Ludo Lefebvre: My life is based around cooking 24/7‚ so making the kitchen the star of our house was really the only choice. Our previous kitchen was tiny‚ and with two small children it became almost dangerous at times: too many people‚ not enough space. I wanted an open area where family and friends could be part of the experience but also have breathing room.

I collaborated with a designer‚ Ginny Capo‚ for the aesthetic. I know where to put my ovens and my burners‚ but I’m more of a restaurant person. I wanted this to be more accessible‚ and safer‚ than a restaurant kitchen. She picked the Caesarstone‚ which I love. It’s almost better than marble‚ because it’s so easy to clean.

It’s also important to me that my kids‚ Luca and Rêve‚ who are twins‚ learn about food and the importance of the family meal‚ and not be intimidated by equipment. Luca is now obsessed with cooking. He’s always in the kitchen and knows how to use everything‚ even a knife. He can do a pretty cool omelet in the morning. At seven and a half‚ that’s pretty amazing.

Make It Yours

Integrated Ventilation: Rather than a hood over the range‚ Ludo has a flush ventilation system in the ceiling above his island. “It’s a big open room‚ where we have the TV‚ sofa‚ and kitchen‚ so I didn’t want to see a big hood there‚” he says. It also keeps sightlines open for shooting his web-based show‚ Ludo à la Maison.

Two Cooktops: Ludo has both an induction and a gas cooktop from Fisher & Paykel. “I mainly use induction because it’s safe for kids‚ fast‚ and easy to control‚” he says. But when he needs to burn an eggplant or brown toast‚ he turns on the gas.

Copper Sink: “The one nonnegotiable thing for me in the kitchen was having a large copper sink‚” says Ludo‚ who chose a model from Rohl. “To me‚ it says farm and countryside‚ which reminds me of where I come from in France.”

Oversized Drawers: “I have lots of pots and pans‚ so large drawers make a huge difference‚” he says. “No more having to remove every pot and pan to find the one I want.”

More Kitchens We Love:

Blogger, Cookbook Writer, and Pastry Chef David Lebovitz

Best-Selling Cookbook Author and Netflix Host Samin Nosrat

Newly Minted James Beard Award Winner Nina Compton

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