Come on, there's something right with the taste of a person who owns a crab mallet and displays it.

I love the floor, the sink windows, I love the pantry - the display of dishes in front of the window followed by some hardcore food backups. I like the sink for washing veg and apparently boots - but would wish for some side counter and a floor drain.

I'm not real big on cooking caves, its a nice design but I would feel completely hemmed in. The hood design is nice, I would wish for it to be elevated another foot. The sink is actually not very far from the range - it just feels like it is.

Overall, it's too dark for me. Not that I wouldn't be able to see - its the layers of dark finishes. I can recognize it's lovely, but it's heathcliff - all the way.

This kitchen will never look D_ _ _ _ _, because there is nothing obvious that puts it in the context of current concepts of popular kitchen design, (Except the built-in coffee maker: this is the type of technology that is so specialized that if something happens to it, there may not be replacement parts--and it may go the way of the built in toaster, Nutone Food Center and various other gadgets.)

I don't think you have to walk Around the island to do anything because all the function is to one side of it. That said, its awfully spread out, mostly because of that triple range. However, I don't think its dysfunctional--I've been in restaurant kitchens of the same scale and layout and they seem to work.

It has a masculine, kind luxury cabin feel to me. I like parts of it, such as the fridge that is accessible from both the kitchen and the pantry! That's cool! (pun intended) I love the beautiful wood of the island, the simple stools at the island,and the floor tile looks like it would last forever. That range intimidates me, since I just upgraded from a white coil to a Bosch electric glass top!!! LOL! But it is a beauty!

Pal is correct - there are no kitchen cabinets behind island (in photo), because there isn't a wall to put any on. He's also correct in that the kitchen will never be dated. I wasn't expecting it to be 'loved' here, since it's not white with subway tiles... but I thought it would be appreciated for what it is - a kitchen that look original to the home (more or less) and how the elements work together, and/or with the home.

It does have a masculine feel, since there is no female living in the house. That said, all it would take to "womanize" is lighter/brighter accessories and different bar stools. These pictures were also taken not long after the addition was completed. I imagine there are a few things on the counter near the sink now. Plants would be nice and love the window. I would have at least one large orchid. The designer/owner loves "honest" materials - natural. There is no sheetrock in the house; only wood or plaster is used.

The sink is not that far from the range. I can see why some would want a sink in the island, but I wouldn't. I have a sink in my island, but if there had been another location for it, it would have been elsewhere.

The owner stated the island can seat up to nine - there are not nine stools in the photo. I believe the pantry sink is used as a utility sink. A good place to wash a small dog (or their dog when she was a puppy).

fyi, the large cabinet to the left of the coffee system opens up to reveal a stocked bar with small sink, etc. TV in cabinet above the system.

When one cook says "take a hike" to the other cook, it means "go to the sink" not "go away"

I want to run my hands over that island counter -- it's just gorgeous.

That's a VERY cool kitchen, and I love how all the elements adhere to the style of the house. The hood is fascinating, and the island top is simply gorgeous! I also love the pantry and the pass-through fridge.

Function-wise, I do think it's a perfect example of a kitchen that could have benefited from some planning input from a few of the layout gurus here, but it's not a disaster in terms of function, either. With just a few details adjusted, I think I'd love working in there.

I think that there is some imbalance in this kitchen - - mainly the light ceiling and white walls that surround it stand in hard contrast to the darkness of the materials chosen for the work area itself. Makes the space feel a bit 'topless' for me.

I am guessing from the acessories that are shown on the island that the owners are a bit modern in style, but have this fabulous old home and are working hard to do it justice. Others of us may have put an iron chandelier over the main sink and rustic bowls on the island...accessories could totally change the feel of this kitchen.

Like someone else mentioned, the two-sided fridge is very cool. And they must have all of their dishes in drawers?

If invited, I would gladly take a seat at that island, with wine glass in hand, to watch someone put that range through its' paces!

Sandy

For a kitchen which needs to fit into an older historic Spanish style home, I think it hits the mark dead on!! One of my pet peeves is when people don't consider their style of home (if they are lucky enough to even have a style and not just a builders "special") when they renovate.

Can you imagine a white Christopher Peacock style kitchen in a Spanish villa? I imagine that there is a great flow in this house from the minute you walk in the front door so that you are never jarred with different styles.

Now that doesn't mean that type of home is "my" choice, but it works for someone and thats what makes design so personal.

Thanks for posting it Allison.... nice to see someone thinking outside the box but also staying true to the roots of the house.

