Expansive Gourmet Kitchen
Bilotta senior designer, Paula Greer, teamed up with architect, Robin Zahn to design this large gourmet kitchen for a family that does a lot of entertaining and cooking. While the wife was the decision maker for the overall aesthetics, the functionality of the space was driven by the husband, the aspiring chef. He had specific requests on how he wanted his “work area” set up. The team designed a cooking area featuring a 48” range across from a prep sink surrounded by 10 feet of work space. All the cooking essentials are at arm’s length – spice pull-out; interior knife block; baskets for root vegetables; cooking utensil drawers; and even a stainless-steel shelf above the range to keep plates warm before serving. Further down, away from the “chef”, is the “clean-up” area with a larger sink and the dishwasher. The microwave and the refrigerators/freezers are also at this opposite end, keeping the rest of the family out of his space when he’s cooking. This was his #1 request. The wet bar, just off of the kitchen, also houses a beverage unit and the coffee maker which keeps people out of the way during prep time. The kitchen was part of a larger addition which allowed them to incorporate the high ceiling, opening up the space to make room for the 6 feet worth of refrigeration and the large 10-foot island that works simultaneously for prep and eating. The Artistic Tile mosaic backsplash, where possible, starts at the countertop and continues all the way up to the molding at the ceiling emphasizing the height of the space, and the size of the room, even more.