worth waiting for - Jennifer McGahan Interiors

FOOD Let’s Dish
was really about functionality rather than
appearance. Whether I’m cooking for my
family or a crowd, I want everything to flow
smoothly in the kitchen. Ours is a compact
space so efficiency is key.
WHAT WAS ON YOUR WISH LIST?
I knew I needed a better storage configuration
and enough space to have all my favourite
equipment and ingredients close at hand.
I also wanted higher cupboards to give
me more useable space underneath for
countertop appliances.
renovations & custom homes
contemplate
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innovate
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WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU’D DO IF
MONEY WERE NO OBJECT? I’d add in
a wood-fired pizza oven, integrated right into
the kitchen.
WHAT ARE THE AESTHETIC
IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU LOVE?
The barnboard-finished cupboards are
perfect. Also, I now get to enjoy cherished
tools like my pepper grinder collection and
the jug my grandmother brought over from
Italy. While I do use these items all the time, I
wanted open shelving so they could be both
accessible and on display like works of art.
From concept to completion — our full-time, professional
team can transform your vision into the home you’ve
always dreamed of. It’s your renovation ...
enjoy it!
Crossford Construction is a proud member
of the following industry associations:
WHAT ROLE DID YOUR DESIGNER
JENNIFER MCGAHAN PLAY? She talked
“I AM ON A
TUSCAN KICK”
ROBERT PALARCHIO
Aworth
KITCHEN
waiting for
BY PAULA ROY
@PAULAJROY PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK HOLLERON
R
obert Palarchio definitely knows his
way around the kitchen. Born into a
restaurant family in Sault Ste. Marie,
he recalls his mother pulling up a stool
and insisting he get busy cracking eggs for
breakfast when he was just four years old.
After working in his family’s restaurant,
he moved to Ottawa in the mid-80s and
48 ottawaathome.ca FALL 2015
cooked at the Ritz restaurants on Nepean
and Clarence Streets. For more than a
decade, he’s been a key part of the Fratelli
team. Despite his long tenure in the food
business, he had to wait 20 years to create
his dream kitchen in his Stittsville home, but
his patience and planning have definitely
paid off.
DOES FOOD PLAY A KEY ROLE IN
YOUR LIFESTYLE? Absolutely. My
wife Brigitte and I love to entertain, and on
weekends we fight to be first into the kitchen.
She is a great baker and I love to cook savoury
dishes so we have a lot of fun dreaming up
menus together. Our children, Louisa (22)
and Marino (19) enjoy having friends over for
meals as well.
a lot with me about the functionality and how
I tend to work in the kitchen. Then she helped
move the project forward beyond what I
originally thought I wanted. She translated
my wish list into a workable plan and
drafted the design using AutoCAD software,
which really gave me a great perspective
and helped me visualize it much better. She
brought us together with cabinetmaker Bill
Riseborough of Constructive Behaviour and
we’re so pleased with the finished product.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE
TO A HOME COOK PLANNING A
KITCHEN RENO? A customized kitchen is
Italian food so I tend to cook on regional
themes. We love Calabrian dishes, and right
now I am on a Tuscan kick, preparing lots of
risottos and using great elements like truffles
and good olive oils.
worthwhile if you spend a lot of time in there.
Work in your kitchen for a while to get a good
feel for how the space should function. Be
sure to get professional advice from a designer
and buy the best you can afford in terms of
appliances. Think about how you cook and try
to have everything within reach of your work
stations and make sure you plan multiple
work areas if you enjoy having others in the
kitchen at the same time.
WHY WAS RENOVATING YOUR
KITCHEN IMPORTANT TO YOU? It
Visit ottawaathome.ca for Robert Palarchio’s
Fresh Shrimp and Fig Antipasto recipe.
WHAT KINDS OF FOOD DO YOU
ENJOY PREPARING? Brigitte and I love
Eight elegant homes dressed for
the season, a Holiday PopUp Shop,
Gingerbread Builders Bake-Off and
much more!
November 13, 14 & 15
In support of
$50 per person
For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit
www.hospicecareottawa.ca
FALL 2015 ottawaathome.ca 49