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.

The Dawson kitchen is reminiscent of 20th-century design. “We were looking for the charm of a beach bungalow with an eclectic twist,” said Chuck Dawson. His new home in South Tampa has all the character of an older abode. “That’s the beauty of custom construction,” said Chuck. “You have a clean pallet and you can create your dream home—the sky is the limit.”

Above: Oil-rubbed bronze doorknobs and pulls in the craftsman style suit the bungalow theme. Similarly, Country Classic faucets by Rohl in antique bronze take on their own personality the more they are used. “This occurs as some of the patina wears away and the bronze shines through. We like them because they have character,”
said Chuck Dawson.
Left: Chuck and Susan Dawson

Dawson, president of Silver Palm Developers, and his wife Susan chose Brookhaven cabinets by Wood Mode, available through Kitchen Center Plus. “We put tremendous weight on our shelves with plates and bowls and yet have no warping, which I can’t say for some other brands that I’ve seen with less shelf life—every pun intended,” said Chuck.

Kitchen Center Plus owner Lynne Stacey listened to the Dawson’s long list of wants and made suggestions for special features that would support the couple’s penchant for cooking and entertaining. They agreed on white-painted maple, which is durable and easy to clean. Lazy susans in the corner cabinets, pullout drawers for pots and pans, and “garage” storage help keep this room organized. Two tilt-out bins for trash and recycled goods provide easy access. For contrast, they opted for a black center island with a cherry butcher-block top, which looks handsome against the Peruvian cherry floor.

To get the layout just right, the Dawsons experimented by using boxes and tables to see how things would fit. “We even worked out the position of the sinks so we could both be preparing for our guests while watching the Bucs on TV in the family room,” said Chuck.

Coincidentally, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Anthony “Booger” McFarland was having his own kitchen designed—but with an entirely different 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.