How Easy Was That? Recreating Barefoot's Kitchen

I've received a Barefoot Contessa cookbook every year, for the past three years, from one particular friend who hopes that one day, I will find my inner Ina Garten and be able to whip up a lovely tea spread with fresh baked peach scones and homemade marmalade at the drop of a hat. (So far? Not so much. Unless I'm making a pit stop at Sweet Lady Jane's.) He just moved into a new condo in West Hollywood, and he is all about re-creating Ina's East Hampton kitchen. I think he'll be able to pull off the look for less with some resourceful digging and sticking to the basics...the only question is: What do you think are the essential keys to recreate this look? (In addition to those cookies, of course.)

-Grace

Comments (8)

Lots of beautiful pure white dishes! Try Bargain Fair on Beverly for the best local selection and price. Also, please don't promote "Sweet" Lazy Jane: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/387283 That place gives LA bakeries a bad name.

posted by mgn on August 13th 2007 at 12:17pm
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Wow, thanks for the chowhound link, mgn. I once had a bad customer service experience at Sweet Lady Jane's, but just chalked it up to someone else having a bad day. Good to know it wasn't just me... I'm more of a Susina guy anyway.

posted by Enrique on August 13th 2007 at 1:22pm
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i used ina's kitchen as one of my inspirations; i took the white cabinets, dark countertops, stainless steel appliances, and brushed nickel hardware from it although i ended up applying them in a decidedly different space. i think your friend could get that clean but cosy hamptons vibe with some white paint and brushed metal hardware on the cabinetry, a neutral paint for the rest of the room, and as mgn said, lots of white dishes.

posted by santos. on August 13th 2007 at 1:54pm
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Enrique - Susina is SOOO much better! Also, MILK, Boule, even La Brea.

santos - nice kitchen! I love your sink, very Ina. I do think that the little drawer pulls in the original give it a more Hamptons feel then the ones you use.

posted by mgn on August 13th 2007 at 3:04pm
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I love watching Ina! I wouldn't forget to use a shade of green on the walls, whether in an exact match of the wallpaper or in glass tile. It makes the difference I think.

Love the ambience in Susina, btw.

posted by RJD on August 13th 2007 at 5:58pm
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Santos, your kitchen is awesome. (And I laughed when I read your caption--so true.) And man, that sucks to hear that Sweet Lady Jane went down the tubes. I'll have to cruise over to Susina to check it out!

posted by grace on August 14th 2007 at 10:19am
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Check out: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/fall-colors-2006-east/48-alisons-vivid-accents-013958

Different door pulls and you'd be very close!

posted by calix on August 15th 2007 at 7:18am
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well, if you want it exactly like ina has her kitchen she talks about what she had done to it @ barefootcontessa.com.

I think that she uses white plates mostly because she loves to accent with color, just like her shirts.

she also uses alot of glass like her flour jar and in her pantry she puts things in glass jars.

so go for white and clear with black countertops and you should be good.

posted by wwoolsey on August 15th 2007 at 10:45am
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