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36 | Kitchen & Bath Design News July 2014 those who love to cook. As she explains it, "What clients like is enough work space with easy access to appli- ances and storage. It works so well because everything is within reach or one or two steps away." While every home chef is diferent, she maintains that her cooking-focused clients want "good lighting, enough counter space in the right location, storage of equip- ment and appliances that meet their needs." To the latter end, she explains that most serious home chefs like the control of gas cooktops, although she adds that "in- duction is coming on strong." In fact, she says the biggest objection to induction is not about the cooking aspect, but about having to get new pans. She notes, "Some may want a griddle, but most will have the grill outside. They usually want a cooktop that has at least one high BTU burner. A steam oven is going in 50 percent of our remod- eled kitchens. Microwaves are going by the wayside as the health conscious con- sumer realizes the loss of nutrition to their food that the microwave zaps out." She concludes, "Placement of ap- pliances is very important to the cooking enthusiast," explaining that the cookie cutter layout doesn't appeal to home chefs. Rather, they want a fexible design that works for the way they cook. ENTERTAINMENT FRIENDLY Cooking and entertaining go hand in hand, so when Nancy Forman was called on to de- sign this space, she wanted to make sure it would work for busy social gatherings. The creative director for the Philadelphia-based Perfor- mance Kitchens began with an open layout that would be well suited for entertaining large groups. A spacious pantry was added to "house all of the ingredients that can make it easy to cook up a storm." The next priorities were "proper counter space beside the cooking and sink areas and good ventilation for grilling." It was also critical to pro- vide easy access for more than one person to cook, as well as plenty of coun- ter space on the island. She notes, "Island counters are a great space for setting up plates." Since half the fun of cooking is being able to do it for an audience, the design needed to accommodate this. She concludes, "The size and shape of the island and seat- ing at the island made it a great space for guests to hang out and watch the chef in action." KEEPING THE COOK INVOLVED An open layout was also essential in this kitchen de- signed by Dawn Zuber, AIA, of the Canton, MI-based Studio Z Architecture. Her client wasn't a gourmet chef, per se, but he did enjoy cooking and enter- taining for friends and family. However, he didn't want to be stuck in the kitchen while everyone else was having fun. Rather, "he asked for an open kitchen where he could prepare and cook food while still being a part of the party. He also wanted to be able to see the TV from the kitchen," she comments. An open foor plan made the kitchen space seem larger and more party-friendly, and Zuber notes that the client loves the way it's open to the family room and dining area. She continues, "I always like to place the sink and stove along the same run of cabinetry so that the chef doesn't have to walk across the kitchen with heavy pots full of boiling water, for example." The client fell in love with the 48" Wolf range "because of the clean design and double ovens," and she notes that the placement further contributes to the kitchen's cook-friendliness. Cooks do the majority of their food prep in the space between the sink and the stove, she explains, "so that area should be spacious but not too large so that the sink and stove are a comfortable distance apart." In this kitch- en, she notes, "there is about 42 linear inches of counter space between the sink and the stove, which is just right." She adds, "The island is also conveniently positioned so that the chef can work there, too, or can have an assistant working on the island." The end result is a kitchen with a very enter- tainment-friendly layout that allows the chef to cook and still be a part of the fun. To see more views and pho- tos of these gourmet-style kitchens, visit our Web site at www.ForResidentialPros.com. Gourmet Kitchens • An open layout that allows the cook to be part of the action was an essential element to this kitchen, which was designed by Dawn Zuber, AIA, of Studio Z Architecture. • In this kitchen, designed by Nancy Forman of Performance Kitchens, an open layout, spacious pantry and large island make the kitchen ideally suited to entertaining large groups. Photo: Steve Kuzma Photography Photo: Nancy Forman KBD_34-37_GourmetKitchens.indd 36 6/17/14 10:28 AM