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Gourmet Chef, Modern-Day Cook or Microwave Afficiando?

When considering cooking appliance options for your kitchen redesign the theory and practice of “form and function” are the key ingredients to the success of the recipe. Johanna G. Seldes, Tampa ASID interior designer knows that “form and function” in the kitchen are as important as “salt and pepper” or “sugar and spice” to perfecting the dish.

Johanna has heard almost every scenario of how her clients use their kitchens: “Don’t cook, but we do entertain”; “We cook every day but hardly ever use the oven”; “Microwave meals are my go to”; “It’s time to teach my children how to cook”; “I want to host my family for the holidays” and more.

While cooking appliances may look and perform differently, Johanna’s outlook is that they can all make a pot of spaghetti, so essentially they all pretty much function the same way. But, choosing a free-standing range or wall-oven and separate cooktop doesn’t always depend upon if you are actually cooking or just looking.  While both are important considerations, in the end, it’s cohesive design, space planning, and a functional look that serves up the best dish.

Of course, Johanna incorporates personal preferences especially those to suit your cooking skills and style, but the design reality is cooked up by Johanna’s expertise.

Johanna stirs the professional design

Often it is not cooking skills or desire for the gourmet-kitchen that ultimately determine the cooking appliances selection.  As an example, many clients want the look and design of the professional-grade appliances (a/k/a commercial-grade) but their cooking needs, redesign budget or the kitchen space either don’t warrant the expense or the physical space simply doesn’t allow for their oversized scale. There are several alternative options from leading manufacturers that provide the look of the professional grade but not necessarily the commercial-grade performance, they are smaller in scale and budget-friendly.

Other design situations call for wall-ovens with separate cooktops.  This allows for clean, streamlined designs while offering some additional versatility that some free-standing ranges can’t always offer.  For instance: wall-oven drawers, standard microwave or microwave drawers, double-ovens, single ovens, steam ovens, spits, combination convection oven/microwave, or a French door opening.

Today’s designs include multiple installation options: stacked, side-by-side wall-mounted, flanking or below top-mounted cooktops, or slightly raised from the floor giving a bar-counter height finish.

“Form and function” further affect range hoods: design, size, finished materials, lighting, inside or outdoor ventilation.

Gas or electric cooking appliances play a major part in the form element.

Personal preferences and availability of utilities notwithstanding, gas tends to be the optimal commercial-grade look while electric appliances often lend themselves to a sleeker, cleaner look.

Insider Solution

Did you know one of the best advantages to the built-in alternative vs. the slide-in or free-standing range? By installing a wall-oven in the base cabinet below a top-mounted 4- or 6- burner cooktop eliminates the annoying 1/8” gap between the range and countertop where those pesky crumbs always seem to fall just out of the sweeping reach!

It’s all about form and function and a cohesive design.

Ready to Renovate?

Let Johanna create your new kitchen design.   Always “a la carte” original designs and seasoned to your taste!

Contact Johanna today for your initial consultation.

Johanna G. Seldes, ASID IDC/Interior Design Consulting is a full service, award-winning Tampa-Bay interior design firm that works with custom home builders, remodeling companies and individual clients. We provide interior design project management services throughout the entire construction process, including preconstruction design, selections, and installation.