Memories throughout. This brand-new kitchen is already filled with great family memories!

My Country Kitchen

A Place for Gatherings

We built it all—oak floor, pine ceiling beams and chalkboard countertops!

By Lois Mays
Covington, PA

I grew up on farms, and my husband worked on them while growing up. During the 24 years we lived smack-dab in the middle of a small town, we’d both dreamed of building a home in the country.

After raising our three children, we did just that. I designed this kitchen, with its unique personal memories, and John did almost all the work himself, with a little help from family.

It was no small task. I wasn’t interested in fancy—but I did insist on efficiency. I wanted a warm, inviting look, too, since the kitchen just seems to be the place where everyone meets when we’re cooking. We needed enough room for multiple cooks to work together at once.

And dining options were important, too. I wanted to be able to grab a quick snack at the counter or enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee while gazing out at the gently sloping landscape from a sunny breakfast nook. I also wanted to host large family dinners around our large dining room table, passed down from John’s great-aunt and then his parents.

John, a self-employed contractor, made it all happen. He works with wood daily in renovation projects and new construction, and this was his second custom kitchen.

Noteworthy Countertops

Husband John built cabinets of oak harvested and dried by his brother. Lois finished them, and displays heirlooms on top.

Chalkboard countertops are a fun touch, and practical.

The feature that first grabs guests’ attention is the chalkboard countertops that John inlaid in oak. They were made from the chalkboards in his fourth-grade classroom! The school removed them after a fire and John, who was working on the renovation, acquired and stored them.

To transform them, he first wet-cut them with a diamond-tip saw blade and wet-sanded them. They were then polished and sealed.

The counters need occasional repolishing, but they clean very easily, and they’re so practical. I place hot dishes on them without worry, and can easily roll out delicate pastries on the cool surface.

And yes, we do use the chalkboard for jotting down quick reminders or notes to each other. Our five young grandchildren, who live nearby, all think it’s pretty cool that they can draw on Grammy’s counters!

Kitchen Floor Plan

To see larger plan, click image

I chose country red for the walls to complement the charcoal gray countertops. John selected oak flooring, both for its warm look and durability. We had the wood custom sawed, then installed the floor with a little help from relatives.

An Amish family in New York sawed the white pine ceiling beams. Then John’s brother, Skip, dried the cut beams in his kiln.

Handmade Cabinets

Skip also harvested and kiln-dried the oak for our cabinets. John built them, and I finished them. They set off perfectly the heirloom pots and pitchers, once John’s grandmothers’, which are displayed above them.

One feature I especially appreciate is the wall oven. I love to bake, and it’s great not to have to bend down each time I open the door!

But what I love most is having the space to host large gatherings. Family, friends and traditions are so important to us, and we both come from large families. Being able to have everyone here is priceless.

The space is large enough that we’ve twice hosted the Christmas party from my workplace. Since I’m a licensed practical nurse at an elementary school, that’s a big group—47 people here for a sit-down dinner, with a DJ and dancing afterward!

Most of our days here are considerably quieter. John and I find excitement in watching deer, bobcats or even a mama bear and her three cubs run across our 17 acres.

It’s extra-satisfying to be surrounded by such beauty outside—and our family’s special memories inside—in the kitchen we built ourselves.

The cooktop, microwave and wall oven are grouped conveniently in one corner.	John and Lois relax in their bright and airy dining room, from which they often spot wildlife.