5 Design Ideas to Steal From a Pro-Grade Kitchen

Saturday with Whitney and Bob Marema might mean a morning run to the farmer’s market to pick up dandelion greens and goat’s milk, then a leisurely afternoon at home making from-scratch mozzarella or biscotti. So when the enthusiastic foodies mapped out their dream kitchen in their newly built St. Augustine, FL, home, they insisted on restaurant-caliber efficiency and pro-quality equipment.

But along with a beverage-only mini fridge and conveniences like a warming drawer, the kitchen had to be kid-friendly: Both son Ethan, 7, and daughter Grace, 5, are budding chefs. Working with interior designer Andrew Howard, the couple planned a cooking space that’s both hardworking and family casual  —  and at the ready for their latest gastronomic adventures, which include chemical kits that transform ingredients into flavored smokes and foams. “It’s such an inspiring kitchen,” Whitney says. “I want to try a new recipe every time I walk in.”  

Read on for 5 design ideas to try in your own home.

1. Cabinets

The Maremas streamlined meal prep and minimized clutter with custom cabinetry. The appliance garage keeps the toaster oven behind a closed door, small drawers are sized for tea bags and sugar packets and an in-drawer knife block hides the couple’s chef-quality blades. 

2. Counters + Floors

While Whitney toyed with the idea of Carrara marble counters, she eventually chose tough-wearing black granite. The quartersawn white oak floors were also a practical pick: The color is nearly identical to that of their dog’s fur, “so I don’t see his hair underfoot when I’m cooking,” says Whitney.  

3. Island

Indents on both sides of the granite-top island improve traffic flow during peak-use times. Upholstered in outdoor fabric from Perennials, the Lee Industries stools wipe clean and can withstand everything from chocolate to strawberry jelly.

4. China Cupboard

A china cabinet crafted from fumed oak — the wood’s been darkened with ammonia fumes to bring out the grain — has an interior painted marine blue (Toronto Blue by Benjamin Moore) that shows off the white servingware and dishes. 

5. Cooktop

Positioned above the Viking cooktop, a wall-mounted faucet, a feature inspired by commercial kitchens, makes it easier to fill big pots of water. The blue-and-gray tile backsplash from New Ravenna “is my favorite part of the kitchen,” says Whitney. The vent hood’s wave embellishment, by interior designer Andrew, is a nod to the home’s coastal location.