Dead Space in Your Kitchen? Create A Baking Nook
Where is the dead space in your kitchen? Think about turning it into something useful, like a baking nook. Here's a beautiful example.
It is a familiar problem in a kitchen: a dead space. The space that becomes the catchall for mail, keys, purses β¦ the general drop-off zone. Such was the case in an unused portion of this homeownerβs kitchen. There was a dead space countertop and cabinets between the refrigerator and larger cabinet area.
The homeowner,Β an avid cook and baker for her family whoΒ wanted to make better use of that space, turned to Robin Cook of Robinβs Nest Interiors for help. Previously, the homeowner used a kitchen island as the main staging area for her cooking and storage of her bigger appliances, such as her food processor andΒ mixer. Robin knew that the homeowner enjoyed cookingΒ and βshe should have the tools she needs.β
Robin decided on a baking nook for this dead space, which was only considered a kitchen update, not a kitchen remodel. She doubled the size of the countertop in the dead space from 30 inches to 60 inches. She took out the cabinets above the countertop, adding open shelving instead. Behind the countertop, she added a backsplash of subway tile that matched the backsplash throughout the rest of the kitchen. Open shelving is ideal for storage and is less expensive than cabinetry. Now the homeowner can display all the ingredients she uses to bake in an organized fashion, making everything easier to access.
This kitchen update involved keeping the flooring and the cabinets, just replacing the countertops and backsplash and adding the baking nook cabinetry. The kitchen was large enough that they could slide the pantry cabinet down and add 30 additionalΒ inches of cabinet space, which doubled the nook space. Robin purchased basic kitchen cabinets and decided to customize them. SheΒ knew she wouldnβtΒ be able to match the cabinetΒ door style or theΒ cabinet finish exactly, βsoΒ we decided to make the baking nook look more like a furniture piece byΒ painting it black with a glaze that coordinated with the cabinet color andΒ adding furniture feet.β Β Robin usedΒ Kelly Sisler with Kelly FauxΒ Creations for the painting.
Shelves wereΒ also a consideration. Robin tells us, βOur contractor, Brad Anderson, is anΒ accomplished trim carpenter, and he built the floating shelves. There wasΒ much discussion on the depth and placement of the shelves. The homeownerΒ had specific baking tools that she wanted to place on the shelves, so weΒ wanted to make sure we could accommodate everything. We took the subwayΒ tile up behind the shelves as a nice backdrop.β
Everyday ingredients and also baking-specific ingredients are stored in clear glass canisters with chalkboard labels on each. Larger appliances, such as the food processor and the mixer, are out on the countertop and plugged in, ready for action. There is plenty of room on the countertop to spread out ingredients, roll out dough or have multiple batches going at the same time.
Kelly Sisler alsoΒ painted the base of the butcher block islandΒ black to repeat the element. Now, the kitchen island is free for other cooking or serving options, and the baking is done over at the baking nook.
The homeowner loves the new incarnation of her space, and she uses it every day. She recommends taking βsomething that was unusable and making it usefulβ so that you can enjoy it every day. The planning for this project took about four months total, while the actual work only tookΒ about three weeks.
Converting these unused desk areas into a baking nook, or even a beverage station for coffee or a bar, just makes sense, Robin says, and we think sheβs right!
Resources:
- Designer β Robin Cole of Robinβs Nest Interiors
- Paint β Kelly Sisler ofΒ Kelly FauxΒ Creations
- Contractor β Brad Anderson
- Photography βΒ First Light Image
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