French Ooh, La La!
A kitchen that moves seamlessly between sophisticated dinner parties and provincial feasts is essential for a French-style chef. For homeowner Holly Tate - who learned to cook while living in Paris - her kitchen also needed to be big enough to host the cooking classes she and Lee Evans, her culinary partner, offer aspiring chefs who attend Everyday Gourmet Cooking School.

Mix those ingredients together by hand, add a tablespoon of terra cotta and a pinch of plaster, and voila, welcome to the crème de la crème of French-chateau kitchen design.

What makes this space truly special is how “at home” the latest technology seems in a room rich in antiques and reclaimed materials. Grounding the space in French tradition are terra-cotta floor tiles salvaged from a farmhouse kitchen in Provence. Rough walls support exposed beams that span an 11-foot ceiling, and Holly and her husband, John, self-professed Francophiles, seasoned the space with authentic furnishings like an 18th-century dough box from a French bakery.

This is a kitchen with a palpable history of culinary adventures, a place where Holly has produced good taste both in cooking and design. Bon Appetit!

HOME:
John and Holly Tate
530 BelMeade Way Trail
Lewisville, NC 27023

SPONSOR:
Cabinet Studio
1033 Burke St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-724-1754

Cooks in the Kitchen
An old adage notes that too many cooks spoil the broth. That may be so, but when it comes to designing a great family kitchen for David and Susan Cook, the more cooks, the merrier.

That was the recipe Stephen Mabe followed in creating a tasteful space for his clients. Mabe - a seasoned builder - knows that today’s kitchens, often referred to as the heart of the home, fill a variety of roles for the modern family. More than just a space to prepare meals in, a well-designed kitchen can be a center for socializing through the use of well-planned islands, countertops, and seating areas that invite sitting, leaning, and conversing.

Mabe expanded the Cooks’ kitchen to include a breakfast area with built-in benches that double as storage, and a bank of casement windows transformed the space into a generous eat-in with a Southern exposure. When the sun goes down, custom-made cherry cabinets and copper-colored accent tiles in the backsplash add warmth to this spacious setting.

Some of the special features in the kitchen include a hot-water dispenser, a warming drawer, an “appliance garage” that hides counter clutter, and a kick-plate central vacuum.

Whether she is cooking, thumbing through her favorite cookbooks, or watching her much-loved Food Network shows, Susan says this inspired space provides the perfect setting for good living.

HOME:
David and Susan Cook
444 Arbor Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27104

SPONSOR:
Stephen L. Mabe Building Inc.
4715 Bethania Station Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27105

Keeping up with the Joneses
Designer Elizabeth Jones knew her clients Mary Nan and Ken Moser pretty well; she had designed for them before. So when the couple decided to downsize a few years ago, they asked Jones to design their new home with a connecting kitchen and family room.

Jones knew that a well-placed kitchen blended with the rest of the house, and that joining kitchen to family room not only reflected a more modern sensibility to living space, but it was also family-friendly.

Together, Jones and the Mosers discussed how to simplify, organize, and beautify. And because a kitchen is about living, the collaborators downplayed its utilitarian nature and created an open-faced design that allowed the cook to maintain visual and conversational contact with family and guests in adjoining spaces.

To contrast the antique heart-pine flooring and butter-colored walls that tied the rooms together, Cabinet Studio designer Sandy Jones defined the kitchen’s borders by creating a lively interior landscape with custom-made cabinets in sage green and cream. This is the “unfitted” approach to kitchen design, where handcrafted pieces can stand alone as individual elements with separate tasks, or work together to create a smooth-running whole.

Accenting the dynamic landscape of this kitchen, the Mosers chose bead-board doors and panels, a farm-style apron sink, and quartz Zodiaq countertops for their durability and easy maintenance.

Ultimately, for Yadkin County builder Wishon & Carter, building their first custom home in Winston-Salem was all about keeping up with the Joneses - which was, of course, by design.

HOME:
Ken and Mary Nan Moser
446 Carolina Circle
Winston-Salem, NC 27104

SPONSORS:
Wishon & Carter Builders Inc.
PO Box 1719
Yadkinville, NC 27055
336-469-0507
- and -
Cabinet Studio
1033 Burke St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-724-1754

Kitchen ‘a la carter’
Designer Marlene Carter and Full Circle Builders created a richly textured open-space kitchen for their client Lori Hinnant, an admitted multitasker. This kitchen - the nerve center of the home - is based on clean lines, rich appearance, and faux finishes.

