Tim Street-Porter
The kitchen remodel for a pair of Hollywood foodies had to accommodate their high-wattage soirees and give them the means to pursue their passion: cooking and serving the food themselves. Architect Henry Smith-Miller devised a new, cleverly detailed kitchen that stayed within the bounds of the existing 17-by-9-foot space but that can transcend those bounds with a few simple moves. “Everything about this kitchen was designed so these two people could cook for their guests,” Smith-Miller says.
The owners like to converse with their visitors without having crowds in the kitchen, so Smith-Miller made sure the kitchen can go where the crowds are. A folding screen lets the owners open the kitchen to the dining room and turn nearly 5 feet of the kitchen’s perimeter counter into a serving center.
More flexibility is designed into the kitchen island. The 2-foot-wide-by-7-foot-long island breaks down into functional pieces that suit the occasion. One end is a rolling, stainless steel serving cart with open shelves that can be moved where needed. The other end of the butcher block slab covers a wheeled trash can that makes cleanup easy. With the trash can gone, the cantilevered counter is available to pull up a stool or two. Because the owners use the island’s butcher block top as their only cutting board, a small hole in the center lets them push waste into a drawer-sized bin that slides out from either side.
When the owners entertain outside, a wall of windows over the sink slides open so food can be passed to the terrace where it can be cooked on the built-in grill or chilled in an outdoor fridge. For more formal meals, a rolling glass and aluminum dining table with a large glass lazy Susan serves seated diners inside or out.
Project Credits
Builder: Monet Concept, Los Angeles
Architect: Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects, New York City
Project size: 150 square feet
Construction cost: Withheld
Photographer: Tim Street-Porter
Resources: Refrigerator: Traulsen; Stove: Viking.
