the place when all the amazing food is created.
I wonder what Katherine might collect… such a tough question 😉
I think I’ll go and clean my kitchen now!
The base of the table isn’t mine. It used to have a glass top, but it cracked being outside on our shaky deck so many years. A guy up the street put a giant butcher’s block counter on the curb and Katherine spotted it walking the dogs. We grabbed a dolly and started wheeling it home. The guy pulled up in his truck and told us he’d had second thoughts about leaving it on the curb so we started to wheel it back. He asked what I’d use it for and when I told him said that sounds great you go ahead. I just sanded it down to remove some paint and cut it down, few inches each side. The table is so heavy Katherine couldn’t move it into the house from the garage. Glad I saved the base.
Thank you, Greg for the sorty! Not only the table looks great, but it has a long history behind! I would love to have such furniture at home…
I meant: “thank you for the story” (sorry, I don’t know why my keyboard seems to work strangely when I am on your blog… the distracting food photos? the irresistible cocktails?)
Good thing you didn´t give us your address or you´d have come home to a kitchen full of bloggers waiting to be fed! Seriously, it´s beautiful and so lovely that you both enjoy to cook together. Until I moved to Spain (where everything is painted white) I always had a yellow kitchen . Feels like sunshine even on a dull day! Thanks for sharing your home with us.
Ha, I hope they all like dogs and bring some extra linens.
What a lovely and beautiful picture you have! Love the green cabinets and the chopping block!
Sorry I meant kitchen! Although your pictures are just stunning!!!
Thank you!
Greg, Katherine you wonderful couple! Thank you so much for the insight to your spectacular kitchen. It is everything I’d dreamed it would be and then some!
The Venice photos are gorgeous, the cabinets… Don’t even get me started on the KitchenAid! [I’m doing some heavy hinting!]
The spice rack is pretty unique too!
Wow, thank you so much! I would love to come prop up that bar one day and bring a slice of the UK to your bar…
Glad you like it. You’re welcome at our bar anytime!
You know when I rock up at ‘Little Rock [is that right?!] with a sign saying show me the way to the green kitchen… and I pitch up at your bar with shot glasses and my own attempt at homemade Limoncello – you may regret making that offer!
Don’t forget the banana suit!
Thank you for inviting us to your Open House. I can picture you and Katherine working together and never bumping into each other in this U-shaped kitchen. Love the colors and all the light too. The views outside your windows show lots of green and shade…lovely place to work.
Funny you said that. Katherine says how can we have all this space and still bump into each other?
Thanks for letting us all share in your space. Now when we see the finished results of your work, we can envision it getting done! Love all the personal touches, like Katherine’s parent’s spice rack and the beautiful “made-from-junk” table. Grace is anxiously awaiting the dog treat recipe ….
She’ll get to see our dogs too. I know she’s been waiting for that!
I love this post! Had to chuckle about the John Deere towels. I’ve got an antique side board and love what you’ve done with it for cookbooks. I’m really liking all those trees through the window. Colorado is such a high plains desert, things are a little sparse in my back yard. Love all those All-clads. I’ve only got two and cherish them. And last but not least that cutting board is to die for! What a great present. Thanks for sharing “where it all happens”. 🙂
Thanks, Lea Ann.
John Deere towels… hahaha! 😀 I love the table you “made from junk”… it’s beautiful. Great kitchen too … looks so spacious and homely!
See we’re not mean to give them outhouse salt and pepper shakers. Although, I have nothing to do with that. Katherine found those in Memphis.
So now we know where all those amazing dishes come out from! This is my all time favorite post! Gorgeous kitchen. I love everything in it and a fantastic view. Roosters!!!
Thanks, Maris!
I love all your counter space! Your kitchen looks like a very comfortable place to be. (And oddly enough, I recognize that rooster in the last photo – I picked up a couple of small plates with him on them about 10 years ago – in a small antique shop in Mena, no less!)
Ha, it’s so funny how many people have ties to Arkansas.
What a lovely kitchen. I can almost smell the wonderful aromas coming from it!
Thanks, Eva.
What a lovely space to cook in! I love the green and all the homestyle items that you’ve done yourselves. Makes it feel so welcoming.
Ha, thanks. If you look close you can see the shim I added to the sideboard to keep the one door in place.