Instead of a traditional tiled backsplash, this contemporary space shimmers with a mosaic of tiny amber-colored glass tiles that reflect the warm character of the room’s reclaimed heart-pine floor.

The custom cabinets, by woodworker Tim Wroebel, were faux-painted by Peggy Karpinski, who used a dry-brush technique to achieve a vintage look. The cabinets’ “copper penny” base coat peeks through oil-based glazes and complements Karpinski’s trompe l’oeil effect on the cooktop hood - faux-painted to look like antiqued copper.

While Carter added other rich finishes to the space - such as eco-friendly concrete countertops, hand-rubbed bronze fixtures, and a hand-hammered copper sink - the designer also accented the space with soft touches like rattan stools, rush-seated chairs around a worn wooden table, and the natural feel of seagrass and sisal area rugs that soothe the sole.

For the hub of the house, Carter and Hinnant decided to move the laundry units to the basement and reclaim the closet space as a multipurpose work station with a built-in desk and cubby holes.

From here, Hinnant can plug into the Internet while her three boys gather around the table to watch ESPN on the flat-screen television above the refrigerator. Because for multitaskers like Hinnant, a “full plate” life demands a variety of activities to juggle at any given time.

HOME:
Lori Hinnant
628 Roslyn Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27104

SPONSOR:
Full Circle Builders Inc.
PO Box 24815
Winston-Salem, NC 27114
336-345-2178

Rich in Tastes
Built in 1963, Lenwood and Anne Rich’s kitchen was ready for an update. Anne says it was pretty dark to begin with, but when she moved a large Welsh cupboard in front of one of the room’s two windows to make a point, her husband finally saw the light.

It wasn’t long before the couple gutted the kitchen. First, they relocated the sink that overlooked a screened-in patio and installed French doors that provided easy access to the pleasures of outdoor dining. As an added touch, a lap pool just beyond the patio serves as a fountain at the flip of a switch.

Inside, the kitchen’s central island has a hand-rubbed ebony finish. Surrounded by glazed cream-colored cabinets and the sumptuous grain of oak woodwork, the variety of design elements blend like complementing flavors in a complex dish. Seasoned with antique pewter pulls, brushed nickel fixtures, and a flavorful assortment of accent pieces, the kitchen’s “butterfly green” granite countertops complete this tasteful approach to kitchen design.

At the other end of the kitchen, the couple transformed an adjoining utility room into a butler’s pantry and wet bar with an icemaker and beverage center.

Around the window that lights the space, Anne, a school librarian, proudly displays a cookbook collection that includes Cook’s Country - a sister publication of Cook’s Illustrated - for whom her daughter-in-law, Cali Rich, serves as food writer and recipe tester. In a kitchen so rich in taste, Cali would likely agree that this is a design recipe worth repeating.

HOME:
Lenwood and Anne Rich
901 Wellington Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27106

SPONSOR:
Thomas Harris Building & Design
300 S. Stratford Road, Suite E
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
336-399-0533

Major Renovation
Major Sean and Denise Wilson lost their poker faces when they first encountered the 1927 Italianate house they now call home.

Despite the obvious renovation challenges, they remained steadfast in their decision to acquire their dream house. On the list of projects before them, no room was in worse shape than the original galley kitchen, which after years of neglect, was reduced to a dark and dingy dead-end in the house.

After clearing the kitchen of its acoustical tile ceiling, dark paneling, and wall-to-wall Berber carpet, the couple extended the room at the rear to include a balcony porch that overlooked the backyard.

The Wilson’s builder then poured a new foundation, buttressed, and plumbed what ultimately became the kitchen’s dramatic focal point - a recessed cooking area designed to look like a stone hearth.

The earthy tones of that stone, or faux river rock, combined with the warmth of custom-distressed cabinetry made of Lyptus wood are what give the kitchen its distinct character. The couple also installed a narrow butcher-block island of black walnut that allows full access to cabinets, appliances, and opening doors.

To compensate for all the dark wood, the Wilsons opened their kitchen to side and back porches with glass-paned doors, effectively balancing the intimacy of rich materials by flooding the space with light. Adding to the natural light and accenting the space are back-lighted upper cabinets - designed to mimic original door transoms - and leaded-glass cabinet doors that Denise saved from the couple’s former residence. In effect, Sean says the natural, artificial, and reflected light helps the kitchen “live larger than any floor plan on paper.”