Obviously no girl in that house! Very very dark even with that huge skylight - a man cave of a kitchen :) Never seen a kitchen where each element was sooo dark - even in some of the black cabineted kitchens (Suzanne Kasler designed one) I have seen, there are lighter elements - limestone hood, lighter floor, etc. Like I said - man cave :)

I lived in Homewood for 5 years so bet I know the house - loved driving through Hollywood (I lived in Edgewood) and looking around.

Regardless of the fact that it is not my cup of tea it is still fun to see how other folks do their kitchens and there certainly are some great elements! Thanks for posting.

ha ha ha ha circuspeanut - spot on!

Oooooh, I think it is supercool!

Yes, it has a few areas where it is "form over function", (mainly the fridge being so far away) but it sounds like it works well for the homeowner, anyway.

The island looks like a wonderful spot to: Spread out the Sunday paper, have a ravioli-making party, get out the sewing machine and hem some loooong drapes, set out 12 dozen sugar cookies to cool and decorate, paint a banner...it would get heavy use in our house!

The range and alcove are to die for. Seriously. Wow.

"I wasn't expecting it to be 'loved' here, since it's not white with subway tiles..."

ROFLMAO!!!!

I like it. Too much brown for me, but that's personal. I'd love to see all the textures in person; that might change it. I think with the huge skylight, you'd need a lot of darker elements. But I agree that it's kind of unbalanced, at least in the photo. Hard to know in person. LOVE the pantry/fridge area thing.

It reminded me of one of my favorite kitchen photos, which looks nothing at all like my kitchen, and I don't know exactly what the link with this is, but something about the mood evoked:

Wow, I LOVE it....if that house ever ends up on a tour, please post the info...I just might have to come out from CA to see it. I love houses that say something by themselves. Well done to the owners/designer. Makes me want to build a new house.

Though I never gave it any thought until now, I was surprised to read "Spanish Colonial" and "Alabama" in the same sentence. I have never been to AL so what do I know? (maybe I was thinking more like Gone with the Wind)

You made my day, that kitchen would fit in very nicely in homes in our area. Thanks for posting.

Well, I like it... I think I've seen it before.? Isn't it two guys who remodeled the entire house? I love the Sully, the terracotta, and the walnut island top....

And, that is what is going into my kitchen, (not the sully, but cluny 1400) and with white cabinets.

I'd never seen this kitchen until Allison posted it but if you consider that it's not designed for a single cook, but for two, the layout doesn't seem problematic to me.

There's one aisle for the stove work and another for the sink and clean up with the fridges in between. If the whole island is 18" you're only going half the distance to get to the fridge -- not the full stretch.

The genius for me is the two-sided Trauslen since that creates a flower fridge in the pantry. Par-tay (or maybe someone's a florist?)

I happen to love skylights so much I go to the Apple store to hang out because they have a glass roof. But if I was out working all day and mostly used the house at night, neither the light contrast or the dark scheme would be a factor most of the time.

The only other thing I'll say is wait until tomorrow.

hey circuspeanut -- what did you decide about your hood?

Okay - trying to figure out whose house this is :) Doesn't look like Richard Tubbs . . . so maybe someone from Tracery? Any hints, Allison? :)

The famed chef, Mark Miller of Coyote Cafe, has a very similar layout for his kitchen. It is also rustic and dark. His house is in New Mexico with alot of SW rustic elements. The kitchen fits the house perfectly. It is one of the most memorable (to me at least) kitchens from the book, America's Great Chefs or (something like that). Most of the other kitchens are essentially the same o' same o'.

His (as is this) kitchen is essentially a very long island on one side and the galley on the other. These kitchens mimic the restaurant type of kitchens where the diners sit on one side and the chefs cook on the other. For certain types of entertaining, this is wonderful, ie diner style cooking and eating. I am sure it works well for the owners of the house.

Considering their pot collection, I am sure they cook and entertain alot. Each has cooking style that is uniquely their/his/her own.

Not everyone needs prep sinks. I don't have one in my 9 ft island and I don't miss it. I really like long linear uninterrupted surfaces when I cook.

I've been gone all day, and it's nice to now read posts from those that like the kitchen or an element of the kitchen. One of the owners likes modern, but they tried to stay true to the house.

Part 2 goes up later tonight, and 3 on Wednesday. Those TKO will enjoy tomorrow's post - even the ones that don't like the kitchen. Be patient Grasshopper (aka athensmomof3). ;)

I don't have a prep sink either and I passed on a pot filler. I went and reached over my range and didn't have a problem reaching where one would be - I passed on that feature in favor of an uninterrupted backsplash. One could simply use a utensil to pull it forward if they had not done so before turning on the burner.