I love how intimate, functional, and inviting it all is. Thanks for the peak into this special place in your lives.
You’re welcome Judy.
Loved seeing your home-y and beautiful kitchen. I can feel the warmth and loves that goes into it and comes out of it. You and Katherine seem to have similar tastes in decor as well as food…that’s pretty cool.
Well, our prenup dictated she like my cooking. Ha, kidding. Most of of our rooms are pretty neutral. This is the brightest in the house.
Am very jealous of your large kitchen! Can’t wait to see how your recipe turns out too.
It is nice to have elbow room.
You guys have a beautiful kitchen. Thank you for sharing it! A kitchen can never have too much counter space. *asked in a whisper so Katherine doesn’t hear* – What’s wrong with your counter tops? It must be great fun having family and friends sitting chatting at the bar while you are busy in the kitchen.
🙂 Mandy
She hates the pinkish color and the material, formica maybe. They used it for a backsplash too. You know everyone wants granite these days.
Thanks for the peek inside your lovely kitchen! Some friends and I have been working on a joint kitchen-picture project, but it’s slow going so far. I think we all feel like we need to get our kitchens spic and span before we photograph them.
I don’t think ours was spick and span, but we did make sure there were no dirty dishes in the sink!
Loved this! Thanks for giving us a peek into your kitchen.
BTW: At 11:11 this morning, my post will feature a ROOSTER. 😀
Uh oh, those are some giant roosters. We may need a bigger kitchen!
Love the outhouse salt ‘n pepper shakers – how great are those?? Glad to know my husband is not the only one who gathers from the curb – great refashioning job. Love your cozy date night dining space and the outdoor view in the last pic.
Thanks, Kelly.
What a fabulous blog! The genealogist in me loves the family stories – and pictures to accompany them! I love your kitchen – as others have said now there is a picture to have of you whipping up your wonderful recipes!
Thank you.
Your kitchen is beautiful – it has a little bit of everything: love, friends, stories, memories, and of course all the means to make great food.
That’s so sweet, thanks.
Thanks for sharing with us where all the magic happens! My wife, Craftyglutton, especially loves the color skeme. Of course I found myself focusing on the bottle of wine on the table…good choice. 🙂
Ha, it was funny that we picked a day we were cooking with port and drinking bubbly!
Guys your kitchen looks like such a wonderfully HAPPY place to be !!
Wow! Your kitchen is stunning. The green cupboards look amazing. I also love how personal it is with photographs from your honeymoon, the spice rack – a wedding present to your parents, etc. So lovely to see your kitchen – the best room in the house! Thank you.
What a nice and functional kitchen, I feel like I am invited into your lovely home.
Wow.. so you ARE having a good Sunday.. bet you are relaxing with that other bottle of champagne after cleaning for the last three days to get your kitchen so tidy and sparkly for the shots! Where did you hide all the STUFF! For the record I like the pot cupboard the best because I like shiny stuff! c
Ha, it was really good. It was last Sunday, no time to post then!
I love your kitchen. The green cabinets are a great touch. It’s very nice, yet down-to-earth as well. Thanks for sharing.
I’m gonna guess roosters! Love all the handmade furniture — very (very very) impressive. The green cabinets are pretty awesome too. Retro but with a modern spin. Looks like an amazing place to cook.
Ha, thanks it’s just the table and some repairs to the sideboard. I got an A in shop and home ec.
I have green kitchen cupboard envy. Love it all! Awesome looking kitchen to be hanging out in either cooking or being the support network and sitting at the bar.
…but no gas? Oh, condolences.
It was an adjustment.
What a great idea for a post. It feels like you have invited us into your home. What a treat, thanks for the glimpse!
You’re welcome Joshua. People probably weren’t expecting green cabinets.
I’m so envious of your adorable kitchen! It’s nice that I can now picture where you two create your delicious dishes!
So this is where it all happens! I love being able to view your kitchen and be able to actually visualize all your great recipes coming together! I have to comment on the great view outside; beautiful deck against the wooded land. No doubt its roosters Katherine collects and they are so fitting in this cozy kitchen. I love the knife holder too, I’ve always wanted one like that!
Thanks, Linda. That knife holder was a Bed, Bath & Beyond find I’m pretty sure.
