There are some obvious signs that you’re in the kitchen of established culinary pros. The industrial roll of plastic wrap. A chinois — the classic restaurant staple for straining pureé — within easy reach of the powerful stainless gas range. But many of the design choices tupelo Park City chef/co-owner Matthew Harris and partner/co-owner Maggie Harris made in renovating their historic Midway home were more subtly influenced by their two decades in the hospitality industry. Moreover, they’ve prioritized the realities of raising their toddler daughter, a couple of energetic herding dogs, and spending as much off-the-clock time as possible getting outdoors.
The Harrises graciously shared some of their renovation lessons learned and pro tips that can easily be adapted by enthusiastic (or maybe just aspirational) home cooks considering a move or remodel.
Embrace Character, Color, and a Bit of Chaos
Since purchasing the circa 1890 Gottlieb and Louisa Buhler homestead in 2017, the couple has literally and figuratively put down roots at their historic property in Midway. Says Maggie of their location choice, “We basically bought the worst house in the best location we could afford,” anticipating that they’d be spending the balance in some significant DIY and contracted renovations and building out a serious garden and orchard.
A bonus:
That old kitchen space perfectly segued into a much-needed mudroom with laundry appliances, plenty of space for hanging up wet and snow-laden gear, and even a tidy sauna.
When Nephi and Eliza (Beth) Probst purchased the home from the Buhler family in 1932, Nephi made a series of additions to accommodate their 10 children. He incorporated his substantial collection of rock specimens in the home’s exterior mortar, including geological oddities like geodes, agate, local pot rock, and rare minerals in myriad and brilliant hues. “We could have gone with a more neutral color,” explains Maggie of their exterior paint choice of an almost emerald green. “But we decided why not make it as unique as the house itself,” with the hue picking up the striations of some of the more unusual stone specimens lodged in the mortar.
While they’ve brought in new elements like a tidy greenhouse — Matthew grows most of their vegetable plants from seed, and about 90% of their produce goes straight to the tupelo kitchen — they’ve kept many original elements of the homestead. The original silo (now used for overflow storage) sits in pride of place off the drive, and they moved long-established hops plantings to a different spot in their garden.
Find the Flow
Not surprisingly, a priority for the couple was creating a kitchen space that wasn’t just functional, it needed to serve as the center of the home. The original kitchen was in a cramped, dark, low-ceilinged room adjacent to the driveway. By combining the space formerly dedicated to a downstairs parlor and small bedroom, the Harrises built a galley-style kitchen that is organized like a professional restaurant but feels like a gracious gourmet retreat.
“It’s super-efficient,” says Matthew of how they planned the kitchen. “It’s tight like a line; everything is just a step or two away,” from the cooking range and oven to the full-sized refrigerator, sink, dishwasher, and countertop cutting board. They also merged two existing windows to make the view of their fields and the mountains the focus of the room, rather than installing overhead cabinets. “Having the windows right next to the range for when Matt smokes out the kitchen was key,” laughs Maggie aboutthe aesthetic and practical placement of the hinged window casements.
The new kitchen is also in direct alignment with a walk-in pantry complete with a full-sized stand-up freezer, plant rehabilitation nook in a sunny windowsill, and efficient composting unit. On the other end of the galley, the kitchen door goes directly out to a patio space for entertaining, with their grill, smoker, and the garden and orchard just steps away. “We don’t have a lot of space inside to entertain a crowd,” continues Maggie of their indoor/outdoor lifestyle. “So, we usually have people over in the warmer months for casual get-togethers in the garden,” like the annual lobster bake they host for Maggie’s birthday in early July.
Keep it Clean
“We wanted to have the kitchen feel as old as the house,” explains Maggie of the surfaces and fixtures in the galley. “I know it’s a controversial choice, but we picked soapstone for the countertops and backsplash,” she says, applauding soapstone’s acid-resistant and heat-proof characteristics, even though it can be prone to discoloration and scratching. “Our contractor said, ‘Are you sure?’ when we chose soapstone, but we’re really happy with it, and it’s so much easier to clean than tile.”
One of the first appliances Matthew selected for the kitchen was a powerful range, which he picked more for performance than sticking to a particular brand (they ended up choosing a Thor range). “I was looking for ease of cleaning,” says Matthew of his choice. “That means stainless steel, which usually also means getting a performance model with high BTUs,” indicating some significant firepower. Additionally, this semi-pro setup required having a substantial externally vented range hood installed, along with placement next to the aforementioned bank of windows.
In keeping with their minimalist approach, very little sits out on their countertops, but they are very particular about where often-used items like knives, pots, and pans are stored. “Doing this professionally for so long, we’ve learned to get by with less,” states Matthew of keeping on hand a few high-quality items, rather than a battery of kitchenware. “We always leave two skillets out — one cast iron and one non-stick egg pan — and they just live on the range,” while everything else (including an entire drawer of well-organized knives) lives in a designated space. “Deep drawers are clutch for organizing a kitchen” advises Maggie. For serving, they chose only two kinds of plateware, and everything is dishwasher safe: East Fork Stoneware from Maggie’s hometown of Asheville, and durable enamelware for eating outside and serving kiddos.
When entertaining, they also operate within the space as you would in a restaurant kitchen. “We have stations,” says Maggie. “All of my baking stuff is right here in the corner, where I’ve got enough space to do pastry stuff.” And Matthew describes his typical role at the range, grill, and smoker, “I handle the mains, the proteins, the sides.”
Also indicative of their restaurant backgrounds, they’re particular about cleaning as they go to avoid mess. They note there’s not a lot of room in their kitchen for extra cooks, even though many of their friends are themselves chefs, restaurateurs, and food artisans. “We have some really talented friends in both food and beverage,” Maggie continues, “so that’s what we usually assign: bring the cocktails or wine,” which are set up outside or in the dining room.
Grow Where You’re Planted
“In professional kitchens you don’t usually get to build your kitchen from the ground up. You have a footprint and a budget, and you work with that,” recalls Matthew of adapting their old farmstead to modern life.
He continues with a laugh, “Someone could put a monstrosity on this plot of land, and we’ve probably spent the same amount of money at this point, but it’s worth it.” Making this space their own, they’ve filled it with Maggie’s paintings, found art from family trips, and gifts from local artist friends. “Every inch of the house gets used, that’s why we went with an older farmhouse,” says Matthew.
He equates adapting to their old homestead to modern living as being similar to how his own priorities have changed as a chef over time. He says, “Now, I think, ‘Dude, you’ve got to simplify this stuff,’” whether that’s picking a minimalist solution for the kitchen, planting a tidy garden row, or selecting a star ingredient to inspire a dish on tupelo’s menu. “Pick the ingredient and let it ride,” he explains of his approach. “There’s no need to tweezer ingredients and put microgreens on everything.”
Maggie agrees that this more laid-back approach is a nice place to land for their family. “There are a lot of kids and dogs running around,” remarks Maggie of their overall vibe. “Come in, take your shoes off, have a cocktail. And make sure to wear stretchy pants.”
