One of the most fun things to do when planning a kitchen renovation is selecting appliances. Wouldn't you agree? I think it's partly about playing with big gadgets that have features that elevate both our cooking skills and the quality of the food we cook. I think it's also about looks. Certainly, a cool looking range gets us all hot and bothered, amirite?
That's where Verona Appliances enters the conversation. I am in the process of completing a kitchen I designed for a young millennial couple, Matt and Melanie, who have a new house, a new baby and would you believe - had a 100 square foot closed off kitchen!
A wall was removed and the kitchen nearly doubled in size. It's a relatively compact home and one full side of the house is the main living area, dining area and kitchen as an open concept. One end is the living area/TV wall and the opposite wall at the other end is the range wall, a focal point yet should not be an "I'm a kitchen" focal point.
Verona 36” Designer Series Range in Matte Black #babyapproved
THE 36" INDUCTION RANGE
To feature one end of this open concept space, and to accommodate the bulk cooking that this couple does, we partnered with Verona to bring this dream kitchen to life. Matt and Melanie were extremely interested in the 36" Designer Series Induction Range. This is such a perfect size for people who cook and who do not have a big kitchen. Yet, at 36", the cooktop feels expansive and the wide oven handles lots of trays and cookware. The oven door is soft close and for those who appreciate fast yet perfectly even cooking, there are two dual convection fans. The pullout drawer adds even more convenience and storage.
The style is simply fabulous. Matt and Melanie decided to go bold with a black matte finish and red knobs. Black matte is SO chic. It is bold yet quiet, elegant yet modern! Dare I say it looks like it is an element in an art composition? There are wonderful options for customizing the colors and trim in The Designer Series ranges.
THE HOOD INSERT
I designed the hood higher than normal to achieve a more spacious, architectural feeling to this area, and I did not want it to shout "I'm a kitchen hood!." I specified Verona's 46" wide insert. The dimensions of the hood easily accommodated this insert which now allows heavy cooking due to its powerful (1200 cfm) motor, yet it is not visually intrusive. The quality is fantastic, it has four speeds and the filters easily slip in and out as needed for cleaning and are dishwasher safe. Just watch for the filter maintenance light and you’ll know it’s time to clean them. The four LED lights capably illuminate the cooking surface below.
Melanie is height-challenged and the hood insert is somewhat high and she can barely reach it. I asked the electrician to take the controls of the hood insert and install them just to the left of the range near countertop level for comfort and accessibility. Verona does not endorse or advocate doing this, but I've specified this before and quite honestly, it's a little luxury to have the controls right where they are needed. Just use a licensed electrician.
This renovation has taken far longer than expected for a few reasons, and for the length of time Matt and Melanie have been using the range (they could not wait to install these pieces even during the renovation) it has performed flawlessly. The range and hood insert have handled their frequent bulk cooking and daily gourmet baby food preparation with ease. I'll show the entire kitchen soon when it's finished, but the cooking wall is almost all they need!