When you step into Rhonda and Steve Davidson's kitchen, it feels like home. Maybe it's the large granite-topped island perfectly situated under the warm light of a chandelier that invites you to pull up a chair, grab a slice of warm bread and butter, and chat with the lady of the house while she cooks up one of her signature dishes.
“I'm the person out of all of my friends who cooks,” says Rhonda. “I cook a lot.”
It's hard to imagine not cooking in her kitchen. The center island, with built-in cooktop, is designed for congregating. Light streaming in from a large window over the sink almost makes you want to wash a few dishes. Everything about the room breathes warmth and encourages visitors to linger. Guests to the Davidson kitchen will also notice that there are cookbooks all over the house.
“We love to travel,” she laughs. “Everywhere I go, I get a cookbook.”
The couple purchased the house in 1994, but remodeled it in 2007. At that time, they upgraded the space with dark hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, warm granite countertops and stone backsplashes for a traditional look, as well as lightening up the cabinets and adding a wine fridge.
“It's funny because I went for a much lighter, white look at our lake house,” she says. “Now I am thinking of remodeling this kitchen to do the same.”
Rhonda is a self-confessed Williams-Sonoma addict and has a weakness for all sorts of cooking gadgets. When asked to pick her favorite feature of her kitchen, she doesn't hesitate, “The Viking cooktop.”
Their boys, 26 and 29, are out of the house now, but they still love some good Southern cooking and show up frequently for a tray of King Ranch Chicken, meatloaf or chicken-fried venison.
“Our family gathers in the kitchen—that's where we do everything,” she says proudly.
