Chef Central: home cooks mean serious business

Custom Home, April, 2005 by Meghan Drueding

Custom home owners are more dedicated to fine cooking than ever before. Many no longer think of preparing a meal as a chore, but as a luxury to which they devote considerable time and money. And to create beautiful, great-tasting food, they need well-planned, personalized kitchens, like the ones on the following pages. As these kitchens demonstrate, builders, architects, designers, and their clients are researching exotic woods to find one-of-a-kind textures and colors. They're borrowing ideas from restaurant kitchens and designating specialized prep centers and stations. They're coming up with clever ways to create storage, often designing caterers' kitchens and butler's pantries. They're using metal in interesting ways, most frequently as countertops and backsplashes. And, as always, they're placing top priority on making the kitchen open to the rest of the house and the outdoors.

Eastern Elements

Balinese buildings and Japanese tansu chests served as design motifs for this remodeled Del Mar, Calif., kitchen. Architect Wendy Von Kalinowski and builder Brian Beesan worked closely with the owners to incorporate lush, exotic woods like Hawaiian koa and rosewood. Wrought-iron fittings continue the Indonesian/Asian influence, while honed black granite counters complement the rich woods. According to the clients' wishes, Von Kalinowski created a plan that facilitates cooking and entertaining, with a long mahogany table that slides out from under the island when more space is needed. A wood-burning masonry fireplace adds to the relaxed ambience, while three skylights let in plenty of natural light. ** Because of all the ventilation in the kitchen--pocket doors, large operable windows over the sink, a ceiling fan, and a ceiling vent--the clients and Von Kalinowski decided to leave out the range hood they'd originally planned. "The hood would have detracted from the other elements," says Von Kalinowski. "The clients wanted to be able to see out the big window over the sink." Now they have their choice of views--the palm trees outside that window, or the shady oasis of the courtyard.

* Details Sliding pocket doors open the kitchen to the home's central courtyard, taking advantage of San Diego's perfect weather. Radiant heat under gold Jerusalem limestone tiles keeps the outdoor room toasty underfoot. And continuing the same floor material in the kitchen helps tie the two spaces together.

Project Credits: Builder: Brian Beesan Construction, Solana Beach, Calif.; Architect: Von Kalinowski Design & Associates, La Jolla, Calif.; Project size: 560 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: Hewitt/Garrison Photography. ** Resources: Bar sink: Elkay, Circle 450; Dishwasher/range/refrigerator: Viking, Circle 451; Faucet: Grohe, Circle 452; Refrigerator drawers: Sub-Zero, Circle 453; Warming drawers: Dacor, Circle 454.

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Ultimate Expression

This Napa Valley, Calif., wine country kitchen represents the culmination of designer Fu-Tung Cheng's 20 years of experience. It's stuffed full of ideas about materials, space, and efficiency, all working to enhance the owner's gourmet lifestyle. "Cooking is the owner's avocation--it's his form of creativity and entertainment," says Cheng. So the room's island holds a range, built-in wok, grill, and deep fryer. Three strategically placed sinks--one for making beverages, one for food prep, and one for cleanup--serve three different purposes, and three dishwashers ensure there's never a backup of dirty dishes. ** Because of the house's overall architecture (the rammed-earth, wood, and glass structure designed by Seattle firm Cutler Anderson Architects has a massive, organic feel) Cheng needed to make sure the kitchen left an equally strong, solid impression. The hefty island and some walls and counters consist of Geocrete, his proprietary line of custom concrete infused with fossils, auto transmission parts, and other found objects. "It's like looking for antiques," he says of his fossil-finding process. "I go to rock shows, rock stores, and now sometimes the Internet." A 10-foot-long range hood, also designed by Cheng, rids the space of extra odors and heat. The kitchen is featured in the book Concrete at Home (The Taunton Press, 2005) by Fu-Tung Cheng with Eric Olsen.

** Details Designer Fu-Tung Cheng selected bamboo cabinetry and flooring for its beauty, durability, and sustainability. "In a span of 5, 10, or 15 years, you can grow a full forest of bamboo," he says. "Its hardness quotient falls somewhere between that of oak and maple."

Past and Present

Remodeling a historic residence takes a lot of soul searching. At some point the project needs to either follow the stylistic template set by the original building, or break away and follow its own path. The owners of this grand 1920s Chicago condominium decided on the latter, with harmonious results. Their apartment featured a small, cramped kitchen that felt cut off from the rooms around it. They asked Wheeler Kearns Architects to open up the kitchen to the dining and sitting areas, allowing light and views to flow unimpeded through the space. "They wanted to make those rooms a contrast to the front of the unit," says project architect Joy Meek. ** So Meek and principal in charge Dan Wheeler abandoned the elaborate molding that characterizes the rest of the apartment for a sleeker look--stainless steel counters, cherry cabinetry, poured concrete floors, and new contemporary windows. The stainless-steel cased beam running above the island conceals mechanicals, and it provides a handy place for down- and up-lighting. The extra illumination is necessary, since the space isn't just for socializing. The island's hard-working north side contains a dishwasher, wine refrigerator, microwave, and warming drawer, all of which supplement the refrigerator, range, and oven on the same side of the room. One person preparing a meat can converse with guests or family members sitting on the opposite side of the island without compromising his or her work space. And the kitchen segues straight into the dining room on one end and sitting area on the other--a very modern idea indeed.