The kitchen is a statement, and is comprised of b eautiful materials and meticulous craftsmanship, no doubt, and that skydome and the moorish arch are both truly stunning. But the overall effect is too, well, brown, IMO. I would love to have him/them cook for me, fondle all the surfaces, turn the Sully on and off and open the Traulson a few dozen times and then go home to my el cheapo, non-monochromatic k itchen.

kaismom, I have that book (Great K itchens, Design Ideas from America's Top Chefs), and you are right, the similarities between this one and Mark Miller's abode are striking. Good call.

Thanks for posting, allison0704, very noteworthy k itchen.

sandyponder

There are a number of things I like about the kitchen, love the multiple utensil crocks, like the hood canopy but agree that it would be too confining for me (raised or just more open on the sides please), think the fridge is really cool (no pun intended) but am not sure how the space behind it works (sink and no place to set anything beside it). I suspect that some of the functional issues cited are dealt with by differences in work habits. Overall, it's not my style, but I'd take it over any kitchen I've had up until the one we redid here.

I did a double take when I saw this post. We are remodelling a house, and it had an 18' long island. At first I was just going to switch the countertop on it, but then my husband convinced me to take it out and break it up into two components - a smaller "general store counter" island and a work table. For us, I think that will work far better ...especially since it is a galley kitchen, so you'd spend your life circumnavigating an 18' island.

And, we are buying a LaCanche stove. We ordered a Citeaux about a month ago. They sent us a bottle of wine. Hey, Viking never did that for us!

All that said, I love the rustic vintage feel of this space. Terrific.

You know I was thinking about the kitchen we're designing here. It will have a very large square island and a range tucked into an alcove like this one is (ours is in the old servants stairway). The fridge will appear to be quite far away from the cooks island.

But what you won't see is that right behind the cook in the base of the island will be fridge drawers for meats and vegis as well as a fridge (under cab again) for items the cook uses regularly at the stove. So I suppose someone would say that our fridge was miles from the stove, etc, and they'd be entirely wrong.

If the guy likes to cook (as does my DH...he's the primary cook here) I can easily see that he might want to have his guests seated on the other side of the island while he puts on a show :) My husband would love this and our kitchen will be designed with that in mind...so that the island blocks guests and children from DH's zone.

I don't mind the dark...in fact I embraced my dark side years ago. I think it's masculine in all the right ways. Would it flow for me? Not entirely unless there is stuff I don't see there...but still, the style is not a problem at all. It fits the home, screams warm and friendly and that a cook lives there, which means wonderful meals and much laughter on the side of that island most likely.

But we purchased our victorian because it was the one queen anne we looked at that was very masculine as opposed to the other gingerbread type queen annes we viewed. Our original owner designed the home for his retirement home with his wife who was ill. She died 7 weeks after they moved in so it would be my guess she was probably too ill to be involved much in the planning. You feel that in this house. It's big and boxy and chunky and woody and dark in many places in all the right ways. I'm enjoying taking the home back to his style (which we've learned about in his diary). I'm currently painting a room in a deep blue (the smoking parlor) and it's fabulous. So I guess I'm sold on the joy of a masculine home :) I've never been much for lace and one thing I do love about that kitchen is the lack of foo foo lacey stuff.

Igloochic --

Eight years ago I did the kitchen in my current home and the KD was beside himself that I didnt to the triangle ...I moved my fridge closer to the breakfast room and away from sink and range.

BUT, I put fridge drawers directly across from the range, for fruits, veggies and meats. It works perfectly.

You're welcome, sallyponder. Glad you enjoyed it.

Looking at the peak of the hood, and where it falls in line with the top of fridge, then comparing to my hood and top of fridge, I don't think it's confining at all. Yes, it gets lower on the ends, but the deep fryer is located at one end and grill (I believe) at the other. Things not used daily. Plus, if you go to third photo and compare floor to top of range, then top of range to bottom of hood, there is not that much difference.

igloo, can't wait to see your kitchen come together. I'm sure it will be fabulous. This kitchen freezer drawers, but not in the island (that I know of). The drawers I've seen have silverware, knives, plates, cooking supplies (mixing bowls, measuring cups, etc) and copper.

If you haven't seen, take a look at the china room:

Here is a link that might be useful: China Room

So that's the room just barely seen in one of the other photos. I adore that space.

The room needs a dw or two tho. Maybe there's one tucked in some place not photographed?

Allison of the fabulous taste, your argument is that hitting your head infrequently is ok as long as the hood is pretty? laughing! I got that kinda logic,too.

