Hello Kitchen Design

Michael & Anna's Kitchen

By Cindy Black on August 26, 2010 10:51 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Anna & Michael live in an exceptional house designed by Paul Lamb Architect, located on top of one of Austin's tiny mountains overlooking the city. The house is distinguished by three pyramidal volumes, which contain the main functions of the house: the kitchen & dining area, the living area, and the master bedroom wing (a fourth rectilinear volume contains the second bedroom suite). Talk about good bones!... I knew when I first visited this house that it would be both a joy and a challenge design a kitchen that looked like it always belonged.

Since the house was originally built in 1994 for owners with different cooking methods and lifestyles, it was time for a renovation. During my first visit with Michael & Anna, we talked about how much they enjoy gathering with friends in the kitchen, which was hard to do with the existing layout. They cook simple, light foods with veggies from the garden, as well as plenty of specialties from Anna's home country of Sweden.

We also spent time looking at Paul Lamb's original drawings for the house, and it turned out that not everything was built as planned. So part of our goal was to restore the character to the kitchen that had been intended.

The most obvious problem was a huge pantry closet that separated the kitchen from the dining. The pantry 'box' had become sort of a party joke, with people always running around it in order to find each other. We all agreed that it had to go, and in its place came a new island.

Many of our decisions were based on sustainable design and a desire for green building materials. To minimize waste, we decided to use the existing cabinets rather than replace them. We did simple things to make improvements, like removing the upper doors and painting the cabinet walls green.

Working with our contractor, Risinger Homes, during the design process made this easy, since Matt Risinger and his team build with these materials all the time. We specified a satin-finish Bona Naturale on the white oak flooring, and no-VOC Eco-Spec paint from Benjamin Moore on the walls and cabinets. Michael and Anna didn't have to worry about noxious fumes or toxic materials while they lived there during construction.

Another design goal for the project was to bring the feeling of the garden to the inside. Lowering the pantry 'box' and creating the island really opened up views across the room. The stone terrace extends the dining area outside - Michael and Anna are going to have some fun parties here!

We spoke about the garden a lot during the kitchen design process. Michael and Anna have dedicated a lot of love and care to their landscape, working with Davis Jane on the design and Casey Boyter Landscapes for the continued maintenance (Casey is our neighbor and referred me to the project - thanks Casey!) The colors of the garden were largely the inspiration for the new green door and bar stools, and the bright, happy wall color.

The existing sink was situated in the corner with a view to the garden, so I designed this custom stainless steel sink to make better use of the deep space. The drain board off the back is useful as a drying rack area, or for a place to wash produce.

The new island is crisp and modern with the countertop edge flush to the side walls. The base cabinets were all painted a 'Vale Mist' to bring a little more color to the room.

The island countertop is a honed Seagrass Limestone, which complements the use of cut limestone block throughout the house. It's a fossilized stone, so you can see little shells and shapes in the surface!

I know Michael and Anna are enjoying their new cooking space and expanded views of their garden beyond. Thanks to Risinger Homes for doing such a great job (they wrapped up in just under 8 weeks) and be sure to check out Matt's awesome before & after video of the project on his blog!

photos by Valarie L. Campbell

Builder: Risinger Homes (512-535-4063)
Countertops: Architectural Tile & Stone (512-420-9989)

Appliances: Kiva Kitchen & Bath (512-454-4526)

Custom Sink available through Hello Kitchen and Ferguson Supply

pattern!

By Cindy Black on August 20, 2010 10:42 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Here is a perforated panel that I designed for a kitchen that is nearing completion. It's cut into an MDF board that is veneered with Sapele, an African wood similar to mahogany. Our cabinet maker used his CNC router to make the cuts, so they were able to take the pattern directly from my CAD drawing.

I love this stuff! The panels will be back-lit, creating a lantern effect in the kitchen. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Karen & Russell's Kitchen

By Cindy Black on July 27, 2010 9:39 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I'm so excited to show another Hello Kitchen project that just wrapped up in June. Karen and Russell's house was built in 1949 and has the vintage charms of split-face limestone, a low pitched roof, and casement windows. Much of the kitchen was original... well, except for the linoleum floor, do-it-yourself vent-a-hood, and c. 1980 ceiling fan. It was time for a change.

Both sides of the couple love to cook, and Russell worked his way through college in commercial kitchens as a line cook, baker, and even an exhibition cook at an oyster bar! So it was important for the new kitchen layout to have generous space for prep-work, ideally so that two or three people could be in the kitchen at once. The existing counter-space was very limited, and the tiled counter was not a very stable surface for cutting boards.

