6 Beautiful Kitchens with Fire Elements

I can’t really complain about the weather here in South Florida when I look at the rest of the country. I certainly don’t miss those days I had to shovel my car out of a pile of snow left from the snow plow. I do miss an evening spent by the fireplace so today’s post is a curated collection of beautiful kitchens with fireplaces as integral elements.  I hope if you are stuck at home this will help you pass some time and provide some inspiration.

cozy fireplace kitchen | KitchAnn Style

This might be one the best executed kitchen fireplaces I’ve come across in a long time.

kitchen countertop fire element | KitchAnn StyleThe tile room divider is more interesting with the linear fire. Of course, safety first when planning a fire element on a counter surface in a working kitchen.

dark-wood-kitchen-slate-fireplace-kitchann-style

This fireplace in the kitchen creates a deliciously rich and romantic ambiance, filling the space with instant warmth and character.

Large-Open-Kitchen-Low-Fireplace-KitchAnn-Style

This low fire element will add warmth and a delightful crackle to the ears. It will be more enjoyable to the guests than the chef but it’s a great example for an open plan house. I think this could also provide inspiration for an outdoor kitchen design.

ethanol linear bruners placed high in kitchen

From low to the ground to an elevated hearth with a linear burner., this fire element adds drama and can be enjoyed from every vantage point. Hopefully there is a large pantry nearby.

stone firepalce focal point of kitchen | KitchAnn Style

The large stone fireplace is balanced nicely by the large open windows. This fireplace could have felt too heavy for the room if the natural light wasn’t present from the windows and the skylight.

Pizza Perfection

pizza recipe with pancetta and baby arugula.

After years of popular demand, Kalamazoo created a built-in version of its famous pizza oven for people who want an oven installed into a wall or masonry structure and not sitting on a countertop.

Built-in Pizza Oven | KitchAnn Style

Like the traditional wood-fired pizza ovens, the built-in Artisan Fire Pizza Oven is stone-lined. Pizzas cook directly on a hollow-core baking deck. Its honeycombed interior is designed to rapidly change temperature. A ceiling stone radiates heat down to quickly brown toppings.

The Artisan Fire Pizza Oven uses propane or natural gas and heats up in about 20 minutes. It is capable of the high heat needed for making delicious pizza, reaching temperatures of 800 degrees Fahrenheit via two independent burners.

Of course, the outdoor oven can be used to make other dishes such as roasting meats, fish and vegetables. Simply use cast iron fajita pans right on the baking deck. Kalamazoo’s Asparagus Wraps with Crispy Prosciutto and Herbed Cheese seems to be a very popular recipe for pizza oven owners.

Roasted Asparapus on the grill | KitchAnn Style

Priced at $8,295, the oven will surely be the center point of your Outdoor Entertaining. The Oven can be specified for either natural gas or liquid propane, and is made by hand in Kalamazoo, Michigan, of stainless steel.

Kalamazoo has a terrific newsletter filled with great recipes that I personally enjoy.  Try this incredible recipe with pancetta and baby arugula.

Rustic Pizza with Baby Arugula, Pancetta and Tomatoes

After years of popular demand, Kalamazoo created a built-in version of its famous pizza oven for people who want an oven installed into a wall or masonry structure and not sitting on a countertop.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 batch White Wine Pizza Dough, about 14 ounces
  • 2 oz pancetta, chopped and cooked until crisp
  • 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
  • 1 cup baby arugula leaves
  • cup halved sweet grape tomatoes
  • Cooking: 30 min
  • Ready in: 30 min

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pizza oven or grill for baking pizza at 500°F Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the dough. Add the arugula, then the tomatoes, and then sprinkle the pancetta over the top.
  2. Transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is browning.

 

 

Outdoor Kitchens Expected to be Hot in 2015

Experts agree adding an outdoor kitchen adds value to your home.

According to a report conducted by Redfin, a popular nationwide real estate firm, the sale of luxury homes has been increasing at a steady pace since last year. In fact, homes priced over a million dollars outpaced the rest of the housing market.

According to Redfin, “when you have that much cash to spend, you can be picky. Interior design trends change every year, and buyers of luxury homes want the latest.” Continue reading “Outdoor Kitchens Expected to be Hot in 2015”

Around the Web

Sometimes people ask me what I read when I’m surfing the web. Here’s a collection of posts that I found worthwhile.

Over on Hadley Court, Leslie Carothers put together a great post discussing the true remodeling costs and important remodeling considerations for kitchens based on data from industry professionals, Houzz, and Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs Value Report.

Aound the Web with KitchAnn Style

The Founder of KBCULTURE.com, Leslie Clagett always covers what’s new in appliances and innovative technology. I liked her post showing GE’s new combination of their Café Refrigerator with hot water dispenser technology with a Keurig K-Cup Brewing System. I think we all like the idea of being able to remove one more appliance from the countertop area. Sadly, it won’t be available until later this year.

Aound the Web with KitchAnn Style

“As an innovator in the personal beverage system industry, Keurig is excited to partner with GE and to be the first to offer hot single-cup technology right from a refrigerator.”

In addition to Blogs written by designers, I also read Blog posts from manufacturers. I recently discovered that Systempool, part of the Porcelanosa Family, offers the new Attica shower enclosure collection.

A large part of the value of an Attica enclosure is the availability of customization. Systempool realized that not all bathrooms are shaped the same – some have sloped ceilings, steps or structural columns that have to be addressed.

Attica Made to Fit |KitchAnn Style

Jeanne Chung is a gifted Interior Designer whose blog is titled Cozy•Stylish•Chic. Her posts are fabulous and I hope one day soon we will meet. (We’ve both been on Modenus BlogTour trips but not together.) I am sharing her post on 3 Must-Have Luxury Kitchen Appliances from Thermador.

My favorite of the three is the Freedom Induction Cooktop which is the first full-surface induction appliance with the flexibility of a natural-mapping user interface.  This technology  recognizes cookware size, shape and position, and delivers heat to these targeted areas (up to 13″ x 21″),while all other areas not in contact with a pot remain cool.

Thermador Masterpiece Induction Cooktop |KitchAnn Style

The new trimless model with first full-color touch-screen interface can heat up to four pots at a time. The 36″ cooktop is built with 48 individual 3-in. heating elements below the surface of the appliance, which translates to a 63 percent more effective cooking area on the surface.

Thermador Masterpiece Induction Cooktop |KitchAnn Style