That's not what I said at all, bmorepanic. If you compare the height from floor to top of range... then top of range to bottom of hood edge on the end (I did the far/sink end for this) there is not much difference in the height of the range and the height of the opening. iow, the same as my range vs space to hood. I think it's an optical illusion and unless someone is 7 feet tall, they won't be hitting their head.

I don't think a DW in the china room would be practical, unless there was a sink too. I grew up in an English Tudor with a large breakfast room off the kitchen. DR was on other side of kitchen. Mother always stored her dishes in the breakfast room hutch. We had a teacart to put dishes on and rolled it to the hutch (one trip). My dishes and glasses are not stored above or next to my Dish Drawers. Not something that would be a problem for many.

fwiw, I think "triangles" are over rated, to some extent. What works for some doesn't work for others. Some may find my pantry out of the way, but we don't. It works for us. Our Onzen tub works for us, but not for someone who wants a traditional soaking tub. We should embrace differences. How boring would it be if our tastes were all the same?!

Wow! That is a stunning and cozy space- I love how inviting and non
antiseptic is it. The ceiling is amazing. Thanks for posting - I love seeing
other people's vision come to life!

I'll take the china room. Gladly. Love the backlight and the showoff aspects! You can get away with that kind of thing in Alabama, can't you? No need for triple panes!

My mother has a friend with a (smallish) house, where every living space is lined with shelves of objects like this. She employs a woman full time to start in one room, take things off the shelves, clean them, put them back all through the house. And then start over again. Its like Sisyphus. I can't imagine having to wash the windows And the glassware in front...although I like the way it looks.

Allison ... Thanks for the post :) Not totally my style either but, neither is white. I can just appreciate something NEW and DIFFERENT. "run your hands" all over the island.... I would like to lay on it and roll all around ( oh, wait a minute, that's another forum LOL )..what an awesome piece !!!

Mtn thanks for sharing your experience with the island drawers :) I like the idea in theory so it's nice to know it works as well!

Allison...you're an evil woman. I nearly fried my computer drooling over that dish room!!! You'd think in a house as big as this one I'd have room for that LOL but I don't and I'd kill for it. It's fabulous. My butlers pantry (of the future) will pale in comparison ;(

LOL benjayva!

Igloo, so sorry. I try to keep my evil under control. fyi, If you love soaking in the tub, you may want to skip tomorrow. Now, wasn't that nice of me?! ; )

I love this kitchen. I love how it's not a rubber stamp, let's be as efficient as possible, kitchen design. It looks like a cool room where cooking takes place. It's emotional and moody in a way that very very few kitchens are.
Allison--do you know if they have their refrigerator compressors remotely located?

The island is really cool. I love that walnut and the light glowing on it. I think that is an awesomely inspiring surface.

The only part of this kitchen that I would feel uncomfortable with is the range hood. It's a dark claustrophobic scary place in the photo and I think I would find myself scrambling over that gorgeous wooden island to get away! Circuspeanut's comment about the Addams' comment really makes me laugh!!

Love the exposed beams and glass and the idea of the space. However, I'm with Palimpset on the necessity of having a single maid be devoted to the room! It's a great inspiration room, again, but impractical for most people's daily lives who don't have live in help. Maybe making the open shelves into closed all glass cabinets (with the window as backing) to minimize the dust could work as an alternate for someone who would like to appropriate the idea.

I wish there were someway to find resources for their design. I'm really wanting to know the terra cotta backsplash source. Noticed they used it in the China room floor.It's exactly what I'm looking for, and have not been able to find anything like that anywhere.

Do you know if this place has been spotlighted in any paper magazine? I know I've seen it somewhere, but "blank"! LOL

Wolfgang, no I do not know... and Susie3, he has not mentioned being featured in a magazine. Not sure about the tile, since he mentioned two places to me. The bathroom post is now up, with a link to his blog. There is not an email feature, but you could both post to ask.

athensmomof3, since Dungan Nequette had a hand in the addition/remodeling, you know Tracery was somewhat involved. I don't know to what extent, as many of the furnishing were already owned, the owner/designer seemed to know exactly what he wanted and the architect was able to read his mind. Stunning home.

Here is a link that might be useful: Timeless Modern Bath

Allison, that's correct about the center height of the hood, but it comes down fairly far on the ends - lower than the height of the refs - actually lower than the height of the ref doors (maybe by a foot?) and the ref doors look like 5 feet-ish tall to me.

The bathroom is beautiful, it kind of has an Asian-Zen vibe to me with the horizontal wood and the ceremonial progression of the space.

