Memories IN THE KITCHEN

So many of our most treasured moments occur in the heart of the home. We asked a few of our staff members to share stories about their first kitchens, favorite appliances and even remodeling tips.

“It was actually a small farmhouse kitchen in a bluish-green color. I remember the white cabinets and angled flour bin with pull cup handles, built-in shelving and a farmhouse sink.” —Nancy Borsodi, Designer/Stylist

“My parents built their house at the height of the avocado-green appliance trend in the 1970s. The major appliances were green, the cabinets were dark wood, and the accessories were bright orange. Over the years, they replaced the green appliances one by one, so there was always a mishmash of colors.”

—Jessica Moorman, Copy Editor

What was the style of your kitchen growing up or the kitchen in your first home? “Our kitchen growing up was pure 1980s-style country. We had heavy oak wood cabinets with black wrought-iron door pulls, walls papered in tiny pineapple print, and a freestanding solid-wood butcher-block island right in the center.”

—Susan Wagner, Editor

“When living with three teenagers, it has to be the dishwasher.” —Nick Pierce, Graphic Designer

“My KitchenAid mixer. It’s white so it goes with everything, and it’s been a workhorse for 15+ years!” —Lisa Sloan, Managing Editor

What is your favorite kitchen appliance or utensil?

“My spaetzle maker, which looks like a grater with a container that slides back and forth. It’s placed over a pot of boiling water and filled with dough that is forced through the holes to form classic German noodles.” —Nancy

Borsodi, Designer/Stylist

"We recently replaced our oven—a really old wide one—and, it just snowballed from there into extra cabinets, a new countertop, etc. The hardest part is all the choices!"

—Edith Teegarden, Senior Production Artist Have you ever remodeled a kitchen, and if so, what was the hardest part?

“The sanding! Hours, days and weeks of sanding. So… much… sanding!”

—Nick Pierce, Graphic Designer

“With our current remodel, the hardest part has been visualizing the finished room as we’re making decisions over time.

If you can come up with a real vision and stick to it, the final result won’t be a surprise.”

—Jessica Moorman,

Copy Editor