Kitchen Details

Kitchen Layout

This is the overall layout of the kitchen. Basically square in format, with a breakfast bar on the right which looks out to the "Family Room" beyond. The layout is set up to not only facilitate more then one person working it it at a time, but also for the potential of doing cooking classes, as well as perhaps some filming at some point in the future.

The Cooking Island

The central cooking island is designed to be a large area where two or more people can easily work.
      On one side is a large 6 burner + Griddle Viking cooktop, with pullout open front pot storage below for easy access. On the opposite side of the island is the prep counter for chopping and mixing. With two SubZero crisper drawers built in to the front for easy access to vegetables and other items. And at one end of the island is a small prep sink for washing vegetables, and filling pots.
      Overhead will be a custom designed vent hood, with at least 7' clearance from the ground and going high up into the vaulted ceilings. The hood will be basically in Stainless steel, but with decorative metal trim work from which additional pots can be hung for easy access.

The Spice Cabinet

On one wall of the Kitchen will be the two double ovens (Dacor), and a specially made cabinet for spices. While I realize that spices really should be kept as far away from heat sources as possible, I just couldn't bring myself to do that. I need spices at my finger tips as I cook. So the tall cabinet you see here has open face doors on it, which will be the spice racks themselves. Open on both sides, so I can get to the spice jars with the doors closed, or open. The spice storage in the cupboards is specially designed to work with the extremely practical spice jars that are used by World Spice Merchants who have a great little spice shop just below the Pike Place Market in Seattle.
      To the left of the spice cabinet, is the doorway to the "breezeway" that leads to the main entrance of the house. And to the right of the ovens, is the sliding door that leads to the butlers pantry, and then out to the dining area of the Great Hall.

The Kitchen Window

The kitchen window, is of course the area for the sink to go. The large window will provide a beautiful view of the kitchen garden full of herbs and culinary flowers growing outside. A SubZero refigerator, plus trashcompactor, and a rather unique type of dishwasher known as a "Dish Drawer". There will be a regular dishwasher in the Butlers Pantry for those pots, pans, filters, which don't fit into this smaller style dishwasher.

The Breakfast Bar

To the right of the kitchen window, is the "kitchen" side of the breakfast bar. This area is also designed to be a work surface, with the prep area of the cooking island directly behind whoever might be working here. There is some under-counter pullout storage for large mixing bowls and such. and a handy storage area for a little stool so that you can sit down an -really- get into your mixing chores.

Up Against The Wall

On either side of the door to the storage pantry are "furniture" styled tables. While the surface won't be really designed for heavy working on, this will be a great area to set prepared items to get them out of the way. Plus, of course I had to put my microwave somewhere, so I found a nice little microwave that will hopefully not be too big to hang on the wall over here.