At the heart of southern interior design is the kitchen. It portrays the heart of the home and on behalf of the women and mothers who serve their families, it portrays a labor of love.

With each holiday as meals are planned and families gather my thoughts go back to my family holidays that I experienced as a child. My mother always planned a feast of a menu and for a day we were able to enjoy one another and the traditional southern dishes prepared by her with love and much labor. We were a family of ten.

What I learned growing up is that the size of the kitchen was not as important as the efficiency of the kitchen. I come from humble means and our kitchen was smaller than the average size master bath.

Southern is a term of endearment as it represents a love for those closest to our hearts and a willingness to serve on them everyday; what we call being a ‘blessing.’ So for today and all the future holiday meals I want to honor all women who have determined to be a ‘blessing’ to those they love and the families they serve.

This is at the heart of a southern kitchen.

For more kitchen inspiration please visit House Beautiful.