Tour My Kitchen

Joel, Mary, Michaela and Joshua Hudak-Collins enjoy a treat in their Bluff City, Tennessee kitchen.

Heating Up the Kitchen

By Mary Hudak-Collins, Bluff City, Tennessee

When my husband Joel and I began building our home more than 4 years ago, I spent a tremendous amount of time designing my kitchen—more so than any other room in the house. One thing I had to have was a fireplace. When people visit, they seem to migrate to the kitchen, and I adored the idea of having a warm, glowing hearth in the room.

I love to cook and bake, and the design of my kitchen allows me to easily prepare anything, from a pot of soup to a five-course meal. Our children—Joshua, 12, and Michaela, 10— enjoy learning to cook and bake, and there’s plenty of room for them to be involved. It’s not uncommon to have a house full of kids over on any given weekend. When that happens, the island and breakfast bar serve as a buffet.

Cooking for a crowd is no problem in Mary’s kitchen.

Of course, this time of year, both kids and grown-up guests are greeted by a kitchen decked out for the holidays. I probably have as many decorations for the kitchen as I do for the rest of the house. I sprinkle garland here and there, bows and ribbons all around. One special decoration is a mobile that my mother and I made before she passed away. We hook it to the beam above the fireplace, and when we have a fire, the flow of air causes the mobile to spin slightly. It is just beautiful!

I really love everything about my kitchen—room to move around, accessibility, and counter and cabinet space. When you are working in a kitchen and there isn’t anything you would change, it must be your dream kitchen!

Christmas decorating is not limited to one part of the house; it extends throughout the family’s log home.

A glowing hearth warms the kitchen all winter long, while lots of windows let the sun shine in.