This post was done in collaboration with Cafe Appliances

YOU GUYS!!! THIS IS IN MY KITCHEN RIGHT NOW! And I feel so grown up, well almost. There is still a lot of finishing work to be done in the space. Outside of this stunning view is still a bit of a disaster, but I couldn’t help but share an update.

Our kitchen renovation in LA was done on a shoe string budget. We did all the work ourselves, outside of the marble countertops (which was our splurge) and just re-used the previous owner’s appliances. They were generically fine, but they were not “me”. But…in this house I am getting my dream Cafe Appliances (this 36″ range in matte white with the Brushed Bronze hardware SWOOOOON and the Fridge and the Dishwasher), and really making this my kitchen utopia. I will have my first kitchen island, my first pantry, my first larger than a 30” range. It is all happening. I will do a whole post on how we divvied up the work between our GC and us for this renovation but we saved in this kitchen by doing Ikea cabinet boxes and my Sarah Sherman Samuel for SemiHandmade cabinet doors, which we also installed ourselves. This kitchen, along with most all of my projects, is a true mix of high and low and somewhere in between.

Here is a peek at the other side of the room. If you have been following me on my IG Stories, you will have seen all the steps we’ve taken so far to get the kitchen to this point. Five months in the making, but it is starting to look like a real kitchen. Above is where we were just a couple days before the move, the new windows made an incredible difference in opening everything up, and the old small dark kitchen isn’t even recognizable.

And while things are wrapping up in the main kitchen why don’t we just jump right into the design of kitchen number 2! That is right, our #SamuelFamilyFixer has two whole kitchens and I am not mad about it. Two kitchens might sound ridiculous and extravagant but things are bigger in the midwest. ha The house we bought already had two full kitchens. One is on the main floor (where our living room, dining room and bedrooms are) and the other is in the lower level along with another living area, two bedrooms and bathroom. This floor will partly be my home office while the kids are so little, as well as a dedicated place for guests. (Our first time having an actual guest bedroom! Who is coming over?!). So while we do not need a second kitchen, we inherited one and now I am counting all the reasons why I am pumped to have two kitchens.

Let’s be honest, two kitchens is a designers dream! Double the finishes, double the fixtures, double the appliances! All those extra design decisions have me giddy. Twice the chance to put your own style into a kitchen and maybe explore another side of your personality.

Work/Life separation. Once I get my local Michigan design team up and running, employees will be able to enter the office from the lower level without having to go through the rest of the house and we will be all set with our own Sarah Sherman Samuel Inc. office complete with its own kitchen.

Entertaining! Having two kitchens is also an entertainers dream. Extra oven space for big dinners (Thanksgiving at my house this year!), and even for smaller parties, I could mess up the lower level kitchen and use that area for prep behind the scenes while keeping the main kitchen clean where the guest are.

So let’s take a look at what I have planned for kitchen #2

When it came to the main kitchen there was no doubt I wanted it bright and light and you already know how thrilled I was to come across Cafe Appliances and their Matte White finish and their customizable hardware. They are appliances that stand out as a stylish design feature instead of just a utilitarian necessity. So when it came to designing the downstairs kitchen it was a no brainer to bring in Cafe again, however instead of the Matte White I got the Matte Black and they ended up being a big piece of inspiration for the whole {second} kitchen.

In interiors in general I always like the mix of old and new and layering in different textures to create a space that even if it is brand new, feels like there is a story behind it. The Matte finishes on the Cafe Appliances take it from going too modern and sleek and in my opinion give them some soul that when paired with the metallic hardware, it is like they already have my signature style built-in. When thinking about a backsplash, I am looking to use Clé Tile’s zellige or earthenware tile to bring in something with a vintage look to balance out the new cabinets, hardware and countertops. The artwork above, by Sharon Etgar, the Zellige Tile and the Cafe Appliances together perfectly convey the overall vibe of what I am shooting for in kitchen #2. Which I am hoping will be like the artful little sister of kitchen #1.

And here is what started with…

Above is a before photo of the kitchen. So far we have demo’ed everything out and installed some new engineered hardwood flooring over that lovely yellowed floor. A few things I wasn’t loving were how the fridge and range sat right next to each other, crammed in the corner and the off center island is also making me twitch a titch. So far, we have demoed out all the cabinets… my dad re-used them in his wood shop, and we gave the appliances to my aunt who is updating her old kitchen.  Poof, we have a blank slate. We are planning to move the range location to dead center on the back wall so it creates a central focal point and I’ll be doing my favorite trick of maximizing the visual and countertop space by installing the Cafe Undercounter Fridge and forgoing a full sized fridge (it is the second kitchen after all).

So what do you think? Two kitchens, too crazy? or genius? I am team whatever makes you happy, kitchens are personal! And your kitchen or kitchens should be a reflection of you. That is why I was so happy to partner with Cafe Appliances as that is what they are all about.

This post was done in collaboration with Cafe Appliances. All thoughts, ideas and swoons are my own.

For more on our #samuelfamilyfixer check here.

MAIN KITCHEN: Cafe Appliance 36″ Range // Cafe Appliance Dishwasher // SemiHandmade Cabinet fronts by Sarah Sherman Samuel on Ikea Cabinets // Caesarstone “fresh Concrete” countertops // Calacatta Marble Backsplash // Elkay Quartz Sink //

SECOND KITCHEN: Art by Sharon Etgar // Cafe Appliance Undercounter Refrigerator // Cafe Appliance 30″ Range // Clé Terracotta Tile // Counter Stool // Vase // Footed Bowl // Engineered Hardwood Floor from Build Direct