Designing an Entertainer’s Dream Kitchen: The Tustin Project

This post is sponsored on behalf of Howard’s and Monogram, however, all opinions are my own.

If you are wondering if you need a kitchen designer, I’d love to let you in on how some of the big decisions are made.  Let me introduce you to The Tustin Project. We are excited to share designing an entertainer’s dream kitchen with Howard’s & Monogram appliances today with you all!

When this darling family of three came to me, I knew we would have so much fun designing together because they were “all-in” for an entertainer’s DREAM kitchen. (Which is a designer’s dream too!) 

They host the holidays, bake, have friends over, and they were really looking for a true HEART OF THE HOME kitchen. We wanted to create a foot-print in their kitchen that made it welcoming to their guests.  It was important for them to have a great spot to gather and socialize while the cooks are working, as well as great workspaces. They also wanted a truly luxurious space. It’s so much easier to see working kitchens in action so we met at Howard’s Marina Pacifica where they could see real kitchen layouts and visualize their kitchen. With live vignette’s around the store, they could also actually have hands-on experiences with appliances. Pulling doors open, lighting burners, “test-driving” appliances that you will use literally EVERY DAY helps tremendously when making big decisions. 

It’s fun to see my clients fall in love with their dream appliances – in this case, it was a six-burner gas range from the Monogram Statement Collection. The range was really set apart from the others with the beautiful finishing touches – like the handmade brass knobs and even burners with brass details which really brings such a luxurious look. But the real wow factor was the smart technology, we all fell for the fact that you could turn your oven on from anywhere with your app and even check if your burners were left on!  An oven range like this is really a showstopper and anchor in the kitchen. It can be really hard to digest the higher-end appliance budget. When I can walk my clients through this big purchasing experience and they are able to use the appliances, they know they are getting the best bang for their buck and a luxury kitchen at a reasonable price.  Decision-making is so much easier. 

Next step: Kitchen planning is ever-changing. I need to be able to pivot with my design as my clients discover new discoveries and appliances. We chose a larger Monogram refrigerator for this space to allow them to store food when they entertain! We had the space to work with and this was a must have for this sweet family. A few of the amazing features this refrigerator has are temperature-controlled drawers, LED lighting, humidity-controlled vegetable drawer, and powered by SmartHQ app, adjustable glass shelves, and a gallon size door bin just to name a few.

This lovely kitchen is all complete now! Just take my advice and get out there and see, touch, and feel what is on the market. Big decisions on the Tustin Project have been made and now it’s on to the finishing touches. Working with fun clients on heart-of-the-home kitchens with the help of a great support system makes my job a total dream! For more kitchen design tips click here.

XOXO, 

Bethany