In the context of the house,though, I would expect something a little more Norma Desmond like a tiled Roman bath...or maybe a copper or bronze tub.

Traulsen website states the height at 83.5" including wheels. If no wheels are used, 77.5"

Rats! I don't have the budget or the space for a kitchen of this size but it's been fun looking at the pictures. I love this kitchen! It's a refreshing change of pace and I'd take that kitchen in a heart beat if someone offered it to me. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Allison,
That is a beautiful space. Wonderfully original, not cookie cutter, not over-designery, not excrutiatingly put together. And I really really love that huge skylight. Very nice! (I always notice windows first, second and last). Love that island too! What's not to like - reclaimed AND walnut! I too like uncluttered expanses and don't like them getting too broken - I'm *glad* they didn't interrupt it with sinks and faucets and whatnot. It is the better for it - in my opinion ;-)

To me, the space looks like it is meant for somebody (or somebodies) who honestly likes to work simply in the kitchen. They went in for luxury in the materials they chose - not by throwing every single gizmo you could purchase into the room. This room will never be run of the mill. Really wonderful.

BTW, I understand what you mean by lowering the sides of the hood over the most heat/smoke generating elements while still giving it the head clearance over the most used/less chuff-generating areas.

Amazing bathroom too. These people don't rent their homes out to visitors do they? ;-) Thanks for spotting this and thanks for sharing. I'm fighting deadlines and not online here or at AtticMag anymore - I'm glad I popped over and happened to see this thread and that it lives even in GW-kitchens' discombobulated state.

Nice to hear from you Mindstorm. Have missed your postings! Do hurry back. Enjoyed your take on the house. I love the tub and think a copper or roman bath would have been a bit of overkill. This is unexpected, helps satisfy the other owners modern taste - we all know what it's like to give now and then! The wood wraps two walls in the bedroom and closets as well. There is a two way mirror from the bath into the closet... which is so organized. The wall across from the tub is a window wall, with the center window acting a the doorway. Somewhere, and it may have been here, two windows pivot and open up. There is a deck off the tub room, and when in the tub, the view is a steel garden - large panels of steel acting as a privacy fence, with trees coming in between. A magical place to soak.

Sometimes I like overkill :P :D

I dunno.

I love the hood and the tile and the shelf. The LaCanche seems too big. It seems horribly inefficient to cook in this kitchen. All you do is walk around with sizzling hot pans because you can't put them on the island, and you can't slide them off the range. Long walks to the sink(s).

I'm not impressed with the BR. The tub, yes, but my instinct is to ask who is going to be tall enough to clean it. And I don't like the way the sinks are divided by that pillar or tile. Trying too hard, to me.

The photos clearly show no casters. The Traulsen website states the body of the ref is 57" and a little change. It's doors top out at around 60" tall. That vent cover thing on top looks like around 17".

As shown in the photos, the hood is less than that by 9-12 inches at the ends. I would hit my head on it at 5'7" - easily. Would I hit my head in the center, no. So watching the line of the hood go up and down, knowing that the low point is about shoulder level to me, somehow, I'd want a different hood.

So, that's what I was saying back to you - I don't think it's ok to have enough head room over only 50% of the stove.

The other thing I noticed about the hood is that the filter baffles are high up in it. You should take out your hood filter periodically and clean it to prevent dangerous build up of combustible grease. Doing that task for ones at the sides of the range area where the front obstructs access by dropping low looks like it could require awkward, difficult and possibly painful contortions.

Using a grill, wok and deep fryer mean that task needs to be done more often because those tasks generate more grease.

The kitchen is spectacular and I could live with some of the downsides (for example, I don't mind doing some walking during cooking because my legs prefer it to long periods of standing still so I could live with having the short hike to the fridge. (I might want a basket or something to make carrying a variety of produce to the sink easier.) One can use portions of the range top that one isn't cooking on at the moment to hold items to make up for the lack of nearby heat tolerant counter. If one is using too much of the range top for that, one could put trivets or other cover on the wood to allow hot items to be there.

The thing they describe as a pantry looks set up more as a mud room. The only point to the doors on the back of the fridge seems to be to allow loading in groceries unless there is some counter area that they didn't show.

When I look at the kitchen . . . and I keep going back to the photos . . . I feel claustrophobic. The 18 foot island scares me.

I like the wood and tile, the dark doesn't scare me as much as the island. It makes me feel blocked in.

I can understand showing off and having a long island to seat guests while you cook. But the guest are lined up and can't really interact with each other, no?