Our Kitchen Story:
For us, this is the best kitchen in the world. It was finished in 2014 & we have enjoyed every meal prep & gathering since then.
We’ve had as many as 10 people helping
with room for all.
Enjoy your walk through the process. We hope it inspires you to do the same for
you and your family/community.
Healthy Spirit & Healthy Food belong together.
Over our 40 + year marriage we have healed our broken hearts & bodies through disciplines based on kindness, love, healthy living. We learned to
Give & Receive Life!
12 years of consistent discipline, showed us we could redesign & rebuild parts of our home to make life easier & more fun.
That’s how we got the kitchen of
our dreams.
Coffee Counter re-design with Refrigerator
By extending the counter & adding cabinets then adding two water faucets at the sink, we increased working capacity . We already had a 39” wide aisle , we’ve had 5 people working on that side in meal/serving prep.
Noel, the engineer & chef, insisted on installing a high powered exhaust fan above a new induction cooktop, which requires little cleaning & provides additional flat surface area when not in use. Induction also heats faster using less energy than gas. We have used induction since 1984. It is the safest cooktop as it uses magnetism to active molecules that heat the cookware, that must be steel. But the cooktop itself has a much lower temperature than a regular cooktop.
The new steam oven & convection oven are stacked next to the cooktop. The exhaust system keeps the kitchen clear of heat & smoke.
Cynthia made sure we had bacteria free soapstone countertops that need no chemical sprays, & had a full backsplash of simple, clean tile installed in a soothing celadon that sets off the beautiful Cherry wood cabinets.
Our Gathering Place
Extending counter & adding cabinets
Taller cabinets were installed with a new side-by-side freezer-refrigerator. A 2nd small dishwasher next to the refrigerator under the coffee & tea counter with a small sink with a hot water tap
After having severe bouts of pneumonia as a child, Cynthia has struggled with ill health. Upon reaching adulthood she sought answers with many tests, to find she had: Epstein Barr Syndrome & Fibromyalgia compounded by chemical sensitivities, as well as being Celiac. She believed she could arrange her life for healing & proceeded to live that out.
We purchased this home in Olympia because of hardwood floors & was over 10 years old. We purchased Lab quality air filters & still use them. During remodeling we replaced vinyl windows with fiberglass, removed carpet to install more cherry & natural wool carpets in small areas (little or no VOCs). All cabinetry was replaced with low VOC, solid wood (thanks to Belmont Cabinetry-
a Washington Company). We repainted the interior with low VOC paint (and yes, we did all the paint work, Cynthia is an excellent trim painter).
Please Note: due to our discipline in taking specific action based on knowledge that chemicals affects can be mitigated, that ill health can be challenged through diet, exercise, & prayer, Cynthia has experienced consistently improving health. We both experience a lot of joy in the work we’ve done & the ease it has brought into our lives.
We bought the house in 1999, by 2004 we started making a list of needed changes: white kitchen too bright; island only 6’ long, not enough prep area nor sufficient downdraft ventilation; kitchen sink too small & divided, needed 2nd sink & dishwasher; location of oven & refer needed to be switched; remove microwave; taller cabinets with more storage.
Kitchen Facts:
Who designed it?
Who built it?
Why this project?
We both are:
Cynthia is the designer, product research person, & purchaser.
Noel is the electrician, plumber, & special product designer/builder*.
Life has taught us that fresh, unprocessed foods are the keys to activating healing &restoration of our bodies, while creating energy to enjoy life.A huge part of life is food in growing & preparation
then sharing food with family & community. We wanted an excellent place to work in. A fabulous result is that food prep & clean-up is 30% faster in this kitchen.
Painters, cleaners, decision makers, gardeners, & cooks.
*Special thanks to the builder who helped frame in this remodel project now retired: Bob Clark-Home Resource Company & his remarkable team. They were all a pleasure to work with.