Designed in collaboration by Christine Teicheira and Lauren Pique Designs for the Traditional Home Napa Valley Showhouse in 2013.

In Wine Country, designing kitchens for entertaining and enjoying fine wines is a given. Thus, wine played a starring role as the kitchen was designed in a bungalow on the estate of the Charles Krug Winery, owned and operated by the Peter Mondavi family. 

As a prominent entertaining space, the kitchen needed to be spacious and functional—they wanted a gathering space as well as a kitchen. Working within a tight timeframe, Christine and Lauren got creative fast. The existing cabinets were painted and upper cabinets on the cooking wall were removed, which provided a more spacious feel. Base cabinets on that wall were rebuilt so that a new 36-inch-wide gas cooktop could be centered, creating needed work space on either side. New stainless-steel refrigeration units, including a 42-inch-wide refrigerator, an under counter wine refrigerator and a wine station boosted the kitchen’s functionality. 

Taking cues from the stainless-steel finishes, the cabinets were painted a deep blue-gray. They were topped with a brown granite with a slightly textured finish that maintains its good looks no matter what’s spilled. 

The kitchen’s glamour statement is a chevron-patterned tile backsplash made with polished white marble and narrow mirrored strips behind the cooktop. And the crowning touch is a petite crystal chandelier.

Photography: John Merkl