House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year
by habituallychic
07 . 22 . 09
House Beautiful was sweet enough to invite me to the launch party for their Kitchen of the Year with the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, at Rockefeller Center Monday night. The kitchen was designed by Robert Stilin and will definitely be placed in my file for my future home design reference. It’s the absolute perfect kitchen for cooking and gathering. It will be on display until Friday, July 24th and there will be lots of cooking demonstrations and tastings to attend if you are in town. (To see the schedule of events, click here.) If you’re not in New York, you can see some of the photos here and also on the House Beautiful website.
Here is the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten, with the editor of House Beautiful Stephen Drucker. She was super busy but was gracious enough to pose for a few photos and chat with me for a second. Of course, I had to compliment her on her fabulous necklace which she said was an anniversary present from her husband, the famous Jeffrey. She also suggested that I read her book, Barefoot in Paris, before my trip for ideas on where to go while in Paris.
Ina and Jeffrey were just as sweet and adorable together as they are on her television show!
One of the best parts of the attending the event was picking up the gift bag on the way out. I mean if you’re going to break your diet for anything, I mean it might as well be for the Barefoot Contessa sour cream coffee cake! I cannot wait to make it! And I will proudly wear my new apron and use my new spatula while doing so! A big thanks to everyone at House Beautiful for allowing me to be apart of their evening!
Photos by Heather Clawson and Julian Wass for House Beautiful
33 Comments
It’s all so very stunning…
Ina has such a classic livable style. I love watching her show just to see the snippets of her home in the background. I love the industrial look of the bar stools.
I really like this year’s kitchen. Last years kitchen was as equally wonderful, I love the sky light and the open shelving!
Leslie
Utter Perfection. I’m drooling.
Great Kitchen! About 1/2 my everyday Parisian recipes come from this cookbook Barefoot in Paris she recommended! You’ll love it! Super simple and super tasty!
Wonderful kitchen and I LOVE Ina!
Oh you lucky duck! Ina is my fave. The kitchen is beautiful. Looks like you had a great time!
You are one lucky lady, how cool is it that you got to see that wonderful kitchen in person…equally cool to know that Ina and Jeffrey are as nice as they are on television, I watch her show as often as I can…I have all her recipe books and her recipes are as good as they sound, one cannot say that about everyones cookbooks… now as for the design of that kitchen…wow
I love the two chairs facing each other with the ottoman between, in front of the fireplace, is a look I try to use when ever I can with clients…they so enjoy using the room when I do…
Thank you for sharing your visit to this event. Regards, CAM
I make the sour cream coffee cake (from her book) frequently for brunches. It’s to-die, you’ll love it!
What fun! I like Ina’s kitchens, and they all have a very similar layout, because they work on every level. Monster kitchens may look great, but if you are really a cook it’s like running the bases in a ballgame. Here the surfaces are meant to complement the work being done and everything is easy to find and easy to use. It seems all of the stars are aligning for you two in Paris. So much to dream about and look forward to.
What a treat, Heather! I am such a big fan of Ina’s.She is adorable and I love watching her show. So fun to see these photos of Ina, Jeffrey and Stephen. Stephen has done amazing things with HB.
she is so effortlessly chic…and that kitchen is to die for!
How wonderful to be able to experience that event and to meet Ina and Jeffrey!! I love watching her show! Thanks for sharing the pictures! oh…yes..the kitchen is gorgeous too! 🙂
heather- this was like Christmas only 100 times better! Oh, how perfect!
The woman sure knows how to live. What an inspiration!
Wow! It must have been so amazing to meet Ina, see that dream kitchen, and be a part of that event. You are truly blessed! I love your blog and always look at your articles and links when you post them. Thanks for sharing your experience and I love the photos!
Heather, you are so AWESOME! How do you continually come up with gorgeous, interesting, fun, stylish, and may I say chic photos and musings of people and rooms and places and things? I’m so glad I signed on to your blog.I’d love to hang out with you for a day, any day!
I just found your blog today. Well done! I met Ina at the gift show in NY last year. She is a class act. I love her show.
I look forward to following your blog.
That kitchen is so beautiful, it makes me want to cry! Or bake a cake (which also usually leads to crying)…thanks for sharing!
Kelie
I love the kitchen! Do they do this every year? I’m curious to see the work of past winners.
Gorgeous! You’re so lucky!!
that is without a doubt how i would like my kitchen to look…that’s how it looks in my mind!!
btw, i just wanted to let you know that we awarded you the I Love Your Blog Award! You can see the award in today’s post on our blog! Feel free to pass it along to those other blogs you love!!
xox
http://www.froufroufashionista.blogspot.com
Now that’s a table that ALMOST makes me want to throw a dinner party!
Your so lucky to have gone to the party! I went to the Kitchen of the Year Friday before it was open and it was really fun, but being able to be at the party is another thing altogether. The kitchen is so beautiful and it was so amazing that it was built right in Rockefeller Center!
I truly think Ina is the best. I’ve done the Gourmet, Bon Appetit, every cookbook known to man or woman, but I go back every time to her recipes. I have every cookbook and have tried 99.9% of her recipes and every one of them is delicious. Her Paris reference is the best, otherwise I would have missed Flamant and that was a highlight. Thrilled you got to meet her…..as she always says
“How good is that?”
How does this kitchen relate to the one at Kips Bay this year? That was an extraordinary kitchen too!
love ina..she is the type of person that you want to be your aunt…
I adore INA! Her smile and her recipes are always so recognizable!
So lovely!
I went to Paris earlier this year and I DID consult Barefoot in Paris prior to my trip. I already had the book and have also been to Paris before but it was great fun to go to some of the places she loves (her places for bread were amazing and a welcome discovery. If you do nothing else she suggests, go to Poilane). Page 230 of the book.
Are not Jeffrey & Ina the cutest couple. I still adore his story about the brownies she first baked him.
Oh & the kitchens heaven too!!!
Thank you so much for all of the candid party photos! I am a huge lover of Ina Garten and her fabulous new farmhouse. I’ve seen her products around everywhere lately–I’m interested to see how your coffee cake turns out! I’m sure it will wonderful, and, as Ina always reminds us about cake in general, “How bad can it be?”
I am super jealous that you went to this event. I DVR Ina’s show everyday. I am actually watching an episode right now! Too bad you didn’t get an extra goodie bag for me!