The big design move was to open the kitchen to the adjacent dining room - before, there was just a 2'-8" doorway, which was a constant source of human traffic jams. So our new 8'-2" cased opening frames the kitchen in a nice way, and the marble bar top provides a place for guests to sit and chat.

Where the old kitchen was cramped with cabinets around the windows, we wanted to open up that wall and accentuate the casements. It's such a nice feature to have an expanse of windows like this that bring lots of natural light into the cooking area.

We built a cabinet to surround the refrigerator that incorporates a pantry opening to the side. This new 12" deep, floor-to-ceiling storage makes it easy to grab food items, and would also work for small appliances like a blender or food processor.

The bar cabinet incorporates some more detailed brackets and bead board; usually, I try to do flat trim for a cleaner modern look, but it's nice to see ornamentation in small doses. We were inspired by French cafes of the 20's... marble, polished fixtures, clean whites and grays.

Looking back toward the dining, the 'before' view shows the old water heater and pantry closets. We moved both of those and opened up this wall to the dining area, creating a much-needed work corner and some open lower shelves facing the kitchen.

The vent hood was replaced with a modern and somewhat utilitarian KitchenAid. The subway tile (another nod to France) is actually a greenish-gray color called Celery, which complements both the Bianco Gioia marble and Rosemary Caesarstone.

The sink gets the sunny spot in the room, with a shiny new faucet by Grohe and a stainless steel undermount sink. Karen & Russell had a nice collection of vases and other fun kitchen accessories, and the simple corner shelves provide a spot for some color.

The custom cabinets, made by our builder Tonianne Soster and her team, have some nice details: solid maple drawer boxes with dovetail joinery; vertical storage for cutting boards & cookie sheets; and flush inside corner boards and ceiling trim. I got to meet with her cabinet maker before construction began to take a look at all the details in the shop drawings; this was a part of the process that I particularly appreciated!

Thanks to Tonianne, we were able to complete construction on the project in about 7 weeks - that's a lot of quality work in a short amount of time! And of course, thank you to Karen & Russell for your ideas during the design process and for outfitting the finished kitchen with such great character. I hope you guys are enjoying the new space!

photos by Valarie L. Campbell

Builder: Tonianne Soster of TAS Construction (512-825-3773)
Tile & Marble Countertops: Architectural Tile & Stone (512-420-9989)

Teresa's Bath

By Cindy Black on July 18, 2010 12:04 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Here's another Hello Kitchen project that just wrapped up a few weeks ago! Teresa has lived in her cute 1950 bungalow in north Hyde Park (aka Northfield, aka my neighborhood) for the past 15 years, and for most of that time, she has patiently awaited a major renovation of her bath. So when we first met about her project back in January, she was super excited about all the possibilities for the new space... hello bath!

The existing bathroom was already pretty small: 6'-6" x 9'-6", with the sink & toilet on one wall and the bathtub and linen closet on the other side. However, Teresa really wanted a shower in addition to the bathtub. The big move that allowed this to happen was removing the linen closet, which created another space for the toilet that was better hidden from view. Here's the plan of the new design:

Then the big challenge was how to make the tub and shower fit in a single wet area that measured just 4'-9" by 6'-6". Luckily, we found a pint-size tub (4'-7" long by 2'-3" wide) and the deck of the tub integrated with the extra-wide curb. The curb serves as a stepping platform, as well as helps keep the water from splashing too much into the open room - no cumbersome shower doors here!

Teresa loved the idea of doing simple, open shelving, since most of what she needed to store was pretty towels. She made it look even prettier with some lovely accessories.

The finishes were all determined during the design process, so we had time to think about how it would all come together. In our initial conversations, the word 'spa' came up a lot, so we naturally gravitated toward a neutral palette, with clean lines and a definite nod to luxury.

The glass wall tile is AKDO Icelandic blue, with a staggered pattern of clear and frosted tiles. The floor and tub wall is 9x18 Applestone, which is a soft limestone originating in Turkey. The shower floor is a 2" limestone hexagon pattern. The linen cabinet and open shelving are rift-sawn white oak, with a natural finish - the warmth of the wood helps to balance the cool colors of the tile.

We framed out niches on either side of the shower wall, so we had some little open shelves facing the sink...

... and the same detail facing the shower, for all the shampoo & stuff. The shelves, as well as the sink countertop, are made of a very durable Caesarstone.

This project was built by David Wilkes & crew, who obviously did a fantastic job bringing it all together in just under 6 weeks! And a big thanks to Teresa for being so patient and happy that whole time :)

summer peaches!

