KBB - May/June 2015 - 52

LEARNING CORNER

The designer incorporated spice
racks on either side of the range and
created stainless steel, etched plaques
ﬂanking the hood that clearly deﬁne
this as a kosher kitchen.

The double-door refrigerator is armoire like - stained in a wood tone
that matches the table. The unit incorporates wine storage and drawers
that act as pullout food pantries on either side and above it.
A sliding glass door to the outdoor areas took up wall space in the
kitchen, so Ypsilantis made up for this by removing a closet and adding
pantries in the back of the room that matched the perimeter cabinets.
Perimeter windows are ﬂanked by upper cabinets for additional storage.
* Dropping the Ceiling. Because the original ceiling designed by the
architect was too vast for the kitchen, the designer dropped the perimeter
of the ceiling to a more comfortable height but maintained a soaring line.
She accomplished this by creating centerlines in the ﬂoor plans to match
up with the ceiling squares.
"It's human, and yet it feels grand," added Ypsilantis.

Coming up Kosher
"I have always been interested in my clients' different cultural and religious eating and dining practices and always try to incorporate them in
their kitchen designs," said the designer, who added that she has most admired the Jewish faith and its commitment to upholding dietary restrictions.
"What I have learned is that even though the main principles are the
same, rules and application will differ based on the size and the budget
of a kosher kitchen," said Ypsilantis.

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K BB

For each kosher kitchen project, she says to spend time reviewing the
homeowners' priorities in designing a functioning space and making
sure it is used wisely.
"This certainly goes beyond the working triangle, since a few priorities must be considered," she added, "But off course, aesthetics are never
compromised."
In an ideal situation, she advises the use of separate storage, preparation, serving and cleaning areas. "Since small kitchens make this more
challenging, you would start with what is most important to the clients
and modify as you run out of space to include two of every appliance,"
she added.
In this larger space, the left side of the ﬁrst sink is for dairy and includes
more than eight feet of counter preparation and storage space. The cabinets in that area are allocated for silverware and dishes dedicated to
dairy. The meat section is on the right side of the second sink toward the
range and includes more than 10 feet of similar space because meat
often needs more room for preparation.
"Separate sinks are always the most important aspect of a kosher
kitchen because you do not want to mix the utensils when you are cleaning up meat and blood," said Ypsilantis. "In the event the sinks have to be
placed next to each other, a wide space is designed between the two
and separate drains are incorporated, if possible."
Although there is only one range/cooktop in this kitchen, there are
two dishwashers and separate storage spaces for different needs.
"In some scenarios, the clients want a second smaller cooktop for
dairy preparation, but one was okay in this family," added Ypsilantis.
"This range will not be used to cook meat and dairy produce at the
same time."
A baking or "pareve" section is located between the range and oven
with counter space and storage dedicated to baking needs. According
to the designer, this is an area that is for foods that contain neither dairy
nor meat, including eggs, ﬂour, oils and ﬁsh.

Creating the Ideal Design
Ypsilantis worked with the wife, who is an art curator at a museum, to
design this kosher kitchen. Because they both share a common bond
through their love of art, this was a natural connection.
"She appreciated and respected that I am not only a kitchen designer - I am more of an artist and interior designer," said Ypsilantis. "If
your clients feel you know what they want and you can give it to them,
they let you do your work and ask less questions."
Because her clients' budget did not warrant the purchase of genuine art for the kitchen, the designer created stainless steel, etched
plaques that deﬁne the meat and dairy areas and clearly label this
space as kosher. n
- By Chelsie Butler

sources
Designer: Vasi Ypsilantis, The Breakfast Room; Photographer: Keith Scott
Morton Photography
Appliances: Wolf/Sub-Zero; Backsplash: Ceramic Tile; Cabinets:
The Breakfast Room, Ltd.; Countertops: Verdi Agave, fabricated by
Renaissance Marble Works; Floor Tile: Noce Honed and Antiqued
Limestone; Hood: Vent-A-Hood; Sinks: Franke

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KBB - May/June 2015

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