Kristy Mastrandonas, owner of Kristy Mastrandonas Interior Design & Styling, had spent so much time remodeling her clients’ homes throughout the years, that she put her own kitchen redesign on the back burner. This past spring she finally created her own dream kitchen filled with flair and functionality—and definitely worth the wait.
“Remodeling our kitchen has been on my mind since we moved into our home 12 years ago, but we had other priorities—kids’ school activities and then college tuition being the biggest priority. We were going to wait a couple more years to tackle this remodel, but our kitchen sink plumbing had other plans!” she says, adding that a slow leak from the foundation prompted the renovation.
“I decided to go with an all-white kitchen because I wanted it to be classic, light and bright, with a modern French country feel,” Kristy says. “I also like to change up my home decor throughout the year per season, and having an all-white kitchen is like working with a blank canvas.”
The kitchen now boasts bright white and gray-veined Vermont Danby White Mountain honed marble countertops and a polished Carrera marble backsplash in a mix of white, gray and beige. Kristy chose antique brass for all of the hardware. The faucet, pot filler, pulls and knobs all incorporate the classic finish. And, after a bit of elbow grease, the lanterns do, as well.
“The lanterns above the island were originally a bright metallic gold finish,” Kristy says. “I wanted them to be more subdued so they’d coordinate better with the other antique brass finishes in here, so I took my handy dandy paintbrush and some craft paint and changed the finish,” she says. “It was so easy to do!”
In addition to changing the style of the kitchen, Kristy increased its functionality, most notably by changing the location of the pantry and replacing the existing two islands with one large island.
She says her new kitchen is exactly what she had dreamed of for the past 12 years.
“The layout is so much more functional for the way we live, and it makes the kitchen feel larger. We are so pleased with the outcome."
Gene Cherrnay, with Village Designs and Remodeling in Highland Village, was Kristy's contractor for the project. For more information about Village Designs and Remodeling, visit VillageDesignsAndRemodeling.com. For more information about Kristy Mastrandonas Interior Design & Styling, visit KristyMastrandonas.com and be sure to follow Kristy on Instagram @kristy_mastrandonas.
Kitchen Design Tip 1: Don’t worry about the current design and decorating trends. Be true to your own style.
Kitchen Design Tip 2: Don’t design by committee. Don’t seek advice from friends, extended family or Pinterest. Create a space that tells your family’s story, not theirs.
Kitchen Design Tip 3: Consider hiring a professional interior designer to bring your vision to fruition.
Fully Stocked
Kristy recommends filling your pantry with these fall soup, stew and comfort food ingredients:
Barilla dried pasta
Pacific organic free-range broths
Giuliano mild pepper rings
Cento crushed tomatoes
“The layout is so much more functional for the way we live, and it makes the kitchen feel larger."
Mississippi Pot Roast
Ingredients
1 2-3-pound roast
Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing and mix (dry mix)
Au jus gravy (dry mix)
Mild pepper rings or any pepperoncini peppers
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
Directions
Rinse roast and pat off excess water. Place roast in slow cooker. Season roast with ranch dressing mix and au jus mix. Place half jar of pepperoncini peppers into slow cooker, and place stick of butter on top of roast. Turn on slow cooker to desired cook time. We serve ours with jasmine rice or potatoes. If you want a kick to your roast, you can add some sliced jalapeños (jarred). Enjoy!
