Page 66 of Guarded Secrets
He unlocked the back door, stepping back to let her walk into the mudroom ahead of him. He followed her in and left her suitcase next to the pocket door inside the kitchen. She put her bag and purse on the suitcase.
When she started toeing off her trainers, he shook his head. “Leave them on. Work zone, remember?”
“Right.”
They stepped into the kitchen, and she paused to look around. “Wow. You said sixty years old?”
“About that. They bought the house as a new build in the early sixties and the kitchen was remodeled in the eighties.”
“Your appliances are Harvest Gold. I’ve never actually seen that color other than in magazines. They’re classic.”
“Never bothered me when I was a kid, but I hate the color now. Those’ll be gone when I get to the kitchen part of the remodel and replace them with stainless steel.”
“I wonder if in another sixty years people will look back on stainless steel appliances with the same horror we reserve for Harvest Gold and Avocado Green from the seventies.”
“Not my problem. I like a clean look.”
“Will you give me the grand tour? I want to know your vision.”
“My vision is to get rid of everything that made the place look dark. That includes the paneling, small windows, and small rooms.”
“That’s a good start.”
He gestured across the kitchen. “I took out a wall there to open the kitchen to the dining room and built the island. It’s done except for the countertop and cabinet doors, which I want to match to the rest of the kitchen. I’m waiting for inspiration on that.
“The island will have stools on one side, and cabinets on the other.” He glanced around the space. “The Formica’s butt-ugly and the sink’s chipped. I’ve been waiting to pull those out until I figure out what to replace them with. I was thinking stained concrete and a stainless sink.”
“Concrete countertops?” She gave a shudder. “That’d be like having a sidewalk in the kitchen.”
“Ha. More like making good use of a functional material. Concrete is durable, heat resistant, and stain resistant if it’s sealed properly. You can even incorporate surface designs like making it look like marble. Plus, it’ll complement the stainless appliances.”
“It sounds…industrial. I was going to say soulless, but I don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
He frowned, considering. Maybe she had a point. “What would you do?”
“Don’t get me started or I’ll be showing you my dream kitchen Pinterest board. I started it when Mom and Dad had their kitchen redone.”
“How about you tell me.”
“Okay, you asked for it.” She grinned.
“My philosophy is the kitchen is the heart of the home. By removing the wall, you’ve made the dining area part of that heart. A family has meals there, but it’s also where kids would do their homework while mom and dad are making dinner.
“It’s where mom pays the bills while dad makes school lunches after the kids are in bed. Big talks happen at the dining table, likewhere to go on vacation or whether you can afford to put in that pool.”
He turned away like he was picturing her ideas in his kitchen. But the reality was the home she described hit him with the force of an earthquake and made him yearn for something he could never have.
“Go on, I’m listening.” His voice sounded gruff even to his own ears.
“With that philosophy behind it, I’d want the kitchen to feel warm and inviting.”
He turned back to her. “And concrete countertops are cold and uninviting.”
She hunched her shoulders. “No offense, but that’s my feeling. My dream kitchen applied to your space would have a white apron sink, since Iloveapron sinks, and would be complemented by a light gray quartz countertop. Not a solid gray but something with a bit of pizzazz.”
“Pizzazz.”
“You’re laughing at me on the inside. I’m on to you.”
