We were so excited to share a peek of our kitchen reveal with you a few weeks ago, and are absolutely smitten with our kitchen. It felt appropriate that it came just in time for the holidays, after waiting for so long. It’s definitely our favorite gift.
This little house and kitchen has come a long way from the beginning. Sometimes, it feels so different from the first time we set foot inside, I have to stop and remember. Just a few short months ago, it looked like this:
When you’re literally taking everything out of a kitchen, you get to play “in my ideal world I’d have” which is, of course, really fun.
While this wasn’t a new build, it was a lot like piecing a complicated puzzle back together again. We had the constraints of our walls and the layout we wanted, but the slate was fresh and it was all ours. We were able to pick exactly what we wanted, and in that plethora of all the pretty choices, we also tackled a big one: appliances. They’re a huge part of a kitchen, and can totally affect your love {or distain} for the functionality behind it all. A big choice like this, something to hold up through the ins and outs of the every day, can be a doozy.
We decided to go with the Frigidaire Professional collection, who provided the appliances, for lots of reasons. From attractive lines in their design, and Smudge-Proof finishes {totally at the top of the list with kids} all the way to the features the collection offers, and a name brand we can trust… there’s a lot that goes into what you bring into your home.
Today, we wanted to talk a little bit about the fabulous Frigidaire Professional appliances we chose to install in our kitchen, and the performance features we absolutely adore about each one. It’s one of our favorite perks about the entire space. Of course it’s hard to pick a favorite, but beyond the looks and all the fine details that came together to rock this space, here’s what we love about each and every piece.
But first, a little history of our past fridge relationships so you know where we’re coming from…
Once upon a time, in our old house, we had a fridge for over a decade. It was our young married fridge, the this-came-with-our-new-house fridge. And it carried us into our young-children-fresh-family-sleepless-nights, days. We even painted him at one point because bless his heart, he was ugly. He finally earned the name Lazarus in the end, because he would die, and then sputter back to life, and then die again. And then one day, with one last heave of a breath that translated into a slightly awkward creak, he went to fridge heaven for the final time.
Poor Lazarus.
We’d loved that fridge. We had a funeral. But we were no strangers to leaky fridges that gave us small heart attacks every time they stopped working. Or the stress of having to load everything into a cooler, and being told by repairmen that this one wasn’t coming back, and it would cost more to fix him with the tiny part we needed than to purchase an entirely new fridge.
Kind of a bummer when neither one was in your budget. Undependable, to say the least. That can be an exhausting game.
So then we replaced it with a vintage remake, which shall henceforth be known as the rebound fridge. It’s like we got into a new relationship, without really thinking through what we needed. Don’t get us wrong. This fridge was good looking, but just didn’t meet all our needs. A true rebound.
Then came our new Frigidaire Professional French Door Refrigerator. And it’s as if the heavens opened and angels sang. This fridge feels like the Rolls Royce of fridges. I’ve already covered how it has a magical light. It fades in and out softly at night, and sometimes I stand there and play with it because we’ve had a history with bad relationships and fridges and to me it’s those little things I don’t take for granted. Or if you’re famished in the middle of the night, and tiptoe down into the kitchen for a drink of water, it gently turns on and you can see what you’re doing without being completely blinded. So then you stumble back into bed after running into three walls and wake the whole fam.
Been there.
What else we love:
• That ice maker and water dispenser on the outside of the fridge. I know some people prefer it on the inside, and Frigidaire offers those options, too. But this was it for us. This fridge is like the marriage of streamlined while still offering convenience. Anyone knows that with kids, it’s a game of give and take in the home. A little luxury traded in for visual traded in for functional. Before you know it, you don’t have what you want anymore. This fridge is like having your cake and eating it, too. The perfect balance because nothing beats self-sufficient. They can get their own drinks. I repeat: They can get their own drinks! With Lazarus and rebound fridge, we were constantly serving our children. This one is amazing, because it does that for you.
• The ice. Yes, I know that sounds silly. But if you’re an ice lover, this fridge gives you options. So all you ice munchers out there, this is for you. The fridge comes with two icemakers and a dispenser so you don’t run out. The little cubes that come out of the dispenser are the perfect size for drinks, and the ones in the freezer below are standard sized and perfect for all things entertaining. Of course, there’s always crushed. Options, options, options.
• It also comes with ample storage. Like feed a family of five who likes to binge at the superstore…. and more, ample storage. See sneak peek of Thanksgiving leftovers in our shot below:
• You can see what the temp is on the inside by quickly opening the door to check. And change it with a quick touch.
•It beeps. The other day, we were sitting across the room with the kids when we heard a gentle, repetitive beep. It was then that we realized the door had been left open. Rather than dying on us, {Ahem, LAZARUS} the fridge let us know it needed a little attention. It’s the little things we’re not taking for granted. They make the ins and outs of the every day so much easier.
• And let’s not overlook the depth of the fridge, did we mention it is counter depth, hello lovely! This little feature is something people forget about when looking for a new fridge, but can make such an impact by giving you more kitchen space!
My parents love this fridge in our kitchen so much, they just purchased one for their new home. I think that speaks for itself. True story.
