Kitchen-Tested Design Recipe

A motif fashioned of Italian
cotto-pesto (fired terra-cotta)
replicates our red-and-white
plaid cookbook icon.

By Denise Gee Photographs by King Au of Studio Au

Located just below our editorial offices, which reflect typical corporate-America interiors, our new test kitchens are a world away -- by design. Open the door and you're immediately transported to a gracious and beautiful home. From the front entry, you walk through French doors into a fabulous kitchen with a sun-filled dining banquette and a cozy library.

Kitchen-centric is a term we've coined to describe the way Americans want their homes to be designed today. This kitchen is a good example of the concept. It is the physical hub of the space, with other areas radiating from it. As with all well-designed kitchens, it is the emotional heart of the space as well.

Designed by Mick De Giulio and
overseen by Editor-in-Chief
Karol DeWulf Nickell, the
showcase kitchen is a subtle
mix of light and dark.

The test kitchen renovation reflects the Better Homes and Gardens aesthetic: an American mix of styles, materials, and influences. It is timeless in its comfort and warmth; current in its casual luxury.

We wanted our test kitchens to look, feel, and perform like the very best kitchen any of us could imagine for our own home.

"When I asked kitchen designer Mick De Giulio to design the new Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen, he immediately said 'yes' without waiting for any explanation of what my huge request really entailed," says Editor-in-Chief Karol DeWulf Nickell. "His enthusiasm for the project inspired me and everyone else on the team throughout the project."