The Home Kitchens of Famous Chefs

When you want to design a kitchen made for a real chef, don't look to TV shows or commercial kitchens. Instead, take a look at what celebrity chefs have in their own kitchens at home. This is where they prepare meals for their families and it's where they design with their own dime. Four iconic cooking celebrities stand out with iconic kitchen styles.

Paula Deen (Paula’s Home Cooking)

Which cooking show comes to mind when you think of country style home cooking? Paula Deen actually tapes her show, Paula's Home Cooking, in her own home kitchen. This offers you a glimpse into the real home kitchen of a celebrity chef. Gwyn Duggan, the designer of Paula's kitchen, says “Paula wanted a serious, professional kitchen that didn't feel like one.” The focal point of this design is a cooking fireplace which is surrounded by soapstone counters and juxtaposed by a center island cook top with a deep fryer. Everything in this kitchen is designed to entertain guests while keeping them out of the way of the cook, right down to the refrigerator placement and double commercial convection style ovens. The result is a wide open and welcoming design which makes guests, and TV viewers, feel right at home in Paula's kitchen.

Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives)

A great example of a kitchen designed to match the personality of the cook who calls it home is that of celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Although he chose to remain in the same house after making it big on the Food Network, a kitchen remodel has expanding his cooking space to a very cozy 900 square feet. This lively custom kitchen design was built by Guy's dad and took a year to complete. Many of the appliances here take going over the top to a whole new level. There are his and hers refrigerators, a mega burner that can handle a 20-gallon jambalaya, and a 27,500 BTU wok burner. What do you expect from the host of a show that travels around the country visiting diners, drive-ins, and dives? One of the smartest features of this kitchen is the foot pedal operated kitchen faucet. Also, the reclaimed barn wood counter is a wonderful green design element that also ads a lot of character.

Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)

Many cultures feel the kitchen is the heart of the home, but this is especially true of Italian homes. This concept was not lost on Ina Garten when she combined kitchen and living room design aspects in her kitchen. The work triangle, which is the centerpiece of any commercial kitchen, is at one end of her kitchen while easy chairs and a fireplace can be found at the other. This ensures guests are comfortable but out of the cook’s way around the refrigerator, stove, and sink. One of the most interesting and modern features of this kitchen is the induction range which can boil water in just 2 minutes. Simple and easy shelves are used throughout the kitchen in order to keep everything open and within arm’s reach.

Rachael Ray (30 Minute Meals)

Many people have extremely limited space and nowhere is this more a reality than in a New York city apartment. Yet, Rachel Ray claims “size just doesn't matter” if your kitchen is designed right. Her kitchen is full of mementos from her travels. Every plate has a story behind it, doubling as decoration and conversation piece. Even the tiles used in the back splash for her kitchen were sourced in Italy and coordinate with the dishes. The greatest design element to take from Rachel's kitchen and duplicate in any small kitchen would have to be the butcher block counter tops. Why waste space storing cutting boards when you can just make the counter top one giant cutting board?

When designing your dream kitchen, take a tip from the pros….or maybe something from each of them.  Between their love of all things epicurean and their need for practicality, it’s a great place to look for inspiration.

Entertain with Ease

If you love to entertain at home, it is most important that you include some elements of your own personality in the design of your dream kitchen. Sure, there are some elements which apply to all entertaining kitchens, open design, lighting considerations, sinks, cabinets, and counter tops. However, you should also consider custom features and gadgets that tell guests this kitchen belongs to you.

Open Design

You can't entertain guests if you can't see them from the kitchen. Make sure you have an open kitchen design which allows for interaction between the cooks in the kitchen and the guests at the party. This can be a pass-through windows in the wall separating your kitchen from your living room, or an island with a bar for guests to mingle around within the kitchen.  Some type of barrier such as a peninsula or island keeps your kitchen visually open but curtails traffic flow into the cooking area. Depending on the restrictions of your physical space and your cooking preference, you may prefer your guests to be in the kitchen with you or in the next room. Either way, if you want to encourage conversation with your guests while preparing their meal then you’ll want an open kitchen design.

Under Cabinet Lighting

Most people pay attention to the lighting on the ceiling of their kitchen and miss the opportunity to add ambiance and functionality with counter top lighting. Dim lighting under cabinets can cast just the right amount of light in your kitchen to set the mood for an intimate diner with close friends or family. Turning those same lights up a little can provide the extra lighting needed for food preparation on otherwise shadow covered counters. Under cabinet lighting adds the perfect balance of form and function to any kitchen.

Raised Counter Tops

When you're installing a center island or bar in your kitchen it's a good idea to consider including a raised counter top. This allows your guests to rest their drinks and hors d'oeuvres on the counter while leaving plenty of space for food preparations on the remaining, lower, portion of the counter. Additionally, raised counter tops are a great way to keep dishes out of sight until you have a chance to load them into the dishwasher.

Large Pot Sink

One of the most commonly overlooked components to an entertaining kitchen is the sink.     Your sink should be large enough to soak your dishes, pots, and pans prior to washing. Additionally, it should be large enough to fill any of your stock pots. For this reason, a deep and wide double basin sink is best. A prep sink can easily double as a bar sink if filled with ice and stocked with beer, for example.  It's a good idea to avoid any sink materials that are prone to staining, scratching, or melting. This is a particularly important consideration when your sink is built into custom formed counter tops.

Drawers, Lots of Drawers

Refrigerator drawers, warming drawers, and cabinet drawers are all important in a kitchen designed for entertaining. Refrigerator drawers are needed to keep food cold before serving while still keeping them ready at hand. Consider the type of entertaining you prefer and select a refrigerator which will accommodate your needs. Warming drawers do just what the name suggests; they keep your prepared foods warm until your guests arrive. This can make preparation and serving run a lot smoother when parts of the meal can be kept warm as other courses are cooking. Lastly, it is important to consider cabinet drawers. When you're designing your kitchen, think about how you are going to utilize your storage space. Would you prefer to reach for pots and pans in the back of a cabinet or simply pull out a drawer and select the right tool for the job? Most people elect to install drawers throughout their cabinets in order to make the most efficient use of pantry space, pot & pan storage, and for built in spice racks.

Gadgets

The gadgets that make up your kitchen tell your guests a lot about the cook. This could be a wood-fired pizza oven, high-end coffee/espresso maker, wet bar, wine racks, or any other gadget that suits you entertaining needs. Ideally, these gadgets should be items you and your family use every day and which add personality and charm to your kitchen. Rather than simply remodel your kitchen with design elements and colors from Tuscany, buy a pasta maker and wow your guests with home-made pasta and fresh baked pizza in your wood-fired pizza oven. This will let them experience, first-hand, your Italian heritage and the wonderful time you had in Tuscany.

There’s something about human nature that makes people want to congregate in the kitchen.  Rather than fight it, design with this in mind.  Your guests will feel a part of the preparation and you’ll be at ease with an efficiently designed space.