My cousin, Cecelia, just can’t seem to get enough of kitchen renovations. Granted, she is a high-flying chef who consults for a number of critically acclaimed restaurants, so she’s got both the personal interest and the bankroll for that sort of thing. Still, I’d have thought she might want to get away from the whole scene when she’s away from work. Not so, it seems.
Her current house has had a running total of three designer kitchens installed in as many years: a main one downstairs, another in the adjoining granny flat and a small kitchenette behind the bar in the ‘entertainment complex’ upstairs. Yes, you’re correct – she is loaded. All three kitchens have been lovingly remodelled to her specifications, and feature the latest in materials, appliances and design features – think avant garde Japanese tapware, under-bench lighting and bamboo cabinetry.
I’d be willing to put money on Cecelia having successfully collected three of the best designer kitchens Melbourne has never seen. Occasionally, I have the inclination to dob her into a weekend style section, if only so that more than a select few people get to see the results. But I’m pretty sure she’d prefer it to be private.
Besides, at the end of the day, she does it all for herself. I don’t think she gives a toss about impressing the public with her extravagant kitchen remodelling projects. Perhaps, being a relatively high-profile person in her field, she feels she gets more than enough spotlight on her impeccable taste in cuisine and its environments.
The question is, does she use these kitchens? To be honest, I’m not sure. I have my suspicious that she gets more out of the kitchen design process than she would from using these spaces. I did see her using the one in the bar to whip up some fancy hors d’oeuvres last new year’s eve, and I’ve certainly been poured a glass of while or two from the temperature-controlled cellar cabinet in the main kitchen. But that’s about the extent of it, as far as I know.