Pages

Monday, July 7, 2008

Bon appetit!


{The renovated kitchen in Julia Child's former Cambridge MA home. Photos from Premier Properties of Boston}


{Julia's kitchen back in the day, now on display at the Smithsonian. Julia had the counters custom designed at a height comfortable for a 6'2" woman to cook at. On the right is one of two pegboards designed by her husband to hang all her pots, pans and molds. Photo from the Smithsonian via current.org}

The late, great Julia Child donated her famous Cambridge kitchen to the Smithsonian, so it stands to reason that the house it came out of would need a slight remodel. Now that the house is for sale, the world can peek into the rooms that never made it on camera in the 40+ years that she lived in and filmed her Boston-based public television cooking show.

The original kitchen has a homey look that contributed to the success of her show, which focused on the approachable aspects of gourmet cooking. But I think she would have appreciated the bright airiness of the new kitchen, especially as it features Miele, Sub-Zero and Kuppersbusch Okotherm appliances, as well as a big marble-topped island perfect for rolling out pastry dough. As it should, for $4.35 million, no?

13 comments:

please sir said...

Lovely look - very comforting!

Anonymous said...

Now that was some kitchen! Susie H~

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

What a fun post! I didn't know Julia Child's house was on the market. Thanks for the link to the MLS. That's one big house, huh?

Love how you posted a photo of her old kitchen next to the new. I guess it goes to show you don't need a state-of-the art kitchen to cook well if you've got her kind of talent. (For me, I'm thinking the state-of-the-art appliances just might come in handy, though.)

Thanks, Robin! -Julia

robin ann mcintosh said...

oh, I like the bottom one the most : ) cool topic.

knitseashore said...

If you can afford a $4.5 million dollar house, wouldn't you want to hire a chef? If I could afford that house, I would!

The House That A-M Built said...

Oh I love the old kitchen... complete with tea-towel on the stove handle! New one is great too...wooden floors and white... my kinda style! A-M xx

Anonymous said...

I do love that combination of dark wood and white AND the windows (which don't seem to have made their way into the Smithsonian exhibit...)

Marie Louise said...

I made my kitchen counters higher by about two inches in my old house - much more comfortable to work at, although can't say it help my cooking skills.

dee said...

Wow, thanks for sharing this! Her original kitchen is so neat!

Mrs.French said...

I am a complete goof...I like the original kitchen better...actually I would take either!

littlebyrd said...

I love the new look!

simply seleta said...

Very interesting post. I sort of like the old kitchen too. It's much warmer, more her personality. But white marble, oh that makes the heart go pitter pat.

Unknown said...

I was JUST at the smithsonian and had I known her kitchen was there, I would have gone!!!!!!!

DOH!