Blisshaus #4: Mill Valley Magic

Article published at: Sep 12, 2019 Article author: Wiebke Liu
Blisshaus #4: Mill Valley Magic
All Before & After Gallery Article comments count: 0
We were thrilled to be invited into the gorgeous showcase home for one of our favorite designers. Her Mill Valley kitchen is the perfect stage for Blisshaus jars. 

 

Julie Dalton's Kitchen
Julie Dalton's Pantry

 

PANTRY BEFORE

 

PANTRY AFTER

 

 

SPICES BEFORE

 

SPICES AFTER

 

 

DISHERS BEFORE

 

DISHES AFTER

 

Tell us about your family:

We are a super busy family with two careers on full-blast and three fabulous kids, two boys and one girl. We are constantly on the run between job sites, schools and sport activities - it's breathtaking at times.

Why did you blisshaus your kitchen?

Our schedules are packed to the brim but we keep our family meal as one of our anchors to bring us all together. So while we all run around during the day, we do need a well functioning kitchen. The challenge is, I am an interior designer and so I really needed a solution that works visually as well as practically. 

One of my big challenges is that we also show the house as a showcase to my design clients. So the kitchen has to look in shipshape for that. It used to be rather stressful and I felt I had to make excuses when clients peeked into my cabinets.
No more! Now I literally can't wait to show off our kitchen cabinets and drawers.

What was the experience like?

It was truly unbelievable. On the day that your team came, I dashed off to my office not even having time to clear the breakfast dishes. At 5pm, you texted me that you were almost done. I was so excited for the big reveal, I invited my entire team of designers to come, too (our office is only a 10 minute walk from our home.)
You had done magic!  My little girl and I opened the cabinets one-by-one - I couldn't believe the transformation.  I literally had tears in my eyes!

What was the biggest surprise about your makeover?

I thought we would have to keep a 'secret closet' for all the random junk we have. I didn't think you could organize all the loose ends of serving platters and extra cutlery and party napkins etc. But somehow you managed to organize even the overflow closet and turned it into our 'Party Closet' complete with all the booze and happy hour snacks. Really amazing.

Oh, and then there is the workflow edit you did. Unloading the dishwasher and setting the table is so much easier now. I didn't think that moving the plates into the cabinet you chose for them would make such a difference, but it totally did!

What is your family's cooking routine?

We are always on the run but try to cook at home as much as we can. Plus, with 5 birthdays just between the 5 of us, we seem to entertain constantly. Add to that 5 lunches that need to be packed plus all the kids' snacks (teenage boys!) It seems like we are constantly in the kitchen.  

How do you grocery shop now?

For fresh produce, we always have had many excellent farmer's market here in Marin. We're lucky to also have some fabulous co-ops and grocery stores nearby that have bulk bins. I try to shop there as much as I can - but sometimes things do get so busy that I have to use my 'Blisshaus Hallpass' and order a few things via delivery. I figure, even if some of our groceries are still wrapped in plastic, at least now the crackers and snacks won't go stale thanks to my Blisshaus jars. So at the very least we waste much less food. But come to think of it, we used to buy raisins and dried mango in plastic bags - and pretzels and rice. All that comes from bulk bins now. I guess we ARE saving a ton of plastic, too!

What is the best part about your Blisshaus kitchen?

Blisshaus makes my kitchen shine. It's the perfect complement to my design. Thank you!

 

 

 

Click here for the next Before & After story
Blisshaus Before & After Story #5

 

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