Cooking couple remake their home around the kitchen of their dreams
As partners in business, restaurateur Rebecca Illingworth Penichot and her executive chef know the necessity of an efficient kitchen. But as partners in life, that was sorely lacking in their own home.
“The kitchen is very important to us,” said Illingworth Penichot, owner of Tinto Cocina + Cantina, a Latin fusion eatery that is reopening in a new location, 50th and Penn in Minneapolis, next month.
She and her husband, chef Thierry Penichot, had bought their compact two-story house last year, intending to make some dramatic changes. The location was ideal. The dwelling itself was not.
What did they want to change? “Everything!” she said.
Built in 1994, the house had some of the dubious style hallmarks of that era, including a two-story entry, popcorn ceilings, a lot of cold white surfaces and honey oak woodwork. “I really hate it,” said Illingworth Penichot of the golden-hued trim.
She also wanted a closet big enough for her vast collection of shoes. “I have a bit of a fetish,” she admitted.
But most of all, they wanted a functional and updated kitchen, one with a center island. They did have a pantry, but it was tiny, and the refrigerator partially obstructed a doorway.
“We entertain a lot, and we need to be able to move well,” she said.
As an extension of the kitchen, the couple also wanted to transform their sunbeaten deck into an appealing spot for family dining and hosting guests.
“It wasn’t inviting,” she said. “We wanted it to be part of outdoor living.”
To reinvent their home, Illingworth Penichot turned to architect Eric J. Hansen, E.J. Hansen, AIA, whom she’s known since childhood. “He’s so patient and creative, and he’s a genius in thinking about the space,” she said.
She also knew she could rely on him to help her remodel just enough, without overdoing it and spending money that they couldn’t recoup at resale. “I wanted to be smart and make wise choices,” she said. “Eric is so conscious of that.”
Instead of replacing the unwanted honey oak, for example, he advised spraypainting it to “make it go away.” Reclaiming Space
Hansen brought creative ideas about how to make better use of the home’s 2,500 square feet. The two-story entry could be closed off to create a true owners suite on the second floor, with the big walk-in closet that Illingworth Penichot craved.
“It was such wasted space,” she said. “This is not a grand house.”
Hansen also reconfigured the master bath and the upstairs hallway to make better use of the existing space.
“It was cut up,” said Hansen of the second floor. “Everything was at a 45-degree angle, with weird doors in corners. Getting rid of the diagonal hallway reclaimed a lot of square footage.”
In the kitchen, Hansen also found various ways to reclaim space. A built-in desk was converted into a small bar with storage for wine. (Illingworth Penichot has a passion for wine and formerly owned Bin Wine Bar in St. Paul.)
Another built-in became space for cookbooks and a small TV so that Thierry Penichot, a French-born soccer fan, can watch games while cooking.
To gain more space, Hansen removed a peninsula and large metal flue that passed through the kitchen from the water heater in the basement.
“I talked her into a sealedcombustion water heater,” he said. “We got rid of the flue, and it gave her 2 more feet in the bar area of the kitchen.”
Finally, Hansen suggested sacrificing a coat closet to expand the pantry and create a “mini kitchen” with a prep area where Illingworth Penichot’s 12-year-old son can whip up snacks using the microwave or pizza oven.
“He can make a whole mess in there,” she said, and leave the main kitchen countertops clutter-free.
The changes freed up space for a center island with a prep sink and a table for casual dining. The formal dining room was converted into an office for Illingworth Penichot, an advertising consultant who works from home. “Formal dining is obsolete,” she said.