Interior designer Elizabeth Rosensteel's clients for this Phoenix kitchen have five teenage children. That alone constitutes a fairly large group to feed, but when you factor in the probability of each child bringing friends over, the number of people in the space at any one time gets even bigger. “The kitchen is the family center,” says Rosensteel. “There had to be workability for feeding the masses.”
So she designed three eating areas into the room—a custom dining table that seats eight, and two peninsulas with three seats apiece. A commercial-style walk-in refrigerator/freezer holds the quantity of perishables a family this size requires. “We found we could accommodate the insulation better by going from the refrigerator directly into the freezer,” says Rosensteel. Another refrigerator in the main kitchen space supplements the walk-in, holding items the family uses every day. Two ovens occupy separate areas so that different cooking and baking projects can take place at the same time.
With so many people using the kitchen, the owners didn't want to have to spend all their time cleaning it up. Many of the surfaces are coated with an automotive-like paint that doesn't show fingerprints easily, and multi-hued granite counters were chosen for the same reason.
Project Credits: Builder/designer of overall house: R. J. Bacon Company, Phoenix; Interior designer: Elizabeth A. Rosensteel Design/Studio, Phoenix; Project size: 720 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: Robert Reck.
Resources: Dishwasher: Miele, Circle 455; Flooring: Dal-Tile, Circle 456; Lighting: LBL, Circle 457; Oven: Wolf, Circle 458; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero, Circle 459.
Details The two custom, oversized sinks on the peninsula's corner mean whoever ends up doing the dishes doesn't have to turn his or her back on the scenery outside. The sinks' generous dimensions hold the many pots and pans needed for those big-family meals.