By Cindy Black on June 28, 2010 12:35 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Many summers ago, Rick and I visited a friend who lived in the East Village in New York City. Matt (also an architect) was at the time subletting an apartment that he had designed for some clients, so we enjoyed the luxury of our own guest room, a second floor view onto a bustling shopping street, and new and shiny interiors. In typical New York fashion, the entry to this lovely flat was a nondescript lobby, whose storefront glass door was rendered nearly opaque with graffiti.

The third night we were there, our very gracious host held a dinner party in honor of our visit, and we helped plan the menu and cook for the other guests. Matt had clipped a few recipes that he thought sounded good - a shrimp bisque, using a stock made from the shrimp tails & heads; pasta with kidney beans & sauteed greens, and balsamic peaches for dessert.

We split up for the afternoon in search of our ingredients, Matt heading west, and Rick and I shopping around the East Village for the produce. At the eleventh hour, Matt finally found the crown jewel of the balsamic peach recipe: pink peppercorns! This elusive item could only be found at Dean & Deluca, for the dear price of $6 for about 1 tbsp (albeit in a very cute metal tin).

As Matt slaved over the shrimp (deveining & shelling for nearly an hour), I got the easy task of assembling the peaches, which sat to marinate while we had a lovely dinner with our new friends. Everything came together so well... but the peaches were absolutely sublime. Funny that I should come across my favorite peach recipe in New York, but now I know what to do with our Fredericksburg peaches when they hit their prime.

Balsamic Peaches with Pink Peppercorns

4 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp pink peppercorns, smashed in a mortar & pestle

ice cream or sorbet, optional

Toss the peaches, sugar, balsamic vinegar, & pink peppercorns in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature to marinate and soften. Serve with ice cream or coconut sorbet.

Enjoy!

Peggy's Kitchen: getting close!

By Cindy Black on June 28, 2010 10:56 AM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

For those of you following along, here is an exciting update on the construction progress out at Peggy's kitchen! For a little background on the project, before photos, and a collage of our finishes, click here.

This last month has been super productive: in early June, the pecan cabinets were installed, and the details turned out great. I got a thrill opening the sink drawer for the first time... this is some serious hardware! This aluminum drawer is manufactured by Blum, my favorite system for custom cabinetry. The sink drawer is U-shaped so that the drawer box can slide around the sink drain and disposal unit, but it provides an amazing amount of storage for dishsoap, towels, sponges, and other cleaning supplies, all in an easy-to-clean compartments. And the whole drawer unclips from its glides for easy access to the sink plumbing. Check it out!

I also liked how the vertical cabinet turned out: a very elegant set of 1/4" panels to divide the cabinet for cutting boards & cookie sheets. The adjacent corner cabinet will get a pull-out base drawer inside so that Peggy can access that hard-to-reach corner.

Next on my list was to select the soapstone for the countertops. I worked with an Austin stone supplier to find the right color, and they shipped it to Architectural Tile & Stone, who cuts and installs the stone. This slab is amazing, with dramatic white veining and a greenish tint. They wet down the stone for this image so we could see what it would look like with the oiled finish.

However, we wanted to avoid some of those big, triangular veining areas, so I worked with them to figure out the template. The white boards were placed on site (you'll notice them in the photo of the copper sink above), so that they have an exact fit for the stone. This way, we're able to place the template precisely where we want the veining to fall. We left room for the backsplash on top so the veining would be continuous.

And here it is, installed! The soapstone makes such a beautiful contrast to the pecan cabinets. The stone was oiled down with Mineral Oil, which you'll notice from reading the label that it is a quite versatile product :)

Here's a photo looking the other direction - you can really see the continuous veining. Even the guy installing the stone was like: "whoa... muy bonito!" That's always a good sign...

We're doing a copper top at the bar and ledge that will match the sink - a very elegant set of materials.

The shiplap walls at the bar were also installed, and they'll be painted a warm 'Buttercream' eggshell paint to match the adjacent paneled walls. We're trying to work with the existing finishes as much as possible - the panels, the brick, and the tile floor were all 'givens' for the design.

Finally, we installed the custom steel brackets to hold the reclaimed pecan shelving that will go in later this month. The 1 3/4" thick shelves will be drilled out so that they slide right onto those pipes. This way, you won't see the shelf supports, and they'll appear to 'float' on either side of the vent hood. These excellent pieces were fabricated by Vintage Material Supply in Austin.

* * * * *

Appliances have been ordered, and the tile and remaining hardware are on site, so the next site visit will be very productive! I expect to return on July 9th, so check back the week after that for an update!

