A Home Cook's Must-Haves

This family-friendly kitchen has size on its side—“the island is the size of a real island!” the homeowner laughs—but it’s also filled with smart features that make cooking for a crowd easier and more fun. Here, the avid home cook shares a few of his favorites:

OPEN SPACE

“This kitchen really works well because of the circulation space between the counters: People can eat at the bar or work at the sink and there’s still easy access to the refrigerator.”

CLEAN-LINED CABINETS

“When it comes to cabinetry, I like the clean look; too much detail is just a lot of hot air.” These sleek, solid-walnut cupboards were built by Rand Moeller of RMS Cabinets in Cotati, California.

STEAM OVEN

“Our favorite household toy for cooking is our Gaggenau steam oven, which is an amazing substitute for a microwave, convection oven, and even a rice- cooker. You can bake bread in it, you can reheat vegetables or pasta—it’s incredibly versatile.”

LINEAR LIGHT

Inspired by 1970s supergraphics, the “incredible” Endless Straight fixture, designed by Jason Miller for Roll & Hill, is a modular LED lighting system that can be customized to any length. This one spans nearly the entire width of the 18-foot-long kitchen island.

6-FOOT-LONG SINK

“This sink is so long and deep, you could bathe a teenager in it. We saw something similar in Rome and had [former “The Brady Bunch” star] Mike Lookinland, owner of Just Add Water Concrete, replicate it. To him, it was this crazy challenge and he absolutely nailed it.” Two Regulator Gooseneck Double-Spout Marquee kitchen faucets by Waterworks provide four spigots. 

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