What I Learned About Long Island Kitchen Design

My Old-School Italian Family

As one of five children in a loud and loving Italian-American family, I developed an appreciation for food at an early age. Not just the flavors, but the rituals and settings associated with our family meals. 

When my family and I get together, no matter whose house we’re at, we spend more time in the kitchen than any other room.

For most of my childhood, our kitchen was the smallest room in the house, but it didn’t matter. Unloading groceries, helping with prep, or cleaning up after meals, we moved like bees in a hive, each knowing our place and performing our assigned duties—and occasionally sneaking a treat from the pantry or fridge.

Years later, my parents would renovate the space, with my input, making it a bit larger, updating the appliances and improving the flow. Even now, as full-grown adults, my siblings, cousins and I crowd around the space much in the same way that we did as kids. 

While times have changed, family is a constant. I am so grateful for their influence in my life. As my husband and I raise our own children, we also find that the kitchen is the heart of our home. As an interior designer, it will always be one of my favorite spaces to design, which is why I recently cooked up a new kitchen design package. 

Previous clients will tell you that I put my whole heart into my work. With that in mind, I’ve put together some of the best lessons I’ve learned about kitchen design from my own old school Italian upbringing. 

Why Everyone Wants to Be in the Kitchen

My family loves to entertain. My parents had an open-door policy where everyone had a seat at the table or, as was often the case, a stool at the counter. And there were always plenty of perks for those pitching in, whether that meant snagging a piece of prosciutto before the antipasti hits the table.

In the kitchen, all of our senses are engaged. There are enticing smells (browning garlic, anyone?) and opportunities for taste-testing time-honored family recipes. There’s the sound of laughter and voices of those you love. The feel of fresh produce, like firm tomatoes, makes your mouth water. And just the sight of a familiar serving spoon or ceramic platter can bring comfort. 

Beyond all of these wonderful feelings I learned that the more functional a kitchen is and the more suited it is to your lifestyle, the more likely you will be to entertain and the more at ease you will be when entertaining. We wanted to be in the kitchen because it was an enjoyable experience. And that is what I want for you.

The Best Kitchen Layout for Your Lifestyle

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

Anyone who has visited family in Italy can tell you that they are all about making day-to-day items easy to access—and it left an impression on me. While all of our Long Island kitchen renovation projects deliver an updated and timeless look, we also take great pride in improving the functionality of our clients’ spaces. 

One of our main sources of inspiration (you can read all of them here) is the client’s existing kitchen. We ask questions that explore what’s working and what’s driving you nuts.

We take an informal inventory—from the items that you use on a daily basis to the plates and platters that you reserve for special occasions—so that we can determine how much storage you need and what should go where. (Even as I type this, I can hear my mother calling to my sister to grab the silver serving tray when she goes downstairs to grab the paper towels.)

No one wants to have to root around in the cabinets for items they use on the daily. Take a few minutes to think about the items you use throughout the day and whether or not their current placement really makes the most sense.

Is the coffee pot or espresso machine near their respective cups? Do you need to move your juice glasses so that they’re closer to the fridge? Are your pots and pans easy to access from the stove? What about your cooking utensils and flatware?

You might be surprised to find that there is room for improvement.

Kitchen Clean Up

You Wash, I’ll Dry

During celebrations and on holidays, my sisters and cousins and I would create an assembly line—clear the table, discard the trash, wash, dry and put away dishes. As the saying goes, many hands make light work. To this day, we still work like a well-oiled machine. 

This core memory also informs my thoughts on flow and functionality when it comes to your kitchen and dining spaces.

Clear and direct pathways, concealed—but easily accessible—trash receptacles, optimal sink and dishwasher placement, and ample counter space and storage can truly make all the difference.

Why dread clean up any more than you have to?

Clear Countertops

Where Is the Hero Going to Go?

As many magazine articles are quick to point out, wiping down your countertops is one of the quickest ways to make your space feel clean and orderly. On the flip side, cluttered countertops are a sure path to agida.

Anyone who has moved from a small apartment in Queens to a bigger home on Long Island can tell you how nice it is to finally have sufficient counter space. It’s also amazing how quickly that real estate can be used up if you don’t make a plan.

There’s prepping, cooking, cleaning and—in the ever-popular open-floor plan—serving space that needs to be accounted for. Before you know it, you’re out of space.

Our interior design firm is always looking for new, creative, and attractive ways to give our clients the uncluttered look they want with the functionality that they need.

In recent years, appliance garages and custom cabinets for items like stand mixers and serving platters have become integral in our designs. Clients love the neatness of their appearance and the flexibility they provide.

Common Requests

For the Perfect Long Island Kitchen

Many of our clients share a similar background to us—having come from a large, close-knit family that spends most of their time in the kitchen. While that may have looked slightly different for each of us, it’s remarkable how similar our preferences are now that we are grown. 

Other common requests for the perfect Long Island kitchen include pot fillers, panel-ready refrigerators, spice storage, separate prep sinks, oversized islands and microwaves tucked away out of view.

When my team and I are designing a kitchen, we incorporate your current lifestyle while keeping in mind what your life might look like in years to come. Whether that’s planning for growing children or knowing that family members may live with you down the line, we want to deliver timeless style and flexibility. 

If you’ve been putting your own kitchen renovation on the back burner, we invite you to schedule a kitchen design consultation. Before you know it, we’ll be trading stories and bubbling over with ideas for your ideal kitchen design!