Austin Monthly Home

By Cindy Black on June 24, 2010 6:16 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

check out the summer issue of Austin Monthly Home... woohoo!

Quinoa + summer veggies + saffron basil vinaigrette

By Cindy Black on June 21, 2010 11:23 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I believe it's officially summer today... the Solstice - June 21st - right?? A few other signifiers are telling me that summer is here: 1) this weekend it was hot enough to enter the chilly waters at Barton Springs, for my first dip of the year; 2) today felt like a LOOONNNNGGG day, with so much daylight that I still sit here, typing this entry at 11:34 and not feeling tired, and 3) my taste for food has definitely shifted to easier-to-make, lighter fare, since slaving over a hot oven is the last thing anyone feels like doing right now in Austin.

Unfortunately, my aversion to the oven has meant that we've not been eating at home as much lately - it just seems to easy to go grab lunch or pick up dinner on the way home. As a result, I've kind of lost track of where we are in the seasonal selections. I can't remember exactly when the tomatoes are tops, or when the summer squashes arrive. (Peaches - I will never forget - are always best mid-July, so I know I have something to look forward to.)

Tonight I finally broke my no-cooking streak, and threw together a salad worthy of the first day of summer. It's a modern take on a succotash, which is simply a combination of seasonal vegetables, cooked separately but tossed together. For this combination, I tied it together with the Saffron Basil Vinaigrette from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and it really worked to introduce some bold and colorful ingredients to the otherwise modest combination.

You could dress up the salad a bit with feta cheese, but I avoided it this time since I seem to put feta cheese on everything, and it was time to let the lima beans & almonds shine.

Quinoa Salad with Summer Veggies & Saffron Basil Vinaigrette

1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed well

1 cup water

20 stalks asparagus

1 red bell pepper

1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh off the cob)

1/2 cup lima beans, frozen

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

(vinaigrette ingredients below)

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with twice as much water, add a dash of salt, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and let steam for 15 minutes or until absorbed. Remove the cover, fluff, and let the quinoa cool off.

3. Cut the red bell pepper in half lengthwise, and set cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes (alternatively, you could buy pre-roasted peppers, or roast these outside on the grill). Toward the end of the cooking, you can add the almonds to the pan for toasting. Remove, let cool, and then peel the skin and seeds away from the peppers. Slice into thin strips.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Throw in the asparagus and boil for 2 minutes, then remove to an ice bath (just a big bowl of cold water with ice in it). Keep the water boiling for the next ingredients. Drain the asparagus on a kitchen towel so they're nice and dry.

3. Bring the water to a boil again, and add the corn. Remove to an ice bath after 1 minute. Repeat with the lima beans. Dry both of these on the kitchen towel.

4. Arrange all the ingredients on a serving platter, and dress with the Saffron Basil Vinaigrette (recipe below).

Saffron Basil Vinaigrette (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp snipped chives

1/2 tsp grated or minced orange zest

salt & freshly milled pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pinch saffron threads

2 tbsp snipped or torn basil leaves

In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, chives, orange zest, 3/4 tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Warm 2 tbsp of the oil right over the heat in a small measuring cup, crumble the saffron threads into it, and let stand for a few minutes. Add the oil to the dressing and whisk in the remaining oil. Add the basil just before serving.

This dish also works well for leftovers - perfect for lunch the next day!

under construction...

By cindy on June 5, 2010 7:30 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

Man... first it happened with March, then April, and now I'm sitting here and it's June 5th and I'm wondering what happened to spring!! The sad thing about being busy this spring is that I missed an opportunity to plant basil seeds. I've traditionally done this on March 5th... not because anyone told me to, but because the first year I attempted to plant from seed, we hit the perfect stretch of weather on March 5th - it was a post-frost, gorgeous spring Saturday, and I had time to work in the garden. Soon after that I had a crop of the most amazing basil plants you've ever seen, that continued to produce until late October, when I finally put them to rest in the compost bin. Based on this success, I have installed 'March 5th' in my memory bank as the ultimate day for seed planting.

So, the day came and went this year, and I kept missing opportunities to get out there and plant those seeds (I have a huge bag of basil seeds collected from the plants of years past). I would see the herb table at Central Market, overflowing with basil, and regret that I wouldn't have the perfect Margherita pizza topping growing in our garden. But let's step back a minute and review the possible reasons why I might not have had the energy for a little gardening:

At Peggy's kitchen, all the old cabinets were demo'd to make way for the new pecan cabinets and shelving. I've got a car-load of finishes - light fixtures, tile, faucets - to deliver out there this Wednesday:

* * * * *

At Michael & Anna's, the pantry was removed to make way for a new island, new countertops were installed, and the entire room was repainted with no-VOC paint (in very pretty colors!). Matt and his Risinger Homes crew have been awesome in working through these details!

