Written by Celia Tejada • Photographed by Michal Venera
The design guru behind Williams-Sonoma reveals how she turned her kitchen into the heart of her family’s home.
Some people have a thing for shoes; I have a thing for kitchens. I grew up in a large family in Spain, and we always crowded into the kitchen. One New Year’s Day, I asked myself: What are my dreams? I decided that I wanted a kitchen that worked for me, my two boys, and my friends. It needed to be a room that inspired us. I started collecting ideas and tear sheets and spent months sketching ideas. I asked my chef friends for their kitchen must-haves and then came up with a list of my own.
The key to building a dream kitchen is a fearless contractor. In my case, that meant my brother Ibo Tejada. We built a kitchen for my everyday life. I have two ranges, and one is solely for paella, which I never make for just 6 people. I always make it for 10 and sometimes for 22. The dish requires a low, wide pot and a large flame. Viking has a cooktop for a wok, and it’s perfect because the grate is nearly two feet across. The thing about paella is that it needs to be eaten as soon as it’s ready, so you have to cook it while people are around. And there are plenty of spots for relaxing, because nobody wants to stand around looking at a stove in the corner.
For me, the kitchen is really the living room. There’s more living done in the kitchen than anywhere else in the house; it shouldn’t be austere. A chandelier hangs above the island, and rugs on the wood floor make it cozy. There’s a giant daybed, a flat-screen TV, and a big chalkboard where my sons, Tristan and Aristos, can play games or do homework. We can talk while I cook. I store my cookbooks and magazines there, too, so it’s somewhere I can put my feet up and enjoy a glass of wine while browsing recipes.
Since I’m only five feet tall, I thought a lot about what would make the kitchen convenient, which means no cupboards overhead. There’s one shelf for everyday things like plates and bowls. I buy everything in white because even if it’s not organized, the kitchen never looks like a major mess. All the Viking appliances are black, so they blend with the ebony-color cabinets and flooring. The work crew applied the finish to the floors and drawers at the same time, which was more efficient and ensured that the color was uniform. Everything from the drawers down is ebonized and from the counter up is white. It gives me space to breathe.
Near the sinks is a really fun idea I saw somewhere; cut into the countertop are three holes for the garbage bins—one each for recycling, compost, and garbage. The children are into recycling; they really keep me in line.
Toward the end of the project I had lunch with Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma, and he showed me his favorite products, from a potato peeler to the best knives. The teardrop-shape garlic masher and big red pepper mill are now two of my favorites too.
