Renovating or remodeling your kitchen is never an easy undertaking. Counter space, work flow and storage are all part of the kitchen equation, and mistakes are easy to make. Franklin residents Christine Frost and Donna Williams decided to enlist the help of professionals. Carriage House Custom Homes & Interiors stepped in to help give these women a kitchen to be proud of!
Christine Frost
Do you consider your kitchen the heart of the home?
Yes! It is where everyone gathers—friends and family.
What's your favorite thing about your kitchen?
The island, storage space and the warmth of the kitchen are my favorite parts.
What's the best thing you do in your kitchen?
Cooking meals for our family and entertaining our family and friends.
What was your kitchen like before? Why did you want to change it? How did Carriage House help you?
It was small and not a lot of storage or countertop space. We wanted a bigger kitchen to be able to cook and entertain more comfortably. Carriage House helped us design our dream kitchen and make it work for our house. They were fantastic to work with.
Donna Williams
Do you consider your kitchen the heart of the home?
The kitchen is the heart of my home. It’s where I go to wake up in the morning with a cup a tea. It’s a place to cook family recipes and carry on holiday traditions. Big celebrations and surprise parties center around the kitchen. And let’s be honest, it’s even that place I sneak into for a late-night snack.
What's your favorite thing about your kitchen?
I love everything about my reimagined kitchen, but if I had to choose, I’d say the large center island is the focal point of my kitchen. The pendant lights above the center island give the space a warm, inviting glow.
What's the best thing you do in your kitchen?
I love to cook, so food is always front and center. Probably the most unusual use for my kitchen has been as a test kitchen for Cobbler Creations, a local business owned by Benny Marshall. The actual cobblers that are sold at the Franklin Farmers Market and various local restaurants are made in a commercial kitchen, but Benny gives me the freedom to dream up new seasonal cobbler flavor profiles right here in my home kitchen.
What was your kitchen like before? Why did you want to change it? How did Carriage House help you?
We purchased our house a few years ago knowing we would have to do a major kitchen renovation. It had outdated appliances, a tiny center island and was lacking in cabinet space. The footprint of the kitchen was spacious, and it had 10-foot ceilings. As they say, it had good bones. We had to use our imagination to dream about what it could be.
Once I enlisted the help of Carriage House, with Sharon Hicks and her team, I knew I would have my dream kitchen. Sharon was instrumental in guiding and directing me as I made decisions to implement my vision. Her experience allowed her to make suggestions I would never have thought about. She suggested removing the outdated kitchen desk and transformed that space into a butler pantry. It came out beautifully! The renovation was definitely not a do-it-yourself kind of project. I relied on the expertise of Carriage House to make all the major changes. It is now an amazing kitchen that is both functional and reflective of my personal style.