Family Friendly
Story by Stephen Treffinger
Photography by Dave Bryce
Styling by Keith Recker
What you immediately notice upon entering the kitchen designed by McConnell, owner of Cuvee Kitchen Designs, is a bright and cleanlined room with plenty of counter space and a streamlined yet warm vibe. What might not be immediately visible, however, are a number of features designed to accommodate the owners’ children, who love to cook as much as their parents do—and who are very much encouraged to do so. As often happens, the design began with a single element.
"I showed Ida a picture of the sconces that I wanted, and we went from there,” said the homeowner. (Said sconces are Rousseau Double LED Wall Sconces by Kelley Wearstler for Visual Comfort from Circa.) The goal was a space that was clean and white—but not sterile, with a place for everything in order to avoid clutter. “I also wanted the children (ages 6 and 9) to be able to reach everything, set the table, and cook by themselves. So everything is in low drawers that they can reach,” said the owner.
Refrigerator drawers hold milk and washed fruit; pantry drawers contain straws, cups, and school thermoses. The owner describes herself and her family as practical cooks—rather than amazing chefs— who prepare food and eat together every day. But she had definite ideas about how it needed to function. “She absolutely wanted a walk-in pantry,” said McConnell. But the logical locations for it were a bit tight, so she devised a way to add a 24-inch by 36-inch niche to the right side of the refrigerator, with open shelves and plenty of storage.
To the left, there is a message center in a recess. “It’s a little drop area for mail, keys, and phones. We did a charging station there as well,” said McConnell. Another request was for a warming drawer, which allows flexibility for the family’s moving target schedules. “On the weekdays, we prep dinner in the afternoon before the kids are done with school, then it sits in the warming drawer to be eaten whenever they are ready.”
Sometimes they eat as soon as the kids get home, before rushing off to dance or sports. Other times they don’t eat until later. “But whenever we are ready to eat, the food is hot and crisp, not soggy from the microwave,” said the owner. There are also a lot of play dates, and the neighborhood kids know where the cups and snacks are stored. Lower shelves in the pantry have oatmeal and cereal so the children can make breakfast for themselves, and are also the place they can find healthy snacks. “This of course doesn't not stop them from using a stool to access the less healthy snacks higher up!” Because there are nice views to be had, McConnell wanted to keep the window over the sink unobscured, and therefore didn’t crowd it with cabinets. Enter those sconces, which she placed on either side, adding a bit of drama without interfering with sightlines.
Likewise, the barely-there LED light fixture—the Vega Minor LED Linear Suspension by Kuzco Lighting from Y Lighting—illuminates the island without adding any visual clutter. It is also quite bright (3,990 lu-mens), dimmable, and shows food in its true colors. One challenge that arose when they decided to move the sink from the island to in front of the window: It was difficult to get everything to fit. So, the sink, a custom Elkay, was pulled for-ward, the tiltout drawers (an early idea) were eliminated, and the backsplash was made very thin. It’s a bit of a challenge not getting water on the wood trim of the window, but having a SmartTouch faucet (Brizo Litze) means much less reaching with wet hands and splattering.
The sink itself is custom, with a wide area for washing dishes and a smaller area for drying, keeping things off the counter until they’re ready to be put away. For the dining area, the owner enlisted the help of a friend, Marie Stapinski, who helped to bring in a mix of different styles and finishes to give it a warm, eclectic, and up-to-date look. “She encouraged me to pick things I loved—and function before all else.” The Monster table and Heracleum chandelier are from the Dutch company Moooi, and the Saarinen Executive armchairs in tobacco leather are from Knoll.
“The chairs have withstood babies, fingerpaint, many food spills—plus they are so comfortable,” said the homeowner. McConnell says the key to the kitchen is that it’s quiet and can complement the other elements in the very large space. “You see everything when you walk in the front door— their living space on the left, the kitchen and dining area to the right.”
And having the children know where everything is can come in handy for the adults as well, with more than snacks and cereal accessible in the lower drawers.
“There are also all the coffee supplies, so they can make us coffee in the morning.”
Appliances
Wolf 36" Dual Fuel 6 Burner Range
Sub-Zero Refrigerator (Model # BI-30U/OLH)
Sub-Zero 30" Designer Refrigerator Drawers Panel Ready
Best Coperto 42" Built In Range Hood, Stainless Steel
XO 15” Panel Ready Framed Glass Beverage Center
Best 36” Built In Power Pack Range Hood
Dacor 24" Integrated Warming Drawer, Panel Ready
The Grind Garbage Disposal (Model #DG75)
Sharp 24” Easy Open Stainless Steel Microwave Drawer
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