The Inspiration
Former Canuck hockey all-star Cliff Ronning and his wife, Ivana, have lived wherever his career took him (Nashville, Phoenix), but they leaped at the chance to build a dream house in their hometown of Burnaby, B.C. Kim Sulatyski of Redl Kitchen Studio took one look at their grand plans and immediately thought of a Georgian manor: majestic old furnishings, dark wood and a family hearth.
The Plan
Designing a large kitchen like this one can be just as tricky as planning a small one. The scale of every piece is important: too small and it will be dwarfed; too large and it’s rendered unusable. “The island had to be proportioned just right,” explains Redl Kitchens’s Kim Sulatyski. The classic work triangle elements of sink, refrigerator and cooktop are arranged within easy reach, and nearly the entire island is usable work surface.
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> Colour Key It took several tries to get the right shade of black-brown stain on the alder cabinets to give the space its heritage character. Light travertine floors keep the room from feeling too heavy and dark, while Imperial Brown marble on the counters completes a luxurious Italian materials palette.
> Behind Closed Doors Two details make the range one of Ivana’s favourite spots in the kitchen—and they’re both hidden from view. Cutting boards on either side of the range slide out from under the counters, just as in a 1950s kitchen. Just above, and hidden behind the basalt stone hearth on either side of the range, are easy-access stainless-steel niches for cooking oils, vinegar and spices.
> Light Bright Pot lights were carefully mapped out on the ceiling to prevent dark spots in such a large room (a good reason to work with a designer in developing a lighting plan). The designer included three glass pendant lights in the transition space between the kitchen and bar area—a visual cue to creating a separate zone within the room.
> Cabinet Shuffle The Georgian manor theme is in the details: oversized corbels beside the refrigerator, baroque glass doors and cabinets made of alder, a wood frequently used in furnishings of that period. Appliances are concealed behind the cabinetry, with the big Sub-Zero refrigerator (not shown) encased in what looks like an armoire.
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