Photography by Melissa M. Mills.
What happens when a food photographer, recipe developer, MasterChef contestant, professional baker, and the creator of the ever-popular blog, Milk & Cardamom, redoes her kitchen? A master class in color and texture results. The multi-talented Hetal Vasavada—who also specializes in digital marketing and social media—took a 1950s design, demoed it to the studs, and rebuilt a trend-setting kitchen that exudes cheer while rating high on functionality. “I film and host a lot in my kitchen—with tripods and filming equipment galore—and I needed a comfortable, uplifting, yet high-performing space that catered to all of my and my family’s needs,” explains Hetal.
Photography by Melissa M. Mills.
From vaulting the ceiling, to moving walls and extending the indoor footprint out by installing two large, widespread LaCantina doors leading to the outside—Hetal created an open, light and airy space perfect for entertaining, family gatherings, and recipe and blog creations. As for the design? Hetal tapped into her creative roots and designed a kitchen inspired by the iconic work of the late 20th century abstract artist, Mondrian. The kitchen, as Hetal describes, is color-blocked along the lines of which Mondrian set up his paintings, but instead of keeping to primary colors, they went for a more fun and modern appeal. Black, white, and gold lines and accents feature pops of vibrant blues and pink within to form the perfect framework. “We worked with Bennett Design Co. to help us narrow down the colors, as we had analysis paralysis towards the end—and they also helped with the cabinetry,” says Hetal. A mix of matte and glossy blue square tiles from Fireclay Tile accented by deeply grained walnut cabinetry elicit an evergreen feel on one side while a custom blue (Delphinium) from Benjamin Moore stuns below the attractively veined Cristallo Venatomarble island and the Carrera marble baker’s station countertop. Our antique white 42” True Residential fridge forms the perfect foil to all the color, including on the bubble-gum pink pantry doors.
“I had been eyeing that fridge, forever,” exclaims Hetal. “My father owned a convenience store until recently, where all the refrigeration was True, so I’ve been surrounded by it commercially forever, including in various restaurants I have worked in. It’s such a trusted brand and their customer service is excellent—my contractor who specializes in restaurants and kitchens was so excited about it as well: it received a triple thumbs up from everyone. It can also fit a whole cookie sheet pan—which is huge for me. I even went to the showroom with my own pan to make sure it would fit—most other fridges narrow towards the back making it impossible. It’s such a huge necessity for a baker. If I am making a puff pastry or pie crust, I really need to be able to toss it in there to chill.”
In addition to making sure her fridge was the most functional, stylish design possible for her space, Hetal also weaved in the chef’s must-have layout—the triangle kitchen—but with a twist. “When I have guests over for dinner, I am usually still cooking because I want them to have a hot meal, but I hate having my back to them. So we flipped the sink and the cooktop so that the Gaggenau cooktop is on the island while the Kraus workstation sink and faucet are against the wall.” An entertainer’s dream, Hetal also called out two more details she loves about our True fridge. The unit’s ice maker for one: “It’s the smallest one but it produces so much ice and it doesn’t take up too much freezer space. And the stainless steel interiors make it all so easy to clean,” she says. But most importantly? Whenever she has guests over, it only takes a few minutes to chill each bottle after placing them in the unit. And when you frequently host Friday Happy Hours that tend to run long after your daughter’s recital—it’s quite the perk. Our only question is: How can we score an invite to one of Hetal’s happy hour extravaganzas?