The first morning we cooked bacon atop this cooktop, we knew we’d arrived. It comes with five burners, and a griddle attachment you can sit in the middle, for important stuff like bacon. And pancakes. And all the things. The possibilities are endless.
The best part? It’s easy to clean with three separate grates that you can get to easily when you’re finito with big messy dishes like taco soup that may or may not have over boiled the other night because common core math homework is going to be the death of us.
Wait, did I just write that out loud?
No worries. we just sucked up the burned smell with our fab vent, and then wiped it clean as soon as it had cooled.
And we love that it’s gas, for when the power goes out because of all the snow we just know we’re going to get this winter. {Fingers crossed from the newbies via the tropics of South Alabama even though the cold just may kill me. Clearly, I’m torn. In the meantime, we have an awesome stovetop. Priorities.}
There are moments in your life when you know you’ve made the right choice. Like, where you decided to go to school. Or the person you married. Or what to name your kid.
We had one of those moments from the first time we saw these puppies installed in our kitchen cabinets. We looked at each other and high fived ourselves for thinking outside the box and doing something a little less expected with our limited space. And the first night we baked cookies, I literally started slurring my speech proclaiming my love to these ovens.
What we love:
• These ovens have a convection option, as well as a traditional cooking one. I had no idea how awesome convection could be, until now.
• They come with a double timer on each one, so you can cook multiple things in multiple ovens. I am totally owning Christmas this year, y’all. Call me octomom with all my fabulous dishes.
And by octomom I really mean dad, because Jamin’s a better cook than me.
• The racks on the bottom roll out for those hard to reach and heavy items. It’s the little things, and this is one of them.
I think these ovens just may be one of the best things that ever happened to our cooking life.
{Special installation is required for the oven configuration shown: make sure to check with you local codes department to meet the configuration requirements for your area or get with a locally licensed electrician. You want to make sure you install these beauties correctly.)
We placed this guy down low, and we’re so glad that we did. Because it’s so easy to use it has encouraged the kids to be more self-sufficient.
Yep, back to that phrase again.
There are a lot of things in life that are game changer moments as parents… when they bathe and buckle themselves for starters. And you know what else? When they can help out in the kitchen.
Between the fridge and the microwave, our lives actually got easier. Yes, these Frigidaire Professional appliances did that. I can honestly say, they’re a time saver, and our kids are learning. They just may make it in the zombie apocalypse. Or at least survive when we release them from the nest one day if we keep doing it right. We had our doubts.
Next up: laundry.
What else we love:
• It won’t let you forget. Other than the fact that it’s attractive, it definitely has a no beverage/food left behind approach. It will beep until you come back. And in this case, it’s usually my cold coffee {which my mom found a cup of in their microwave, left behind by me when we moved out} so that’s definitely a good thing.
• Easy pre sets that you can touch with one button. Awesome when you’re in a hurry, especially that 30 seconds option, which is my default, I must confess.
• Multiple settings for defrost, veggies, melt, and almost anything else you can think of.
And it blends seamlessly into our island.
We’ve honestly considered making a video of us inviting friends over. We’ll be all, in the middle of a good story. And then in the middle of said good story, we’ll shush everyone, and say, “Did you hear that?” And everyone will look around, quite confused, because there is nothing to be heard.
Which. Is. The. Point.
You can’t hear this thing. I’ve had to go and open the dishwasher multiple times, mid wash, because I didn’t know it was on. Especially in our wide-open great room. We couldn’t be more thrilled that such an essential item is living up to its expectations.
Yes, we are expert dish loaders. Shhhhhh.
What else we love:
• When it’s clean, there’s a little blue light that shines on the floor to let you know. No more guessing. Because we’ve done a lot of that in the past. And no more yelling over the dishwasher to have a conversation, for that matter. We had no idea such things were possible.
• Oh, and this is a nerd alert from us because we love little things like this: There are even little prongs that fold in the top rack, and self adjust so you can place whatever you want.
• The control panels are hidden away on the top, so when the dishwasher is closed, it has a pretty, sleek look. Bonus.
• The adjustable rack accommodates even our big soup pots and other oddly tall dishes.
If loading the dishwasher is a real live game of adult Tetris, you just won the bonus round with a new secret cheater’s code. Dirty dishes are no match for this puppy and your mad loading skills.
My grandmother had Frigidaire in her kitchen. The kitchen that my grandfather built. I remember her gloriously white appliances that lasted her for years and years with their vintage logos and tried and true name. Meal after meal, memory after memory, gathering after gathering. In her kitchen.
There’s just something about the timeless appeal of a wonderful brand you can trust that we really do love bringing into our home.
We’re thrilled to be another generation, with years in front of us with a wonderful relationship. Timeless products that we trust are a bonus.
And we love how they have evolved, not only with the technology, but even the modern style. We simply love the sleek look and seamless functionality of the appliances, which is a major reason we chose the Frigidaire Professional collection.
We hope this helps give an overview for those of you that were curious about our appliances. Glorious eye candy with high functionality, to boot.
As always, let us know if you have any questions. Appliances are one of the biggest choices you’ll make when choosing your future kitchen, and they’re kind of a huge deal and we want to help in any way that we can with our own experiences!
Have an inspired day!
:: This post was brought to you in partnership Frigidaire. All opinions are 100% ours. Please read our full disclosure pertaining to partnerships here ::