Designer Laura Stein’s Favourite Room

By Laura Bickle | 2 minute read

What and where is your favourite room? 

My kitchen — even though I really don’t like to cook! Pretty much everything we do as a family takes place at the kitchen island, which is one of the reasons I love it so much.

What was the inspiration behind designing the room? 

My design aesthetic is more classic while my husband would have loved to live in a refurbished barn. I tried to unite both of our styles while still being true to the architecture of the house. We like to entertain a lot, so it was important to create a space that allows whoever is cooking (usually my husband) to be part of the conversation, rather than sequestered away in a closed room. 

Laura aspired to design an open space that would allow cooking and socializing to occur simultaneously.

What were the challenges in creating this room, and how did you overcome them?

We started by removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room to create a large open space, and relocated the kitchen to the opposite side. We replaced a small window with a large wide one centred over the sink. We then added double glass doors leading out to a new mudroom that also has double glass doors leading outside. 

We needed to add a structural beam where we removed the wall, but I hate the look of a bulkhead in the middle of the room. I decided that rather than drywalling it in, I would make it a feature of the space. We repeated the same wood throughout the kitchen on the open shelves, island back-panel and desk surface.

Rather than hide the structural beam, Laura decided to incorporate it into the design, using the same wood for floating shelves and other features throughout the kitchen.

What are your favourite features of the room?

I like to design a kitchen with specific work areas to maximize functionality. My dishes are stored right next to my dishwasher and as close to the table as possible. All of our coffee and tea necessities are in one location near the coffee maker. I also love what’s not there — the walls. The openness of the space makes everything feel brighter and more accessible. 

Laura maximized their kitchen’s functionality by creating work spaces and organizing necessities like dishes and coffee in convenient areas.

What I love most about the kitchen, though, is the art on the opposite walls. It’s what I get to look at when I’m working at the island. The painting is a massive piece by Denesh Ghyczy that stopped me in my tracks when I saw it in the gallery, and still captivates me every day. The photo on the adjacent wall is by Florian Innerkofler, and I love the unexpectedness of it.

How does this room make you feel?

Being in this space makes me feel at home. All good things happen in the kitchen!

Artwork by Austrian-based artist Denesh Ghyczy and Toronto-based photographer Florian Innerkofler adorn the walls of the dining area.

Describe a favourite moment in this room.

My husband, son and I have had so many memorable moments in this room — dinners with friends and family, birthday parties, board games, and weekend pancake breakfasts. But the story that gets told over and over again is how our mischievous Bernedoodle Lilly helped herself to a $30 steak right off the counter!