kitchen design Archives - The Curated House

Where To Start When Designing Your Kitchen | Part 1: How To Choose Your Appliances

When it comes to designing a kitchen, most clients come to me feeling pretty overwhelmed. They may have found an image or two of something that inspires them, but when it comes down to the technical process of laying out the floor plan, they generally feel baffled about where to start.

The reality is, the look of the kitchen is one of the last things we address. Great kitchen design always starts with function first. A few key questions can provide a lot of clarity when designing your dream kitchen:

HOW DO I LIKE TO COOK?
Do I like roast a variety of dishes in the oven that require various temperatures?
Is important to me to maintain the vitamins and minerals in my food?
Do I grill a lot?
Do I constantly have multiple pots simmering on the range top?
Do I use my microwave very often, and if so, what for?

HOW DO I GROCERY SHOP?
Do I do one weekly shop and buy a lot of produce?
Do I need a lot of freezer space?
How many bottles of wine do I like to have on hand?

Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to consider the sea of options available. Today I’m going to explore them with you by highlighting one of my favourite culinary brands, Thermador.

RANGES + COOKTOPS

Your range is typically the focal point of the kitchen. The first thing to determine is what size of range your kitchen can accommodate, and then you need to decide how you’d like to configure your burners. Thirdly, you need to decide what cooking methods you’d like to employ.

1. SIZE

Thermador offers ranges from 30″ all the way up to 60″ wide:

SMALL: For small kitchens, the 30″ Pro Harmony Range is an excellent choice as it gives you five burners over the standard four. There’s also a 36″ option.

MEDIUM: If you’ve got a bit more room and are looking for more cooking options, I love the 48″ Pro Grand Range With Steam as it gives you the best of both worlds – a combi steam + convection oven big enough for your 14 lb turkey next to a traditional convection oven.

LARGE: If you have the room, I definitely recommend stepping up to the 60″ Pro Grand Range with Steam. This one defies the laws of mathematics, as you get a 30″ steam convection oven and a 36″ standard convection oven with only 60″ of width. If you’re not into cooking with steam (although why wouldn’t you be?) you can opt for the Ultimate Entertainer’s Range which has two 30″ convection ovens side by side.

2. BURNER CONFIGURATION

In the 48″ and 60″ ranges, you have options on how to configure your burners. They all come with a standard 6 burners, but then you can opt for either a grill or griddle depending on what kinds of meals you cook the most. If you’d prefer to forgo a range in favour of wall ovens, you can work with Thermador’s Trimless Freedom Induction Cooktop. The technology in this blows my mind, as it has sensors that read the size of your pot and will follow it with whatever heat setting you asign to it, even if you move it around on the cooktop.

3. COOKING METHODS

STEAM CONVECTION: Without a doubt, the number one item on my designer wish list for my next kitchen is the 60″ Pro Grand Range with Steam. Why? Chefs like Daniel Boulud swear by them for a reason. Unlike a standard oven, a combi steam/convection oven allows you to customize your humidity levels for a remarkable range of capabilities. From beautifully browning your turkey to steaming your rice and veggies to proofing your dough for homemade bread, the steam convection oven can do it all while maintaining the nutrients in your food and locking in incredible flavour. Steam convection also knocks some time off the cooking clock, allowing you to roast a perfect 14 pound turkey in just 90 minutes.

STANDARD CONVECTION: Whereas your conventional oven surrounds your food with hot air, a convection oven circulates that air with a fan for more even cooking and faster results.

SPEED OVEN: As you’ll see in the wall oven options below, the Speed Oven (a microwave/convection combo oven) offers the convenience of a microwave with the browning capabilities of a convection oven. Tastier and faster food every time for busy families on the run!

WALL OVENS

The number one reason to consider wall ovens in my opinion is to save your back. No more leaning over to lift that heavy turkey in and out. The number two reason is to keep a close eye on more sensitive dishes. How many times have you burned a sheet of toasted pine nuts? If you’re like me, a lot. Keeping dishes like this in your line of sight makes such chef-sensitive moments more manageable. The number three reason is of course to add to your cooking capacity for the serious gastronomes in the crowd.

Oh yes, and what about the microwave, you ask?

Many clients are choosing to include a small and unobtrusive microwave drawer in their kitchen designs, either installed discreetly in the island or even more discreetly in the walk-in pantry. Given that a steam oven is the perfect way to reheat leftovers without losing any of the flavour profile in the food (I seriously can’t eat meat that has been reheated in the microwave!), I see microwaves being relegated to reheating coffee and melting butter for popcorn.

Thermador Micro Drawer Microwave

DISHWASHER

Next up on the list is a simple choice: One dishwasher or two? For me, my Designer Dream Kitchen will have a pair of dishwashers on either side of the sink to accommodate my busy and perpetually-dish-dirtying crew. Specifically, I’m planning to integrate two panelled-in Star Sapphire dishwashers.

