What's Cooking in Kitchen Design
Fabulous kitchens that have all the right ingredients.
By Candice Mutschler

Perhaps no room is more important than the kitchen. Long acknowledged as the heart of the home, the kitchen is where we not only cook and eat, it’s where countless other activities take place, where family traditions are born. So it’s not surprising the kitchen industry has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar trade offering more choices for design than ever before.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Anthony “Booger” McFarland had his own kitchen designed—but with a unique scheme. Tom Pitzen, senior designer for AlliKristé Fine Cabinetry & Design, tackled the project.

“His whole house had a ‘jazz’ feel to it, contemporary but with some sophisticated elements and a classic undertone, so we gave him a gourmet kitchen with a contemporary transitional style,” said Pitzen.
Though McFarland describes his kitchen as “pretty simple,” the ingredients that went into the luxe space are anything but. Wolfe appliances, a custom-designed stone hood, granite counters and top-of-the-line cabinetry are befitting the two-time Super Bowl champ. “We went with a pretty high-end cabinet line to get the color he wanted,” said Pitzen of the brown cherry cabinets finished with a black glaze. “It has a nice, soft feel to it.”

Above: The home was built by Alvarez with kitchen design by AlliKristé. It features two islands: a cleanup island with 42-inch barstools, and a central island that acts as prep space. Granite counters reflect a mix of earth tones that coordinates beautifully with the light marble floor.

Right: Anthony McFarland

Aside from the darker tones, the only other thing McFarland insisted on was an open floor plan. “I wanted an open kitchen, free flowing, with nothing boxed in,” said McFarland. Since the defensive tackle’s knee injury last August—which led to the untimely end of his run with the Indianapolis Colts—McFarland has been “trying to relax a bit” in his Odessa home, and he claims that includes some cooking. “I get in there sometimes,” he insists.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are Rick and Theresa Klingel, who spend hours cooking up a storm. “Rick and I enjoy cooking together, we love to open a great bottle of wine and really mess up the kitchen creating delicious new meals,” said Theresa.

When they started building their Snell Isle home near downtown St. Petersburg, Theresa said she had no idea what to do with the kitchen. “I really relied on the staff at Kitchen Center Plus to guide me toward the latest trends in design,” said Theresa. “They definitely taught me about all the different drawers, shelving choices, doors, built-in spice racks—the options are really limitless.”

To create a unified look with the rest of the house, designer Lynne Stacey repeated architectural elements found elsewhere. “There were a lot of columns with a twisted rope-look in the house, so we incorporated some similar-looking legs for the island,” said Stacey.

Above: When Rick and Theresa Klingel were building their home, they each had their areas of focus. “Rick was more into the electronics and the walk-in wine cellar; while I focused on the kitchen, wet bar and bathrooms, all of which Kitchen Center Plus designed,” said Theresa.
Left: Rick and Theresa Klingel

Theresa selected caramel-color maple cabinets with a deep espresso glaze. “We accented it with wrought iron on the range hood, oil-rubbed bronze tiles in the backsplash and stainless steel appliances,” said Theresa. “The beautiful black, tan and taupe granite brings everything together and really anchors the entire space.”

Stacey made sure the layout would accommodate the Klingel’s sociable lifestyle. “I love to host cooking parties,” Theresa shares. “Everyone brings over a favorite recipe, and we all find our own workspace around the center island and mix and bake. For Thanksgiving, my Mom, sister-in-law, and my brother’s girlfriend were all here. We cranked up the holiday music, poured a tall glass of eggnog, and made loaves of banana bread, zucchini bread, fruitcake, cookies and more!”

That’s one tradition made possible thanks to a big, gorgeous kitchen.