We had the pleasure recently of sitting down with mom, entrepreneur, and all-around lovely lady Erin Du Plooy of @ohsolovelyerin to talk about her newly reimagined kitchen, complete with brand new appliances that she picked up in our store. We knew Erin’s unique style would shine through in her design, and she definitely didn’t disappoint!
Whether you’re about to embark on your own kitchen renovation or are just an interior design nerd like us, enjoy learning more about Erin’s design process below.
What was the inspiration behind your new kitchen? What was most important to you? “We worked together with Fireside Design planning the kitchen. It was pretty fun – I basically got to plan my dream kitchen! I knew I wanted bright colours, and I wanted it to have a throwback to my love of mid-century design – there’s a bit of a ‘50s feel with the mustard banquette breakfast nook. I also wanted a bold paint colour for the cabinets, and to feature a fun countertop. I had saved the countertop on Instagram or Pinterest a few years back, and I knew that if I could convince my husband to do it, this was the future countertop of my dream kitchen. We based everything off this and it really pulls the full space together, I think.”
What was the biggest challenge of renovating the space? “The biggest issue was probably maximizing storage because we were losing the whole upper cabinets [due to the wall-mount oven]. So trying to make sure I could fit all my kitchenware into the space was probably the biggest challenge – and also trying to figure out where to put the dishwasher. I wanted it close to the sink, but with the plumbing and everything it was a bit of a tricky situation.” What’s your favourite part of your new kitchen? “It’s a tossup between the breakfast nook and the countertop. And also just having the space of the humongous island with bar stools for the kids. I do a lot of entertaining and hosting so I wanted to have a functional kitchen, but also wanted to make sure there was lots of space so people aren’t in my way. I get pretty stressed out when there are people everywhere and my mess everywhere, so I needed the space. It worked out great!”
What is your best advice for someone looking to give their kitchen a refresh? “Don’t scrimp on hardware! I think that’s a common mistake people make. They spend all this money on their dream kitchen and then kind of cheap out at the last minute and put on these really bad hardware pieces. I chose this hardware, and I’m super happy with it. I love the rass touch that it gives to this kitchen – it gives the space warmth and finishes it off in a really nice way. Also, overall, it needs to be functional. You need your space to be practical and have things where they belong and not just because it looks good. Make it work, and don’t be afraid of colour. Most people stick to a grey or white kitchen – and don’t get me wrong, I love that, but I also think it’s important to bring your own personality into the mix. It doesn’t have to be the same cookie-cutter kitchen as everyone else.”
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