Paul Georg’s kitchen is as unique as it is colorful. But it’s not solely the vibrant turquoise color that makes it extraordinary, nor the handmade, turquoise, vintage Italian vases that have been converted into pendant lights that hang over the island in a bent monorail track system. In large part, it’s due to the new high-end Dacor appliances that elevate this already-inspired kitchen to a new level.
Paul practically despised his former kitchen, which, while spacious, was drab and outdated with predominantly oak cabinets, Formica countertops and limited space to work, as the cooking surface was on the center island. For someone like Paul, who enjoys cooking and entertaining, this setup was not ideal. Though he already knew how he would like his renovated kitchen to look (a “club” atmosphere), Paul worked with Sara Doliboa, owner of North Shore Kitchen Design Center, as well as Don’s Appliances, to transform his ideas into reality.
Details of the design
Paul and Doliboa rebuilt the kitchen from the ground up, literally, starting with marble floors that display a black zebra-like pattern with movement to it. They also moved the doorway to the pantry over by several inches to accommodate the floating cabinet under the 65-inch television.“The main prep and work station were a big priority, as well as the ability to entertain a large crowd,” says Doliboa. They moved the cooking surface from the island to an exterior wall; this enhanced ventilation for the 48-inch Dacor range and gave Paul the large island he was hoping for. The island and perimeter countertops are Amazonite, which Doliboa says was hard to find. “Amazonite is a quartzite, a material that has inconsistencies and the possibility of fracturing, so the fabricator suggested to install steel plates underneath,” she said. The island top has a unique detail, as it is paired with an absolute black granite countertop in a custom shape, inspired by a favorite artist of Paul’s. Paul joked that since childhood his favorite color in a box of Crayola crayons was always blue-green. So perhaps it was inevitable he’d end up incorporating turquoise into his living space, including the wall cabinets and the unit under the television, custom painted in a high-gloss finish. One standout feature of the turquoise wall are sliding bypass doors, which also were installed in the cabinets beneath the television. To tone down the vibrancy of the cabinetry, he used a warmer-hued backsplash, a 3-by-6-inch subway tile with a custom glazed finish. “There are no straight lines on the countertops, including the windowsill and the ends near the desk area. Even the island has a slight bow around the entire perimeter,” Doliboa says. “The hardware was an inspiration from another piece in the living room. He had a sofa recovered and they had gigantic circular buttons, so he decided to incorporate this same circular accent into the kitchen.” Paul says he uses his kitchen as an office, making use of the desk—a floating cabinet that holds office supplies and a printer hidden away in the pantry.
Perfect appliances for Paul
“I wanted professional appliances and they had the best looking ones out there. It was a visual appeal—I wanted the black stainless. Everyone hit the black stainless bandwagon, but Dacor is the only one I could tell was real stainless. It is the nicest finish out there on the market,” he says. Plus, he is finding the quality of the Dacor appliances is second to none, with lots of cool technology to complement with the sleek look. For example, the range is digital and can be programmed ahead of time. Paul bought a dual oven, which includes a steam oven. He also has a Dacor microwave, which while hosting a Christmas party, he discovered doubles as a warming drawer. A matching Dacor 48-inch hood ties everything together aesthetically. The 36-inch column refrigerator and adjacent 36-inch column freezer run floor to ceiling and are perfect for Paul. He also is partial to the two icemakers, one of which puts out regular moonshaped ice cubes while the other produces larger cocktail ice cubes. Wanting a dishwasher that ran on heat, he chose a pair by Jenn-Air—one at the island and one by the main sink. Doliboa says she would describe the finished product as one of the most unique and “fun” kitchens she’s ever done.
