HEALTH & WELLNESS KITCHEN
CHEF'S WORKSHOP
Design
Features
Photograph
Looking ahead
The Chef's Workshop is a kitchen designed around the way you actually cook — not the way kitchens have been built for decades by default. It's a space for the person who takes food seriously, whether that means a Tuesday night dinner for two or a full holiday spread, and it's organized around a single idea: every tool, every surface, and every feature should work the way a professional kitchen works, scaled for your home.
The cooking zone is the anchor. A professional-style cooktop flanked by deep pot drawers — not base cabinets that force you to crouch and dig — means heavy cookware slides out at waist height, visible and accessible. Above the cooktop, an articulated pot filler swings into position so you never carry a full stock pot from the sink. The range hood above is auto-sensing: it detects heat and smoke and adjusts fan speed on its own, keeping the air clean without you ever touching a control.
To the right of the range, a built-in steam oven is installed at chest height — no bending to check your food, no reaching overhead. Steam cooking is the technique behind some of the best restaurant food in the world: it preserves nutrients, intensifies flavor, and produces results that a conventional oven simply can't match. Having it at the perfect ergonomic height isn't a concession to comfort — it's exactly where a professional installation would place it.
The island is where everything comes together. A large workstation sink sits at its center, fitted with integrated sliding accessories — a bamboo cutting board, a stainless steel colander, a drying rack — all riding on built-in sink rails. Prep, rinse, drain, and stage happen in one spot without moving between stations. Above it, a touchless faucet with integrated filtration delivers clean water hands-free, so you can activate it mid-recipe with a forearm, an elbow, or a nudge.
Flanking the room, upper cabinets with Blum Aventos lift-up doors stay open at arm level while you unload, then close softly with a touch. A tall pull-out pantry tower puts every spice jar and dry good on full display — no forgotten ingredients hiding in the back of a deep shelf. And continuous under-cabinet LED lighting washes the countertops with bright, even task light, eliminating shadows exactly where your hands are working.
The material palette — sage green perimeter cabinetry, white oak island, brushed brass hardware, white quartz countertops, handmade ceramic subway tile — feels warm, grounded, and magazine-worthy. But the deeper story is in the workflow: this kitchen eliminates unnecessary movement, puts everything within natural reach, and makes the act of cooking feel effortless rather than exhausting. That's not accommodation. That's professional-grade design thinking, applied to the room where you spend the most time.
Behind the finished walls: blocking for future support accessories, electrical conduit routed to every appliance zone, and oversized rough-ins that keep future options open. Invisible during construction, inexpensive to include, and invaluable for the decades this kitchen will serve.
Features shown
- Induction cooktop option — A precision cooking surface that heats only the pan, not the surrounding countertop. Faster than gas, easier to clean, and dramatically cooler to the touch — the technique professional kitchens are increasingly adopting.
- Drawer dishwasher (Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer) — A single-drawer dishwasher installed at a comfortable height in the island, allowing you to run a half-load anytime without bending to the floor. Two units can be stacked for full capacity.
- Drawer microwave — A microwave installed in a base cabinet that opens with a drawer pull, eliminating overhead reaching and freeing valuable counter or upper cabinet space.
- Pull-down upper cabinet shelving — Interior shelves that lower to counter height with a handle pull, bringing stored items to you rather than requiring a step stool or overhead reach.
- Circadian tunable lighting — Overhead and under-cabinet fixtures that shift color temperature throughout the day — bright and energizing during morning prep, warm and relaxed for evening dinner — supporting natural rhythms without a second thought.
- Non-slip large-format floor tile — Wide-format matte porcelain tile with a textured surface that provides confident footing in a space where spills happen, with fewer grout lines for easier cleaning.
- Rounded or eased counter edges — Countertop edges with a softened profile that eliminates sharp corners at hip and hand height — a subtle detail that reduces bruising and feels more refined.
- Wide clearances throughout — Generous aisle widths between island and perimeter counters (42-48 inches minimum) so two people can work comfortably side by side, move freely, and open drawers without blocking the path.
- Appliance garage with retractable door — A countertop-level niche with a lift-up or tambour door that stores small appliances (stand mixer, toaster, blender) plugged in and ready to use, keeping counters completely clear.
- Hands-free waste and recycling — A motion-activated or touch-open bin system built into the island cabinetry, so you can discard scraps mid-prep without stopping to open a cabinet door.
More features to consider
- Pull-down upper cabinet shelving — Interior shelves on a mechanical track that lower to counter height with a handle pull, bringing stored items to you rather than requiring a step stool or overhead reach.
- Blum Aventos lift-up doors — Upper cabinet doors that swing upward and hold in the open position at arm height, then close gently with a light push. No doors swinging into your head while you reach for a plate.
- Touchless faucet with filtration — A hands-free faucet with motion activation and built-in water filtration at the perimeter sink, so you can activate water mid-task without touching a handle.
- Induction cooktop — A precision cooking surface that heats only the pan, not the surrounding counter. Faster than gas, easier to clean, and dramatically cooler to the touch — a smart upgrade whether installed now or planned for later.
- Pot filler at the cooktop — An articulated faucet mounted on the backsplash above the range, so you can fill heavy pots in place without carrying water across the kitchen.
- Deep pot drawers — Wide, full-extension drawers replacing base cabinets beside the cooktop, putting heavy cookware at waist height where it's visible and accessible without crouching.
- Circadian-tuned night lighting — Soft warm toe-kick LEDs that guide nighttime kitchen visits without activating overhead fixtures, preserving sleep quality for late-night water or snack runs.
- Hands-free waste and recycling — A motion-activated or touch-open bin system built into the island cabinetry for scraps and recycling, keeping hands clean and the workflow uninterrupted.
- Rounded or eased counter edges — A softened countertop edge profile that eliminates sharp corners at hip and hand height — a subtle detail that feels more refined and reduces the chance of bruising.
Create your Health & Wellness Kitchen
Enjoy meals at home for years to come!
Why choose us?
Chris Brennan Explains