As the owner of Sweethaus, the old-fashioned bakery on West Main Street, Tara Koenig gets to satisfy both her sweet tooth and her love for design. Before opening her cupcake and candy shop last September, she fed her design habit by renovating the kitchen in her 90-year-old home in the Fifeville neighborhood.
Not knowing whether or not her home kitchen would also be her commercial kitchen, Koenig designed it with mass production in mind. “I knew I needed a ton of light and a ton of counter space,” she said. Cleaning also needed to be easy, since frosting’s messy business. For maximum light, she knocked out a wall, ripped out the ceiling, and put in a triple window. For space, she added an 8’x3′ zinc-topped island and a 4′ wide Victorian laundry sink. For wipe-ability, she lined the back wall with subway tiles.
Featuring a farm table with banquette seating, a sofa, a wood-burning fireplace, and a TV all within view, Koenig’s kitchen is where she, her husband, and their 2-year-old daughter hang out. “I have visions of our future children spread out, doing homework at the table while I’m cooking,” she said.
When the design bug bites again, she’ll add a pantry and French doors leading outside, but for now, she’s just enjoying the heart of their home.
