Talking point

Custom kitchens take on a whole new meaning for a Pasadena designer with a background in movie set design.

Elina Katsioula-Beall MFA, CKD, of DeWitt Designer Kitchens says she treats kitchens and bathrooms as though they are theater or movie sets that need to reflect the homeowner's personality.

"It's as if these people are characters in their own life movie," Beall says. "It's an approach that empowers the psyche of the homeowners, who are looking to enrich their lives. In a sense, their home is a museum of personal history, and the kitchen is an expression of who they are."

The project on these pages is a case in point. Beall says the owners wanted their kitchen to be an artful composition.

"They wanted to rediscover fun, and they wanted to be able to look at each other as they worked in the kitchen.

"Placing the clean-up and storage area across from a dual-access prep sink gives them this opportunity, and it allows them to work uninterrupted everything is within easy reach."

Beall says the cooking zone resembles a still life arrangement. A red Bertazzoni range sits below a dramatic glass backsplash with a Georgia O'Keefe-inspired painting of a calla lily. A pot filler appears to emerge from the open petals like a pistol from a flower.

Work zones or territories are defined by three contrasting surface materials. A curved textural glass top with a matching sink serves as an entertainment counter. White quartz features in the clean-up and cooking areas, and a stainless steel counter is integrated with a matching sink to cap the end of the peninsula. Other features include a corrugated glass wall tile.

To talk to the designer, contact Elina Katsioula-Beall, DeWitt Designer Kitchens, 532 South Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101, phone (626) 792 8833. Alternatively, email: elina@dewittdesignerkitchens.com. Web: www.dewittdesignerkitchens.com.

Story by: Trendsideas