Martha Stewart Living Drawer Pulls

It's the most exciting — and rewarding — room in your home to renovate, but also the most expensive. With a little savvy strategizing and purposeful planning, however, you can create a customized space that suits the way you cook and live. Here, two couples took decidedly different approaches: One hired an architect for a dramatic remodel; the other headed to a big-box store for major design help. Both got the kitchen they always wanted.

In their Brooklyn brownstone, Cristin Frodella (shown here) and her husband, Conor Sheridan, wanted a wide-open kitchen where everyone could gather — for breakfast, after-school snacks and dinners fired up on their indoor grill (far left).

OPEN INVITATION

When Cristin Frodella and Conor Sheridan bought their Park Slope, Brooklyn, brownstone three years ago, their first order of business was knocking out the walls on the parlor floor to create an open cooking and living space. "We wanted it to be joyful, not stuffy," says Frodella, the global head of education marketing at Google.

The couple had three criteria for their kitchen: It should be the heart of the home, open onto the backyard, and — for Sheridan, who loves cooking over a fire — feature a wood-burning grill. Working with New York City architect Elizabeth Roberts, the couple oriented the kitchen horizontally across the back of the house and centered the range on the island. For storage, they chose a mix of open shelves and deep cabinets.

The grill is a stunning centerpiece. "Conor makes duck, steaks and vegetables on it — even fruit for dessert," Frodella says. "If we have people over, it's a Brazilian meat-fest."

ALL IN THE DETAILS: When Roberts designs kitchens, she considers exactly what will go into open and closed storage spaces. She also factors in the path from the front door to the refrigerator, so there's room to bring in groceries.

ROCK SOLID: A large island anchors the kitchen and provides storage underneath. The couple chose bleu de Savoie, a blue-gray marble, for their countertops. The pendant light is from Rejuvenation.

Jessica Davis (shown here) set a budget, created Pinterest inspiration boards and studied the Martha Stewart Living catalog for ideas. Then she and a designer worked to determine her overall aesthetic (modern farmhouse) and fine-tune the details.

SMART STARTS

When they were still living in New York City, Jessica Davis and her husband, Will, cooked ambitious dishes like pate and ramen from scratch in their tiny apartment. Then, last year, they bought their first home, a 1925 Colonial in South Orange, New Jersey, with a sparse, dated kitchen that was begging for an upgrade.

To design a space where they could cook, bake and entertain, Jessica, vice president and design director for Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's, turned to Marissa Brown, vice president and design director for Martha Stewart Living Kitchens at the Home Depot, and began a process that mirrored a typical big-box kitchen renovation: The Home Depot provided a 3-D plan, the couple hired a contractor and their kitchen was completed in about 14 weeks.

They're still on cloud nine today: "It's so much space!" Jessica says. "We have to pinch ourselves that it's actually ours."

FARM FRESH: The Davis kitchen features Martha Stewart Living for the Home Depot Ox Hill cabinets, in Ocean Floor, and Bedford Brass knobs and pulls. The Design Craft pendant lights are from Overstock.com.

BREATHING SPACE: To keep their kitchen airy, they installed only two cabinets on the walls; the rest are under the counters. A white subway-tile backsplash adds brightness and is a classic, affordable option.

ASSIGNED SEATING: Barstools are great for entertaining, but they also help define work space, Jessica says: "When family is visiting, I want them nearby but out of the way while I cook!" These stools are from Target.

Choose wisely: Picking the right countertops for your kitchen depends on the overall look you're going for and how you plan to use them.

COUNTER OFFERINGS

When choosing this major kitchen feature, think about your style, budget and willingness to maintain it (resealer, anyone?). Below, a cheat sheet:

1. RICHLITE: Made from paper composite and resin, this eco-friendly material comes in many colors, resists stains and handles heat well.

2. BUTCHER BLOCK: Often made from maple or oak, wooden counters look warm and are simple to maintain: They stain easily but can be sanded or resealed with mineral oil.

3. STAINLESS STEEL: This sturdy material handles heat well, won't stain and is a breeze to clean. A few cons: It's costly and may dent or scratch (though minor etches can be buffed out).

4. SOAPSTONE: This composite of talc and other minerals stands up well to heat, chemicals and mild cleansers, but it's softer than granite and can chip.

5. & 6. ENGINEERED STONE: Some of these counters, which are commonly made from quartz particles, look more man-made than real stone, but they're far more durable.

7. CONCRETE: Pros: It's heat- and scratch-resistant, and it can be custom-tinted. Cons: It's costly and can stain, so it must be resealed often.

8. MARBLE: It's beautiful, heat-resistant and long-lasting, yet also more prone to stains. Avoid putting acidic foods or cleansers on it, and reseal every six months or so.

9. (Large circular stone) GRANITE: Sourced from hard volcanic rock, this pricier material is known for its rich color and durability, but be sure to use trivets on it: Repeated heat can cause cracks.

10. CORIAN: This seamless blend of acrylic polymers and materials derived from natural stone looks and feels luxe but holds up well to wear and tear, and doesn't stain.

To design a kitchen that won't feel dated in 5 or 10 years, experts suggest keeping counters and cabinets simple and timeless — and injecting personality with fixtures (faucets and lights), furniture (namely stools) and hardware (drawer and cabinet pulls). The best part? You can update them relatively easily down the line.

FIXTURES: "If you cook a lot, opt for a single-lever kitchen faucet so you can adjust water temperature with one hand," Roberts says. And feel free to combine different finishes: If you choose a silver faucet, contrast it with brass drawer pulls (or vice versa)."

TILES: Think beyond the basic all-white square for a backsplash or counter accent, says Jessica Gould, an interior designer at Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design.

HARDWARE: Think of drawer pulls and cabinet knobs "as jewelry," says Gould, who likes to mix some materials or shapes and sizes in the same kitchen. "You don't want to be too matchy-matchy."

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