Epicurean Escape

Project Details

Project Description

K + B Studio / Kitchen
Epicurean Escape

For homeowners who spend weekdays in New York City rushing through power lunches and business dinners, weekends on Long Island are all about cooking for themselves. In this getaway kitchen, quiet meals for two in a custom-built fireside eating nook were a top priority. But the space also had to swell with some frequency to accommodate four grown children, their friends, and other guests. The owners gave Alfredo De Vido, FAIA, specific ideas about how they would use their kitchen and how they wished it to relate to other spaces. “They are very detail-oriented clients who kept feeding me ideas,” De Vido says.

Knowing exactly what the clients wanted allowed De Vido to create a highly custom solution that addresses both functionality and ambience. A butcher block-topped island contains back-to-back sinks. One is across from the oven and fridge in an ideal spot for food prep, while the other faces dining areas for easy rinsing and placement in the adjacent dishwasher. A double-sided pot rack—designed by the architect—hangs above. Swiveling spotlights flank the unit to put direct light wherever it's needed. The rack's supporting wood pieces evoke a subtle Japanese aesthetic, as does trimwork linking the clerestory windows. And their dark wood contrasts handsomely with the pale maple cabinetry.

“Some cooks like to see everything,” says De Vido, referring to the pot rack and other exposed storage (the spice ledge above the countertops, for example). A chalkboard wall that connects the kitchen to the mudroom is another casual efficiency. The chalkboard blends nicely with honed granite counters and slate floor tiles.

If the pace in the kitchen gets too hectic, sight lines flow directly out to extensive, peaceful gardens. De Vido's material choices help link the indoors and outdoors. “Bluestone tiles in the kitchen and eating areas reappear in the entry as stepping stones and continue outside as terraces,” he explains.