WHERE WERE YOU ON THE 4TH OF JULY?

Hi everyone! Sam here—co-founder of Kitchen Door. I wanted to share a personal story with you about Independence Day and the magic of summer.

My memories of the 4th of July take on different flavors that match the stages in my life. In childhood when my grandparents were still alive, we’d make the 4-hour drive to Cincinnati and watch the fireworks with aunts, uncles, and cousins. As a young adult, I’d take in the fireworks from the beaches of Fishers Island, NY with my parents, brother, sister, and our close family friends. Now, I watch the fireworks from a boat in the middle of an Adirondacks lake with my partner and her family.

I don’t remember the ice cream or apple pie that graced the table of 4th of July barbecues. Nor do I recall the precise fireworks I saw, or whether it was muggy and hot or clear and temperate on 4th of July's past. What I do remember, every year, is where I was, and who I was with.

The combination of beloved people gathering in special places is magical. That’s what the 4th of July has always meant to me. We all have our traditions, but I’ll bet many of them rest on a foundation of who we’re with, and where we are.

That’s because we treasure our experiences outside. They engage all of our senses: the smoke of a grill, the texture of a cool watermelon, the hug of our favorite sweaty aunt, the bursts of hydrangeas in early July, the feel of grass on our bare feet, and the sounds of a summer night.

Kitchen Door’s mission is to give you the foundation for those memories in the places outside of your own home. Our Signature Design Styles were all created based on an experience one of us had in nature – memories so special, with emotional connections to them so strong, that we wanted to preserve and gift them to everyone else.

For example, I love our Oasis Signature Design Style because it was created from a treasured childhood memory:

One 4th of July weekend when I was in middle school, my family took an early afternoon stroll on Fishers Island. We found a path into the woods and followed it, not knowing where it would go. Along the way, we happened upon a forgotten wooden bench in a clearing, then further on we discovered stands of wild blackberries. We harvested a bucket of them and made a blackberry cobbler we enjoyed as we celebrated the 4th. I wanted Kitchen Door’s clients to share that experience and enjoy it with their loved ones anytime they stepped outside.

Kitchen Door creates the stage for your 4th of July gatherings by transforming the space outside of your home with designs like you’ve never seen before, because they’re inspired by our best memories. We weave together heirloom and indigenous plants with tasty edibles, vibrant perennials, and masterful craftsmanship in the pergolas, firepits, and outdoor kitchens we build.

The combination of all of them together, guided by our design vision, is to enable you and your loved ones to come together outside and create new memories you’ll treasure.

Happy 4th of July!