A Sweet Kitchen Remodel in Hershey, PA
Depending on their clients’ specific needs and requests, Swartz Kitchens & Baths designers can evoke a wide range of kitchen design styles, from Contemporary to Craftsman, Farmhouse to French Country. Each of these styles has their own signature characteristics. For example, you can easily identify a French Country kitchen by its eclectic mix of soft colors and rough textures, including worn surfaces or metal. Or if you’re looking for a kitchen in the contemporary style, you might spot frameless cabinetry and sleek, simple colors and lines. Recently, though, we were visited by a local client looking for a kitchen remodel that embodied the essence of a very specific location that is both close to our Harrisburg showroom and special to many Americans: Hershey, PA. Read on for all the sweet details!
Milton S. Hershey’s American Dream
Like us, iconic American entrepreneur Milton S. Hershey was no stranger to inspiration and good design principles. When he set out in 1903 to begin building his now famous town of Hershey, PA, his ambition was guided by a goal similar to our own: to design and build spaces where people can gather together to not only live a good life, but to thrive. In fact, Hershey once said, “One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy,” and we couldn’t agree more.
Hershey wasn’t met with success right away, though. In fact, his first two businesses failed, and it wasn’t until his third company that he had his first major success. In 1883, Hershey founded the Lancaster Caramel Company. It was while he was expanding and growing his caramel company that he became fascinated with chocolate.
Chocolate has a rich and storied world history, but Hershey’s main interest was in how to mass produce it and make it available to the American people. As his love and passion for chocolate grew, he sold his caramel company for $1,000,000 (the equivalent of $30,000,000 in 2021!), and made plans to move back to his hometown of Derry Church, PA.
From Derry Church, PA to Chocolatetown, USA
Hershey chose Derry Church to house his new chocolate company, not only because it was his hometown, but because it was primarily a dairy town. At the time, Hershey was in the process of perfecting his proprietary recipe for what was then a Swiss luxury product: milk chocolate. The rest is history! Hershey perfected his recipe, and just five short years later, Hershey owned the largest manufacturing company in the country. Nowadays, the Hershey company has factories in locations all over the world.
Hershey always had ambition to be more than just a candy maker, though, and from the very beginning he aimed to create a town around the factory that would keep his employees thriving. Known as much as an industrialist as he was a philanthropist, he invested much of the profits from the Hershey Company back into the town and into charitable foundations that are still thriving today. In fact, during the Great Depression, Hershey was still able to ensure that people in the town had good paying jobs building theatres, a community center, and various other projects that would keep the town going through such difficult times.
Today the town is not only still home to Hershey’s corporate headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, it is also a tourist destination visited by people from all over the world, all there to celebrate the legacy built by Hershey, his philanthropy, and his candy company.
A Kiss of Design Inspiration on Bittersweet Drive
Few pieces of candy bring as much joy and happiness as the simple Hershey Kiss. It’s also one of Hershey’s most popular products, with nearly 70 million of these world-famous confections made every day at the Hershey Chocolate Factory in Hershey, PA. They also serve as a fun design touch and focal point for our client’s kitchen remodel on Bittersweet Drive — after all, even the streets in Hershey are named after chocolate! Swartz Kitchens and Baths designer Donna Felker said the clients wanted to add a design nod to their town; the shape of the chrome tasking lights mimics the form of the iconic Hershey Kiss.
Redesigned for Function and Flow
Lighting wasn’t the only careful consideration; the kitchen’s layout was completely revamped. To ensure a stylish and functional redesign, the design team moved the location of the fridge. One of the easiest ways to make cooking easier and create better function in a kitchen is to create a strong “work triangle” where the refrigerator, stove, and sink are positioned in a close triangle. Integrating a tighter work triangle into the layout made room for a larger island and more counter space. Underutilized space was reconfigured to create a year-round breakfast nook just off the kitchen. And, a kitchen office that became a catch-all for junk was abandoned in favor of more cabinets and pantry space.
Thrilled with the results, our thoughtful clients sent us photos and these kind words right before the holidays: “We want to thank all of you for making all of this come together and for making our particular vision a reality.”
Looking for A Sweet Kitchen Remodel of Your Own?
If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, and you aren’t sure where to start, that’s okay! We’d recommend reading our blog post, How to Speak Kitchen Design with the Pros, or this article featuring kitchen design inspiration for 2021.
Our designers would also be happy to help you find the inspired touches that will make your kitchen uniquely you, no matter where you live. Simply contact Swartz Kitchens & Baths today to start designing your ideal kitchen.