HOME:
Major Sean Wilson and Denise Maroldy-Wilson
428 N. Stratford Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27104

SPONSOR:
McCullough Tile
5272 Germanton Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27105
336-744-0660

Keeping a Low Profile
Italian woodworkers have long been known for leading-edge furniture and cabinet design. Just like Tuscan cuisine, the artistry of contemporary Italian woodworking is both distinctive and meant to be savored.

When Anna Reilly and Matthew Cullinan wanted to add the sleek look of modern cabinetry to their contemporary kitchen, the couple turned to the gifted Italian woodworkers at ArcLinea.

The result: a kitchen that makes the most of minimal colors and materials - keeping the space static and calming - while incorporating innovation around every well-planned turn.

Refrigerated drawers give this space its “cool” factor, while a series of under-counter cabinets were specially designed for convenient waste disposal, recycling, and removal through a hidden garbage chute. With no overhead cabinets, the kitchen puts everything the couple needs within easy reach. Deep, customizable drawers under the counter reveal neatly stacked dishes and utensils organized in stainless-steel inserts that pull out for easy cleaning.

Other special features include a six-burner Wolf professional-style range and stainless-steel hood that serve as a sculptural focal point; a free-standing coffee bar with gourmet coffees and herbal teas; ample Corian countertops for roomy work surfaces; and dual dishwashers that make clean-up during, and after, large get-togethers a breeze.

The homeowners wanted a design that would provide all the conveniences of a professional kitchen, and at the same time, encourage gatherings and honor the home’s natural setting. What they got is a stunning second-story space sure to be the envy of every local foodie.

HOME:
Anna Reilly and Matthew Cullinan
2797 Acorn Court
Winston-Salem, NC 27106

SPONSOR:
Anderson-Moore Builders Inc.
425 West End Blvd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-722-4818

Classic. Period.
For builders, the rules of tradition usually lead to good taste. They point the way to a new house that is adapted to place, constructed efficiently, and comfortable to live in, without the trappings of excess. That’s exactly the way Mitch and Gloria Lowrey approached their “new-old house,” one that honored the neighborhood with its classic elements and traditional style.

When it came to designing their kitchen, though, the Lowreys turned to designers Robert Harper and Allen Pinnix to reinterpret the idea of “traditional” by mixing in a bit of modernity. Missing from the couple’s kitchen are excessive moldings and fussy finishes. Instead, Martha Bradley of West End Cabinet Company introduced Gloria to the simple lines of cabinetry with flush-paneled doors and drawers.

Upper cabinets provide show-off space for Gloria’s collection of blue and white china. Polished black-granite countertops and windowsills also make a dramatic statement in a space dominated by white. And it is this black-and-white palette, echoed in the printed Roman shade window treatments, that gives the kitchen its un-stilted formality. Final touches of efficiency and convenience - walk-in and butler’s pantries, organizing nook, and built-in desk - match the kitchen’s style with function.

Ultimately, the Lowreys say they believe their space fits the home’s precedents on the street. In fact, when the workmen came to install kitchen countertops, one observant noted “you must have gutted the whole house.” Instead, the Lowreys smiled and said, “well, not exactly.”

HOME:
Mitch and Gloria Lowrey
2800 Country Club Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27104

SPONSOR:
West End Cabinet Company
457 West End Blvd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-722-6565

If you go:
The third-annual Tour of Fine Kitchens, a self-guided tour of eight homes, is April 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets are $20 in advance and may be purchased at Gotham Park, Nitsa’s, Pink Mink, L.A. Reynolds, Cabinet Studio, Kim Taylor & Company, or at jlws.org. Tickets are also available for $25 at each home on the day of the tour.

Proceeds from the Tour of Fine Kitchens support the Junior League of Winston-Salem’s programming aimed at nurturing and educating individuals to build healthier families and stronger communities.

Maps:

A.
446 Carolina Circle, 27104
Wishon & Carter Builders Inc.
and Cabinet Studio

B.
428 N. Stratford Road, 27104
McCullough Tile

C.
444 Arbor Road, 27104
Stephen L. Mabe Building Inc.

D.
628 Roslyn Road, 27104
Full Circle Builders Inc.

E.
2800 Country Club Road, 27104
West End Cabinet Company

F.
2797 Acorn Court, 27106 Anderson-Moore Builders Inc.

G.
901 Wellington Road, 27106
Thomas Harris Building & Design

H.
530 BelMeade Way Trail
Lewisville, 27023
Cabinet Studio

PRESENTING SPONSOR:
Fairway Independent
Mortgage Corporation
900 Marguerite Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
336-529-1434