The Heart of the Home: Kitchen Time

{Steven Gambrel via Elle Decor}

Milk-glass light fixtures are suspended over vintage chairs and a stone-top table in the Manhattan townhouse of decorator Steven Gambrel. A fireplace in the kitchen would be the ultimate luxury.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away now, it's only natural that my thoughts are increasingly centered around the kitchen. I like kitchens that are warm and welcoming and might be described as 'unfitted.'. Don't get me wrong, I definitely want all the modern conveniences and functionality of a great kitchen, I just want it packaged into a handsome room that flows with the rest of my home.

Looking at the kitchens I have selected for today's post, I have tried to identify what it is that makes them attractive to me. All of the kitchens I am drawn to have an amazing tapestry of interesting textures and materials ~ warm woods, stone, linen, glass, pottery, copper and stainless steel. They give these spaces a warm and welcoming feeling and make you want to pull up a chair and stay awhile. Many offer a farmhouse table and chairs. I think it is a must to have comfortable seating in the kitchen so family and friends can relax and keep me company while I cook. I often have small dinner parties in my kitchen because it is more intimate and homey than the dining room. I like kitchens that have limited upper cabinets, open shelving and are furnished like the rest of the house with old world accessories and beautiful old things that are not just collectibles but are put into use everyday. All of these kitchens have great lighting. Great lighting sets the tone for the space and offers an opportunity to make a style statement. It's the jewelry of the kitchen.

I would love to know what makes a kitchen worthy of inclusion on your drool-worthy list. Please tell!

{Heather Smith of Circa Interiors}

I love the cabinets in this kitchen, the copper detail and especially this clever hidden storage.

{via Homestead Revival}

A basket is a great way to bring texture into the kitchen and provides a simple solution for organizing oils and spices on the countertop.

{Southern Accents: Amelia Handegan Interior Design}

This Charleston, South Carolina kitchen has been a favorite of mine for many years. It was featured in Southern Accents and is the work of one of my favorite designers, Amelia Handegan. It's old world charm will never go out of style.

{Charlotte Home and Garden; Kitchen: Heather Smith}

If I could pick just one of the kitchens featured today to be my forever kitchen, it would have to be, Heather Smith's kitchen. I love the cleft face bluestone she chose for the countertops!

{via Cote de Texas}

{Jackye Lanham Interior Design}

{Jackye Lanham Interior Design}

{Steven Gambrel}

(Steven Gambrel}

{House of Windsor via Veranda}

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