A Sweet Kitchen Remodel in Hershey, PA
Depending on their clients’ specific needs and requests, Swartz Kitchens & Baths designers can evoke a wide range of kitchen design styles, from Contemporary to Craftsman, Farmhouse to French Country. Each of these styles has their own signature characteristics. For example, you can easily identify a French Country kitchen by its eclectic mix of soft colors and rough textures, including worn surfaces or metal. Or if you’re looking for a kitchen in the contemporary style, you might spot frameless cabinetry and sleek, simple colors and lines. Recently, though, we were visited by a local client looking for a kitchen remodel that embodied the essence of a very specific location that is both close to our Harrisburg showroom and special to many Americans: Hershey, PA. Read on for all the sweet details!
Milton S. Hershey’s American Dream
Like us, iconic American entrepreneur Milton S. Hershey was no stranger to inspiration and good design principles. When he set out in 1903 to begin building his now famous town of Hershey, PA, his ambition was guided by a goal similar to our own: to design and build spaces where people can gather together to not only live a good life, but to thrive. In fact, Hershey once said, “One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy,” and we couldn’t agree more.
Hershey wasn’t met with success right away, though. In fact, his first two businesses failed, and it wasn’t until his third company that he had his first major success. In 1883, Hershey founded the Lancaster Caramel Company. It was while he was expanding and growing his caramel company that he became fascinated with chocolate.
Chocolate has a rich and storied world history, but Hershey’s main interest was in how to mass produce it and make it available to the American people. As his love and passion for chocolate grew, he sold his caramel company for $1,000,000 (the equivalent of $30,000,000 in 2021!), and made plans to move back to his hometown of Derry Church, PA.
From Derry Church, PA to Chocolatetown, USA
Hershey chose Derry Church to house his new chocolate company, not only because it was his hometown, but because it was primarily a dairy town. At the time, Hershey was in the process of perfecting his proprietary recipe for what was then a Swiss luxury product: milk chocolate. The rest is history! Hershey perfected his recipe, and just five short years later, Hershey owned the largest manufacturing company in the country. Nowadays, the Hershey company has factories in locations all over the world.
Hershey always had ambition to be more than just a candy maker, though, and from the very beginning he aimed to create a town around the factory that would keep his employees thriving. Known as much as an industrialist as he was a philanthropist, he invested much of the profits from the Hershey Company back into the town and into charitable foundations that are still thriving today. In fact, during the Great Depression, Hershey was still able to ensure that people in the town had good paying jobs building theatres, a community center, and various other projects that would keep the town going through such difficult times.
Today the town is not only still home to Hershey’s corporate headquarters and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, it is also a tourist destination visited by people from all over the world, all there to celebrate the legacy built by Hershey, his philanthropy, and his candy company.
A Kiss of Design Inspiration on Bittersweet Drive
Few pieces of candy bring as much joy and happiness as the simple Hershey Kiss. It’s also one of Hershey’s most popular products, with nearly 70 million of these world-famous confections made every day at the Hershey Chocolate Factory in Hershey, PA. They also serve as a fun design touch and focal point for our client’s kitchen remodel on Bittersweet Drive — after all, even the streets in Hershey are named after chocolate! Swartz Kitchens and Baths designer Donna Felker said the clients wanted to add a design nod to their town; the shape of the chrome tasking lights mimics the form of the iconic Hershey Kiss.
Redesigned for Function and Flow
Lighting wasn’t the only careful consideration; the kitchen’s layout was completely revamped. To ensure a stylish and functional redesign, the design team moved the location of the fridge. One of the easiest ways to make cooking easier and create better function in a kitchen is to create a strong “work triangle” where the refrigerator, stove, and sink are positioned in a close triangle. Integrating a tighter work triangle into the layout made room for a larger island and more counter space. Underutilized space was reconfigured to create a year-round breakfast nook just off the kitchen. And, a kitchen office that became a catch-all for junk was abandoned in favor of more cabinets and pantry space.
Thrilled with the results, our thoughtful clients sent us photos and these kind words right before the holidays: “We want to thank all of you for making all of this come together and for making our particular vision a reality.”
Looking for A Sweet Kitchen Remodel of Your Own?
If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, and you aren’t sure where to start, that’s okay! We’d recommend reading our blog post, How to Speak Kitchen Design with the Pros, or this article featuring kitchen design inspiration for 2021.
Our designers would also be happy to help you find the inspired touches that will make your kitchen uniquely you, no matter where you live. Simply contact Swartz Kitchens & Baths today to start designing your ideal kitchen.