The 2009 Kitchen of the Year with Ina Garten

It’s finally time for Kitchen of the Year 2009! House Beautiful rebuilt famous chef Ina Garten’s kitchen in the middle of Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center. Check out photos from inside the space and get designer Robert Stilin’s tips for designing the perfect kitchen. Kitchen Sitting Area “Kitchens are the new living space,” says Stilin. “They should have room for cooking, dining, and a comfortable seating area.” In front of the 2009 Kitchen of the Year’s fireplace.

Computer Desk

“Don’t forget a spot for the computer,” says Stilin.
Desk with Toshiba laptop.

Dine-in Kitchen

“Today, kitchens are the core of the house,” says Stilin. “You have to be able to cook in them, but you also have to be able to live in them.”
Restoration Hardware trestle table, slipcovered chairs from Lee Industries in the dining area.

Dine-in Kitchen

“Today, kitchens are the core of the house,” says Stilin. “You have to be able to cook in them, but you also have to be able to live in them.”
Restoration Hardware trestle table, slipcovered chairs from Lee Industries in the dining area.

Dine-in Kitchen

“Today, kitchens are the core of the house,” says Stilin. “You have to be able to cook in them, but you also have to be able to live in them.”
Restoration Hardware trestle table, slipcovered chairs from Lee Industries in the dining area.

Spice Drawer

The Kitchen of the Year doesn’t need a lot of gadgets to keep things organized. “Kitchens are about function, not about all the bells and whistles,” says Stilin. Spices are organized and within reach.

Sideboard

Antique console with celadon bowls, platter, and vase from Lucca.

Kitchen Island

“I like an island you can work on but that can also be a gathering place for coffee or a casual dinner,” says Kitchen of the Year designer Robert Stilin.
KraftMaid cabinets, Viking range and hood, CaesarStone countertops, Kohler faucet and sink.

Useful Space

“Bar stools at the island are a must,” says Stilin. “I love to have my breakfast and read the paper at the island. And my son, Dylan, and I eat a casual dinner at our island every night. I think this is how most people want to live today.”
KraftMaid cabinets, Viking range and hood, CaesarStone countertops, Kohler faucet and sink.Simple Kitchen

“People who really cook, like Ina, prefer their kitchens to be simple and efficient,” says Stilin. “It’s back to basics!” Open shelves keep everything within reach near the stove range

Dishware on Display

“We couldn’t do it at Kitchen of the Year because of space, but nothing beats a walk-in pantry,” says Stilin.
White plates and dishes from Crate & Barrel with Hotel Silver bowls, tray, and coffeepots.

Create an enticing garden path

In just two days, you can install an inviting pathway that will soon be surrounded by fresh and lively plants.

By Sunset

 

© E. Spencer Toy

 

Two days is all you need to install a pretty little path. (The plantings mature in about nine months.)

What makes the scene so inviting? The gently curving path, designed to invite you to stroll among the plants, leads to a small circular patio, and the color scheme for the plants on either side is both fresh and lively.

Drifts of chartreuse euphorbias repeat throughout the borders, while clusters of blue and white flowers add accents.

Soft grasses, aromatic herbs and silvery foliage fill in between them, softening the path’s edges.

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Tips for creating a great garden path

 

Step 1: Outline the path by laying down rope or garden hoses; adjust them to get the shape you want. © E. Spencer Toy

 

 

Step 2: Dig a 3-inch-deep path channel and edge it with bender board. Fill with crushed gravel. © E. Spencer Toy

 

Shape: Unless your path is in a formal garden, a curve will look more inviting.

Destination: Enlarge the path’s end to accommodate a chair and a small tea table, a bench or a birdbath.

Fringe: For a natural look, make the path 40 inches wide, and plant ground cover densely (1 foot or less from bender board) to cascade over its edges.

Fragrance: Plant aromatic herbs or perfumed flowers along the path to sweeten the journey.

The plantings

 

Plants will fill out in about 9 months, softening sharp edges. © E. Spencer Toy

 

Arrange potted plants to your liking, then dig holes and plant

Grasses

• Sedge (Carex albula “Frosty Curls”) 
• Berkeley sedge (Carex divulsa)
• New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax) 

Fillers and fringe

• Dwarf euphorbia
• Hebe glaucophylla
• Artemisia pycnocephala “David’s Choice”
• Speedwell (Veronica spicata “Icicle”)

Fragrance

• Garden sage (Salvia officinalis “Icterina”)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis “Blue Spires”)
• Garden sage (Salvia officinalis “Purpurascens”)
• Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii “Blue Wonder”)

Background plants and tall flowers

• White penstemon
• Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha)
• Salvia mexicana
• Russian sage (Perovskia “Blue Spire”)
• Roses (Rosa)
• Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)
• Gentian sage (Salvia patens)
• Euphorbia characias “Humpty Dumpty”

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