Culinary Workshop
Some couples move after their children leave the nest, but these clients have lived in their 1957 house for 20 years. They raised their kids here and love their neighbors and surroundings. They preferred to stay, but envisioned a culinary workshop as a fun addition to the home.
Culinary Workshop
Some couples move after their children leave the nest, but these clients have lived in their 1957 house for 20 years. They raised their kids here and love their neighbors and surroundings. They preferred to stay, but envisioned a culinary workshop as a fun addition to the home.
The husband is an accomplished amateur chef and the couple loves to entertain. For years, he had analyzed how he cooked, moved through his small kitchen and used his equipment. This insight was the key to the project. While the traditional “work triangle” can force guests to enter the cooking zone to use the microwave, refrigerator and other items, he specified these be located at the fringes of the kitchen. Other “must-haves” included a prep sink with no obstructions on the work surface (so we flush mounted a faucet and added foot pedal controls) and the ability to easily entertain outdoors (a huge accordion window and moveable cabinet make that a breeze).
They are now able to entertain their guests in unprecedented style. The silky surface of the soapstone countertops, on which gourmet meals are masterfully created, establishes a color and material pallet that feels warm and inviting. The work surface is massive, allowing for large-scale undertakings like pickling produce and creating battalions of Christmas cookies. It is an environment that is both a finely tuned culinary workshop and a high-end lounge meant to entice you to stay, enjoy the music and have another drink. The space is crafted with materials that convey luxury without pretense. The slate floor, wood-fired pizza oven and unlacquered brass fixtures will age gracefully, taking on a warm patina over time.
On most nights the thoughtfully proportioned space magically contracts to an intimate setting, where they catch up on the day’s events over homemade pizza and wine, their special playlist playing quietly in the background.
Completed
2017
Team
Shelter, Owners, Erotas Builders
Accolades
2020 ASID MN First Place Award, Kitchen | 2018 Luxury Remodeling Tour
Photographer