Love it, thank you for sharing, it seems very you (s). The size and with the light it would be a special place to be creative, that shows in your kitchen and in what you post. Love it….RaeDi
Thank you! After years of tiny kitchens, it’s nice to stretch out.
Thank you for sharing this
I love how personal everything is..and as always your photography is amazing
Thanks.
Well done on the kitchen and the tour!
I absolutely love the rustic look and the green! I have green plant photos in my kitchen on a feature wall, green mugs on a “mug tree” stand and a green fruit bowl in the opposite corner. It looks so fresh. (And now I’ll admit, I pick up stuff left kerbside too, mainly tabletops! Shhh…)
It’s amazing what people leave on the curb here, rocking chairs, high chairs, work benches. Our tastes have gotten more discerning as we’ve gotten older too. Ha.
I do believe that a beautiful kitchen is being a origin of a delicious cooking meals…I loved your kitchen and I can know now where comes from all these beautiful recipes and inspirational kitchen notes… Thank you for sharing with us, dear Rufus and Katherina, with my love, nia
Thanks for letting us peek inside! What great space you have… and light! I know what you mean about the counter-tops. After 20 years of formica I just switched mine out for bamboo plywood. I love it! Still can’t put hot stuff down, but it is clean and “green” in its own way. I’m smitten with your sideboard… great piece!
Such a great idea to share where all the magic happens…you guys have a gorgeous kitchen! I’m all about the bright colors. Thanks for including some rooster paraphernalia in the photos too, always makes my day. 🙂
You did a great job with the colors in your kitchen! We looked at a home for sale that had green cabinets and let me say it was hideous! You did it perfectly, which is a challenge I think with green/yellow! Good work. Love the personal items and the stories behind them. I want to do something like this when we finally move into our new home next month- kind of a tribute to both kitchens, old and new…
That’d be great to see. Katherine thinks we’ll have to paint them white if we move, not that we’re planning to. But green cabinets aren’t really super popular.
Great kitchen and I could live with the green cabinets for a year or 10. 🙂
I love the colour of your kitchen, so fresh and bright. I’ve been trying to think of a good colour for ours and this apple green might be just the ticket! Lovely to see inside your house.
Thanks!
Love the kitchen! No wonder you are inspired to create those delicious-looking meals!
Thanks, Colline.
I happen to love John Deere colors…I have my own John Deere garden tractor that was a birthday present. I’m happy that you shared photos of your kitchen…its got so much atmosphere. I also love the roosters. People think they bring good luck to a kitchen.
It is always so neat to see what other bloggers kitchens look like. I love the cheerful colors! The view from the kitchen is amazing! I would love to have a nice wooded view like that! My kitchen overlooks a soy bean field!
I love your kitchen. It is so pretty. It brought back memories for me of my mother. She loved green and yellow in the kitchen and her kitchen remained those colors for years.
good god that’s a gorgeous kitchen, i am epic jealous.
What a great kitchen space – no wonder you guys are such prolific cooks, I would want to spend all my time in there too!
I love your color choices but those countertops would bother me too. The pan cupboard looks like a nightmare. Exactly the same at my house. Though recently I converted a shelved closet into pan storage. Now most of the pans are sorted by function, only 3 to a shelf. But I still have an undercarraige of pots, like in the picture.
We love our profesional cook pans. Had to take a loan out so we could get them all at once. Worth every penny.
I absolutely love your kitchen! You have so much counter space!!!
I never would have thought to paint cabinets that beautiful shade of green, but I LOVE it! Looks so bright and happy! I loled at the John Deere themed gift… 😀
Love your kitchen! Recognize most of those cookbooks from my own, and just getting ready to leave for a month in a house outside Padua, near Venice. Kindred spirits?
Hold onto your seat. We were just in Kentucky! We did a day on the bourbon trail, which wasn’t enough.
Well, we’ll part company there. I must not be a real Kentuckian. I dislike both bourbon and UK basketball. But Steve makes up for it on both counts!
Ha, you won’t like some of our posts next week then!
Love this post! The personal touches give your kitchen so much character. It looks very inviting. I agree with you about good pots. I don’t know what I’d do without my gas stove though. Thanks for sharing!
I love this post! Seeing inside someones home is such a privilege and so fascinating. I adore those antique stools and I am SO jealous of all your counter space.
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