Here are just some of the incredible features that make this my Dream Kitchen Wish List dishwasher of choice:

1. SILENCE IS GOLDEN: This dishwasher is so quiet that they created a small blue light laser which shines down onto the floor right by the toe-kick to indicate when it’s running. Without the light beam, you’d never know it was on.

2. CUSTOMIZED CAPACITY: With its three adjustable racks, you can fit everything from your pots and pans to tall stemware and everything in between. You can even run it with the middle rack on an angle if need be to accommodate awkward pieces.

3. CUSTOMIZED CLEANING POWER: With six cycles and five options including a hand wash cycle for your china and crystal, this dishwasher really does help you say goodbye to your dishpan hands. It even includes a commercial-style 20 minute fast cycle for those nights when you are cooking multiple dishes and need those pots and pans back right away. Genius.

REFRIGERATION

Last but not least, you’ll need to customize your refrigeration. Thermador elevates the concept of refrigeration to the ultimate in personalized luxury with their Culinary Preservation Centres where the options are truly endless. Single refrigeration columns are available in 24″ and 30″ widths. Freezer columns are available in 18″, 24″ and 30″ widths. Wine columns are available in 18″ and 24″ widths, and they also offer my favourite refrigerator configuration with a French Split Refrigerator and bottom freezer drawer. For me, my Dream Kitchen Culinary Preservation Centre will look something like this:

THERMADOR-CULINARY-PRESERVATION-CENTER.001

One of my favourite features of the Thermador line of refrigeration products is the capacity to seamlessly integrate them into a wall of cabinetry by cladding them with cabinet doors in place of the stainless steel. Thermador’s proprietary hidden hinges mean the refrigeration truly sits flush with the surrounding millwork, and that is probably the direction I’ll head when I finally get to executing my Dream Kitchen designs.

If all of this has you on the right track but still wondering how you really do want to cook in your own kitchen, I highly recommend scheduling a Lunch and Learn experience at Toronto’s Luxe Appliance Studio. (Check the Thermador site for information on the Appliance Studio nearest to you.) There you can gain hands-on experience with the very appliances you are considering for your kitchen, ensuring they’re exactly the right fit for your needs. My friend Cori Halpern and I hosted a cooking class last week with a fun group of fellow designers, and we had a blast.

We loved learning a few new recipes from Chef Marco, and we took the opportunity to compare steam convection vs. traditional convection with our roasted chickens. The verdict? They both looked the same, but the steam convection chicken was much juicier and way more flavourful, with the essence of the thyme and lemon that we used to stuff the chicken permeating through all of the meat evenly.

So there you have it! My Appliance Selection 101 for any of you who are considering a kitchen renovation or are looking to design your dream kitchen for a new build. Naturally, I always recommend hiring a design professional, but knowing how you cook and what key appliances you want in your kitchen will go a long way to making the design process more efficient.

Stay tuned for our next instalment of Kitchen Design 101 where I’ll share the next set of important decisions to make when designing your custom Dream Kitchen. Hint: It’s what’s inside that counts.

For now, happy cooking!

xx
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|March 1st, 2016|1 Comment

Top Trends In Kitchen & Bath Design | Highlights from KBIS 2016

I’m still fresh off my recent trip to the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show with Modenus a couple of weeks ago and excited to talk with you today about some of my favourite trends.

TEXTURE TOPS THE CHARTS

One of the strongest trends I saw at the show was texture. Clockwise from top left, we are talking about:

1/ Stunning Ann Sacks tiles inspired by Kelly Wearstler’s iconic string art
2/ Top Knobs‘ newly released faceted Serene Collection, which I’m dying to use on a project. The pulls feel so good in the hand.
3/ Thompson Traders‘ gorgeous hammered brass pedestal sink that simply has to make its way into one of my designs very soon. I thought I’d died and went to hammered heaven when I found this booth!
4/ The new Litze Collection from Brizo which is on my personal Lust List for my Designer Dream House. The perfect brass finish with articulated details and a touch of industrial texture on the valve makes me swoon.

Textural elements were everywhere to be seen, offering designers the opportunity to awaken the senses in fresh ways. While texture is nothing new, we’re seeing unexpected applications in 2016, as with these carved panels on the face of Thermador‘s culinary preservation centre (below).

More than the texture, it’s the technical details that get me excited with Thermador‘s integrated refrigeration. Sometimes it’s what you don’t see that counts, like the hidden hinges (see below) that make it possible for the panels to be perfectly flush and fully integrated with surrounding cabinetry. Finally. No more working around unsightly hinges in cabinetry design.

(Cue: Designers everywhere rejoicing!)

