Once upon a time, young children practiced penmanship and played Parcheesi around a large dining table here while their mother, barely in view but within easy earshot, served up meals from a dark and cramped cooking area. Woefully miscast in a bright house of generous proportions, the galley-style cooking area had the workaday feel of a short order cook’s station. Clearly, it missed the mark by not putting the leading lady of this lively household center stage.

With the children grown and the nearby dining room in daily use, the mother jumped at the chance to rewrite this kitchen’s storyline by shifting its focus from eating to cooking. She set the stage by asking for a refined backdrop of classic white cabinets to replace dark countrified ones. Now, the kitchen no longer appears underdressed when compared to the rest of the house’s turned out garb.

The mother hits her mark front and center at a work island in place of the former dining table. Best of all, she has a view through the window and can bask in the spotlight of the sun’s rays. The timing was right for Mom to perform her daily kitchen routine in the limelight.