Recently in Dream Kitchen Series Category

Rick and I have always talked about cooking outside, and how we could achieve this without buying a Weber Summit S-460, or something like it. The big stainless grill aesthetic just doesn't fit with our house. We're attracted to more primitive elements of cooking: big copper pots, stone vessels like molcajetes, a wood or charcoal-fired grill, mostly stone or stucco surfaces, and a seamless interaction with the garden.

The best example of this in Austin, and possibly in the country, for that matter, is the outdoor 'kitchen' of James David and Gary Peese, former partners in Gardens. Wood-fired barbecues are built into a limestone wall and offer three different means of cooking: a smoker and two sizes of grills (one for small events and one for cooking on a big scale). They also have a fireplace outfitted with a Tuscan grill, which is a small enamel dish that evenly cooks its contents. A wood-fired pizza oven is conveniently located just outside the kitchen on a back porch. Inventive stone details, like pyramids, spheres, and offset planes lend a modern, whimsical aesthetic to these functional objects.

The Lounge Kitchen provides plenty of casual seating and hang-out area for all those guests and onlookers. I didn't want to lose that cozy feeling of being crammed around the fire; I think the seating provisions should seem almost incidental, like there's still barely enough room. I also loved the idea of the hearth as a place for gathering, so I included a fireplace that would unite the lounge area and cooking area. Here's the design:

Now, you'll notice that this design is part of the 'Dream Kitchen' series, which justifies the very well-appointed Butler's Pantry in the design. Here resides most of the upper cabinets for china, stemware, and serving ware that one would use for hosting a large gathering. But the everyday ware can still be kept at hand in the main cooking area; under the stretch of windows is a 10" tall shelf extending the full length behind the sink and to the right of the range. Here the cook can store everyday plates, mugs, spices and other on-hand cooking items, and also have a lovely ledge for herb potagers.

Kitchen appliances (like the food processor, blender, toaster, standing mixer) and the pantry are located on either side of the refrigerator and are all located on an interior wall. The fireplace would be ideally located in the center of the house, so it is also located along that interior wall so that it can radiate warmth to all living areas.

This is essentially an eat-in kitchen, so a generous 5-foot diameter marble table is situated against a bank of seating at the window wall. I figured the round table lends both an intimate feeling and a little more elbow room. The lounge would consist of a funky armchair and mismatched loveseat, a rug, and maybe a bookshelf in a corner. It is just big enough to host a small group, who could grab some chairs from the adjacent dining table and gather around for cocktails. But for the cook, it serves as a lovely getaway spot for in the kitchen on quieter days.