When it came to her own kitchen, which she shares with Don Lorusso, interior designer Elaine Cecconi focused on one thing—or rather one material, in one color. “Because the fifteen-by-twenty-foot space is open to the living and dining areas, it was crucial that it maintain the clean lines of the rest of the contemporary-style house,” explains Cecconi.
A fan of using Corian in “creative ways,” the designer found it ideal for just about every surface, including the counters, cabinets, and kitchen island. Even the refrigeration and hood liner are clad in the seamless material. To resist wear and tear and maintain the pristine palette, Cecconi chose flooring of poured-concrete mixed with a white pigment. Radiant heating in the floor warms paws—the couple has two dogs—and human feet alike during Toronto’s cold winters.
“I believe that a kitchen is the soul of a home,” says Cecconi. “Everyone congregates there and people should really enjoy the space. It was important, therefore, that the appliances not take over. The integrated Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer filled the bill,” she says, “because they virtually disappear into the wall.” Similarly, the microwave and television monitor are flush-mounted and frameless. “The goal was to keep it all very sleek and minimalist. Only the Wolf range stands out,” says Cecconi. “As the center of activity and focus of the island, it’s unapologetically commercial-looking. I love that about it.”
Adding warmth to the area and echoing the horizontal lines of the shelves in the wine storage unit, a slatted wooden screen of Brazilian walnut can easily slide shut to conceal clutter from meal prep or cleanup. Another strong horizontal statement is made by fitting the entire wall behind the sink with narrow, cantilevered glass shelves that can be rearranged. To maintain the sleek look, all electrical outlets hide in drawers and pullouts or in the niche above the back counter.
When it comes to lighting sources, “there’s a light in the hood, recessed fluorescent lights above the back counter, recessed halogen lights in the ceiling, and even some floor up-lights,” the designer points out. “There’s also a recessed ceiling light track in front of the sliding wood panels. You can create a lot of character merely by adjusting the lighting.”
Such a kitchen demands discipline. “Everything is pretty much put away,” says Cecconi. “Only objects that are beautiful unto themselves stay out.”