"The cooktop has removable inserts for different options," Paige writes. "We can have six smooth-top burners that are great when we're having company. We can also switch to an indoor grill or a griddle…which I thought our son would wear out the first month making pancakes!" The couple has two children, Ross and Hanna.
"The kids love to help me in the kitchen and are becoming little chefs themselves," says Paige. She enjoys preparing all sorts of foods, from soups and casseroles to desserts, particularly cheesecake.
To shed light on the island, the couple installed a hanging wrought-iron light fixture from the ceiling.
"I had worried that the warm chocolate brown I chose for the walls would make the room seem dark. But Tim came to the rescue with under-cabinet lighting around the kitchen and in the glass-front cabinets of the hutch," says Paige. There is also a wrought-iron light fixture over the dining table.
While she wanted her kitchen to be warm and comfortable, Paige wanted it to feel modern and roomy, too. Stainless steel appliances lend a professional updated look.
And to make the kitchen appear spacious, Paige and Tim removed the old aluminum window over the sink and the sliding glass door that separated the kitchen from the den.
"Now my kitchen has everything I need—lots of storage space so it's not cluttered anymore, display space for my stoneware and cookbooks, and room for friends and family to gather in an inviting atmosphere. It is everything I dreamed it could be!"