Kitchens
T
HE KITCHEN has long been considered one of
the most crucial elements, or the main “hub” of a home. With so many options for appliances, cabinets, countertops, hardware, tile, and finishes, it’s no wonder why it can be overwhelming to select just the right design. “The kitchen is the heart of the home,” says Barbara Sallick, co-founder and Senior Vice President of Design, Waterworks. “It is a space that should be personal and functional in equal measure…A cohesive design that aligns with other rooms in the house both in color and style is an important component of a great kitchen. Think of the cabinetry in the kitchen as your little black dress but don’t forget the jewelry, while hardware, fittings, and accessories complete the picture.” Here, we’ve highlighted our top favorite kitchens from notable California designers equipped with some of the latest and greatest appliances and gadgets. For Cliff and Laura Muller founders of West Hills–based fullservice design firm Four Point Design Build Inc. ( fourpointdesignbuild.com), a good kitchen goes beyond creating the proverbial “super-triangle” for optimal flow and function. “Kitchen design is so much more,” explains Laura. “When we approach any new kitchen project we always consider the client’s lifestyle and purpose for the space first, as this will inform everything that follows during the design-build process including things such as the client’s age and physical condition especially when considering drawer hardware, height, and ease in accessibility, cooking and food preparation habits, and eating styles. Understanding the client’s lifestyle is the key to a happy kitchen.” The duo, who recently completed a kitchen for a 1970s, two-story California ranch-style home in West Hills, appointed the space with LED recessed can lighting, custom hand-stained solid oak flooring, custom-designed kitchen table, bench, and formal seating, classic Italian white subway tile, and neutral-toned organic linen shades and pillows. “Our inspiration for this beautiful kitchen was our client,” says Laura. “After a lifetime of sacrifice, volunteerism, giving, loss, and selfless generosity, our client was enjoying her very first-ever remodel in what has become her family’s legacy home. Certified by the Culinary Institute at the age of 72-years-old, the kitchen has always been her special place. For over 40 years the kitchen was the spirit of her home, filled with life, love and family, but it has never been efficient.” n addition, there were other existing features that needed to be reconfigured including the countertops and seating. “There was 66 | CALIFORNIA HOMES