Bob joins electrician Larry Dana in the kitchen of the Quechee farmhouse as he installs the Kenmore Elite 30" self-cleaning convectionoven. The oven requires 220 high-voltage current as it will be delivering a high degree of heat. Larry recommends hiring a licensed electrician for this kind of installation. Bob underscores that, as a rule of thumb, you should always connect your ground wires first. Next Larry connects the neutral wire saving the potentially hot for last. Rather than putting the junction box back in the wall after connecting the wires, Larry leaves it floating behind the unit to facilitate servicing later on if it becomes necessary. In addition to the aesthetics, another advantage of the flush controls on these newly designed appliances is that without the clutter of toggle switches and buttons, they are a lot easier to read and to keep clean.
Bob tours the completed kitchen at his Cambridge home. The Sub Zero refrigerators have been customized in one area using the same bead board design as the kitchen walls and in the breakfast area refrigerator drawers to match the wood cabinets. Two Jenn-Aire digital convection ovens and a cook top from Brown Stove Works allow for a truly impressive cooking operation. Most of the kitchen is commercial grade with stainless steel. The exhaust vent stove backsplash and the countertops flanking the stove were made by a restaurant supply, stainless steel fabricator in the Boston Area. The counters were fabricated on site from soapstone quarried in Brazil. Soap Stone if cut upon can dull a blade so hard rock Maple butcher blocks from Eastern Butcher Block are laid on top for food preparation.
Bob and Ryley install an resturaunt quality Braun oven hood vent to compensate for the lack of exhaust outside the building. The fan is equipped with two charcoal filters on either side of the exhaust fan in addition to the grease filters. The range will be vented inside the room, and the hood is the best possible solution. Also installed are Metrowire shelves.
The kitchen is set for company, but the counters are clean and uncluttered. Appliances in white complement the adjacent living space in this open-plan apartment. The Whirlpool double-door refridgerator in white, with lots of storage and features, blends with the oven and cooktop, also from Whirlpool, and the Energy Star dishwasher with high-end features like wine-glass racks and special wash cycles. Bob challenged the crew to outfit the kitchen completely by shopping online from Sears.com. Juicers, pots, pans, blender, combination microwave-convectionoven, coffee grinder and brewer, were all selected, delivered, and tucked away in this getaway kitchen designed for easy entertaining.
The open-plan family room of the Punta Gorda house overlooks the canal on one side and opens onto the living area and kitchen on the other. Cecile Hemphill of Oh Cecile in San Francisco shows Bob the cookware and accessories that now fill the cupboards. Starting with Chantal cookware in bright colors, a teapot with a whistle, a Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet, and a Joyce Chen wok, Hemphill has completely outfitted the kitchen for cooking and entertaining. The drawers are filled with Oxo ergonomically designed cooking utensils. Ironwood Gourmet's Acacia wood cutting boards stand ready on the counters, as does bright-colored Chantal ceramic ware that goes from the freezer to the oven to the table. Bob also remarks on the Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator-freezer that measures and dispenses water. All of the appliances are from Whirlpool, including the dishwasher and front-loading washer and dryer. Bob and Hemphill remark on the overall design of the kitchen, the openess and the size of the elements, which are perfectly scaled and large enough for easy living and frequent entertaining.
Bob and Chris Vila are in the huge kitchen of the Manhattan Brownstone with floor-to-ceiling cabinets and oversized elements that take advantage of the abundant space. The island is a full 96 inches wide with front-facing deep cabinets and drawers with panel fronts that match the wainscoting throughout the kitchen and living space. The appliances are large-scale, professional quality, and stainless-steel. The 48-inch Wolf range has six burners, a central grill station, and convection and standardovens. The Wolf range hood is also stainless steel, and functions as a smart appliance, responding to heat by automatically turning on and adjusting its fan speed. The hood vents to the outside and has halogen lighting. A pot-filling faucet sits above the stove for easy filling of large pots. The stainless-steel sink is made by Julien of Canada and features front drawers for sponge and scrubber storage.
In the kitchen, a neutral paint palette allows for striking contrasts. Bob looks at the mix of stainless steel and black Kenmore Elite Energy Star appliances, the Wellborn cabinets, and Curtis' choice of decorative antiques. In the informal dining area, Vila and Curtis focus on a reproduction wicker table set based on a Haywood-Wakefield design. In the sunroom, the furniture is a Bar Harbor-style wicker, which was introduced in the early twentieth century in Bar Harbor, Maine. These pieces were custom made by Curtis Designs of Los Angeles and feature a French fabric design from the SPNEA collection.