* * * * *

We redesigned the kitchen at Karen & Russell's, with all new cabinetry, new marble and caesarstone tops, new plumbing and refinished flooring. Builder Tonianne Soster completed their kitchen in lightening speed... just under 6 weeks! Getting that marble in was a bit tricky... the bracket supports had to be pre-drilled, then the marble slid into place, moved over, and the brackets slid back down onto their screws.

Whew!!...

* * * * *

We're completely renovating the bath in Teresa's 1950's bungalow, and David Wilkes Builders is currently installing our luxurious finishes and doing a great job. We selected staggered glass tile, apple stone, 2" hexagon tiles for the shower floor, and caesarstone countertops:

* * * * *

At Lisa's house, we installed a custom-designed living room cabinet and floating shelves above, made from Lyptus (cut on the diagonal and finished with a black aniline dye and pre-catalyzed lacquer). Thanks to Jason of Bedre Woodworking for doing a fantastic job!

* * * * *

And finally, starting on a new project. I'm collaborating with interior designer, Christina Shipley of Maison & Bouquet, and we're renovating a kitchen that will have dark stained wood, Moroccan accents, and this combination of zinc, glass tile and Colonial Cream granite:

It's been an exciting spring, for sure. I've been extremely lucky to work with the talented folks above in each project. And during all that, a magical thing happened: remember those basil plants from years past? Well, the crafty little things left their seeds behind, and just at the right moment (possibly March 5th?) they sprouted new seedlings on their very own. So today I took this photo of my basil, plumped out and ready for summer pizzas!!

heart and sole

By cindy on May 1, 2010 8:44 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

Today I celebrate both my 40th entry and one year on this blog! I never anticipated how much I would enjoy writing this, and it has become a necessary outlet for my thoughts about food, design, people, and Austin. Thanks for reading!

To appropriately send off this occasion, I have a very special meal in mind. It comes in the form of a delicate fish in my favorite French preparation: Sole Meuniere. I love the subtle hints of fennel (used in the dusting powder) and the decadent butter sauce spiked with capers. I seem to always pair it with various sauteed greens - spinach, kale, or chard - since it would seem a shame for another vegetable to try to compete with this amazing crunchy texture. The meal rounds out with some healthy and delicious braised radishes from the garden.

Sole Meuniere (adapted from Food & Wine October 2003)

2 tsp ground fennel

1/2 c. white flour

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground white pepper

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. dry white wine

Six 2 oz. sole fillets (they're usually really tiny - just shoot for 6 oz. per person)

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp drained capers

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1. On a plate, combine the fennel, flour, salt, and pepper. In a shallow bowl combine the heavy cream and white wine. Dip each sole piece in the wine mixture, then dredge through the flour and set aside.

2. In a stainless steel skillet, heat the olive oil and canola oils until they are shimmering. Throw in a pinch of flour; if it immediately sizzles, then you're ready. Place the fish in the pan but do not crowd. Brown on each side for 2-3 minutes, working in two batches if necessary. Remove the fish to serving plates.

3. Wipe out the skillet, return to heat and add the butter; when it stops foaming add the thyme & capers. Fry those for a bit, turn off the heat, and add the vinegar. Spoon mixture over fish and serve.

Braised Radishes (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison)

10 plump radishes

1 tbsp butter

1 shallot, diced

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

salt & fresh ground pepper

1. Trim the leaves from the radishes, leaving a bit of the green stems, and scrub them. Leave smaller radishes whole and halve or quarter the larger ones.

2. Melt 2 tsp butter in a small saute pan. Add the shallot and thyme and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the radishes, a little salt & pepper, and water just to cover. Simmer until the radishes are tender, 3-5 minutes. Remove radishes to a serving dish. Boil the liquid, adding a tsp or two more butter if you like, until 1/4 cup remains. Pour over the radishes and serve.

Enjoy!

Hello Kitchen Design

Michael & Anna's Kitchen

pattern!

Karen & Russell's Kitchen

Teresa's Bath

summer peaches!

Peggy's Kitchen: getting close!

Austin Monthly Home

Quinoa + summer veggies + saffron basil vinaigrette

under construction...

heart and sole

W E L C O M E !

S T A Y I N T O U C H

R E C E N T L Y...

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