PRETTY GETS PRACTICAL

Not surprisingly, brass and gold finishes and fixtures were stronger than ever at KBIS this year. Rest assured that brass is still boss. If you’re looking to integrate a metallic finish on custom cabinetry and want it to be as pretty as it is practical, you’ll need to know about Wilsonart‘s new metallic aluminum laminates. Available in sheets as large as 4’x10’ and in several colours and textures, the applications for this line are truly endless. I’m thinking a previously budget-busting custom modern brushed brass range hood becomes a designer’s best kept secret when created using this innovative surface.

Wilsonart-aluminum-sheeting-brass-brushed-brass-corrugated-brushed-brass

From Top To Bottom: Polished Gold Aluminum, Satin Brushed Gold Aluminum, Ribboned Satin Brushed Aged Gold

Also in the pretty and oh-so practical category is Blanco‘s latest introduction. The Ikon sink is made of SilGranit, the hardest composite material available on the market in sinks today. You can literally take a fork to this surface – with elbow grease and evil intentions – and still not leave a mark. My favourite colours in the Ikon are the Anthracite (below) and classic White.

Another innovative feature of the Ikon sink is the floating grid accessory, which can be used in a number of other sinks in Blanco‘s line up as well. From resting a colander on it (to keep food from sitting in liquids at the bottom of the sink while straining) to using it as a discrete perch for dishes to dry, the floating grid is a genius little accessory.

Last but not least in the pretty gets practical category, I’d say this is more of a practical gets pretty turnaround story. As a designer, I’ve always specified wool broadloom for both its hypoallergenic properties and its naturally stain-resistant nature. Until recently, most reasonably priced wool broadloom has only been available in very staid colour palettes and patterns, but Karastan‘s selection of wool broadloom makes the thought of creating a custom bound area rug or stair runner a much more enticing prospect. I mean, how gorgeous is the Cosmopolitan dove grey flame stitch pattern below?

Taking in the latest trends can prove daunting for some, leaving you overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. Stay tuned for my upcoming posts on where to begin when designing a new kitchen or bathroom.

xx
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|February 9th, 2016|0 Comments

Kitchen Wish List | The Urban Cultivator

From designers to foodies, today’s find is bound to get you seriously excited! I haven’t been this excited about a built-in appliance for kitchens since the Miele built-in esspresso maker and wine fridge. Well, there’s a new kid in town, ready to infuse any gourmet kitchen with a luxurious love of all things fresh and gourmet. I will seriously be dreaming about this one {neatly tucked into my butler’s pantry, of course} with nearly every meal I make from now on.

As you know, I love fresh herbs for cooking. Who doesn’t? From micro greens to fresh sprouts to the classics like cilantro, parsley and basil, any cook worth their weight in oregano would choose fresh over dried any day of the week. The challenge? Keeping them fresh in the fridge. How many times have you bought a bunch of fresh herbs only to find them limp and soggy when you pull them out to use them?

{image via Pinterest}

In response to this dilemma, we actually attempted to sprout our own herb garden from seed last summer. Let’s just say it was not exactly a huge success. We started out strong with some very exciting sprouts showing up under the lights and constant misting in the basement, but a few long weekends away and a couple of days of unexpected weather once they’d been moved outside and our dreams of organic, seed-sprouted herbs were dashed. We resorted to a few pre-grown pots and set our urban gardening dreams aside for the season.

Well, I’ve found the answer to all of our year-round herb-loving dreams. Friends, meet the Urban Cultivator.

The size of a dishwasher, the Urban Cultivator can be integrated into a fitted kitchen as a freestanding unit with a butcher-block top or easily built-in to any kitchen cabinetry design. This ingenious under-counter-sized greenhouse allows you to go farm-to-table without ever leaving home. Locavores take note: you can’t get much more local than this!!

{image via Urban Cultivator}

The Urban Cultivator – a proudly Canadian innovation – offers the latest and best hydroponic growing technology with pre-programmed optimal growing cycles. It is plumbed to water and hooked up to electrical just like a dishwasher, automatically controlling the light, fan and watering of your four-season, under-counter kitchen garden. Genius. Add to that the fact that fresh greens cut from your own kitchen greenhouse have twice the nutritional value of store bought greens and I am completely sold!

Not surprisingly, the commercial version of this innovative appliance is being integrated into high-end kitchens in restaurants and hotels across North America.

“You simply add 100% organic food once a week and your chosen bounty of fresh herbs and greens will be on their way to your plate. After growing the basics, you may wish to move on to more exotic fare and expand your culinary horizons.”

It’s the details that make me remember a meal. I still remember a stunning salad I once had that was finished with delectable little micro beet greens. The possibility of plating and finishing dishes in my own kitchen with that kind of detail practically makes me giddy.

Needless to say, I am salivating over the possibilities and now officially dying to design The Urban Cultivator into my next kitchen project! Hope you’re inspired to go fresh and local today! No doubt you’ll all be dreaming along with me of your own urban gardening adventures.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|February 5th, 2013|1 Comment