Chef Central

Ultimate Expression This Napa Valley, Calif., wine country kitchen represents the culmination of designer Fu-Tung Cheng’s 20 years of experience. It’s stuffed full of ideas about materials, space, and efficiency, all working to enhance the owner’s gourmet lifestyle. “Cooking is the owner’s avocation—it’s his form of creativity and entertainment,” says Cheng. So the room’s island holds a range, built-in wok, grill, and deep fryer. Three strategically placed sinks—one for making beverages, one for food prep, and one for cleanup—serve three different purposes, and three dishwashers ensure there’s never a backup of dirty dishes.

Because of the house’s overall architecture (the rammed-earth, wood, and glass structure designed by Seattle firm Cutler Anderson Architects has a massive, organic feel) Cheng needed to make sure the kitchen left an equally strong, solid impression. The hefty island and some walls and counters consist of Geocrete, his proprietary line of custom concrete infused with fossils, auto transmission parts, and other found objects. “It’s like looking for antiques,” he says of his fossil-finding process. “I go to rock shows, rock stores, and now sometimes the Internet.” A 10-foot-long range hood, also designed by Cheng, rids the space of extra odors and heat. The kitchen is featured in the book Concrete at Home (The Taunton Press, 2005) by Fu-Tung Cheng with Eric Olsen.

Project Credits:
Builder: Tanglefoot Construction, Napa, Calif.; Designer: Cheng Design, Berkeley, Calif.; Architect of overall house: Cutler Anderson Architects, Seattle; Project size: 500 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: Matthew Millman.

Resources:
Cabinetry/molding: Plyboo; Cooktop/deep fryer/grill/wok: Gaggenau; Countertop: Geocrete by Cheng Design; Dishwasher/warming drawers: Miele; Faucets: Duravit; Ice maker/trash compactor: KitchenAid; Freezer drawers/refrigerator/wine cooler: Sub-Zero; Oven: Kuppersbusch; Trough sink/vent hood: Cheng Design.

Details Designer Fu-Tung Cheng selected bamboo cabinetry and flooring for its beauty, durability, and sustainability. “In a span of 5, 10, or 15 years, you can grow a full forest of bamboo,” he says. “Its hardness quotient falls somewhere between that of oak and maple.”