Phyllis Grant's Berkeley kitchen balances practicality and warmth through open shelving, rugged materials, and a substantial butcher-block island that doubles for food preparation and homework. Decades of cooking experience—from childhood baking to New York restaurant work and years of feeding her children—guided material choices and organization strategies. Lessons learned in tiny kitchenettes informed efficient storage and durable surfaces that withstand daily use. The renovation prioritized functionality and resilience, producing a cozy, well-organized family command center that welcomes noise, activity, and multiuse tasks.
We love quiet minimalist kitchens, but we're equally enamored with heart-of-the-home kitchens, the kind of space that you can't imagine without also hearing the cacophony of pots banging, pencils scribbling, and kids running in and out. Phyllis Grant's Berkeley kitchen-with its open shelving stocked with cooking tools; hard-wearing, no-nonsense building materials; and large butcher-block island designed for food preparation and SAT preparation alike-falls into this everything-AND-the-kitchen-sink category.
All the lessons she gleaned from a lifetime of obsessive cooking came in handy when she and her husband, Matt Ross (you may know him as comically mercenary Hooli CEO, Gavin Belson, on HBO's Silicon Valley), embarked on their renovation: "I knew about materials that could take all kinds of daily abuse from working in restaurant kitchens. I learned organization out of necessity from cooking in tiny kitchenettes," she says.
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