Junior League's Tour of Kitchens gives peek into private spaces

By Katie Leslie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Americans may not be flush for cash in today's economy, but you're never too broke to dream.

Keep that in mind if you're planning to tour 14 of the city's most attractive culinary quarters in this year's Junior League of Atlanta Tour of Kitchens. Now in its 13th year, the two-day tour features private cooking spaces by such design firms as Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio, Rose Hall Kitchen Galleria and Moon Brothers.

But why focus on kitchens and not the entire house for a fund-raising tour?

“People really live in their kitchens, especially nowadays," said Marsha Sims, chair of the event. "This is a rare opportunity to see inside private homes."

The tour, which kicks off Saturday, typically draws 1,200 people and raises about $125,000, organizers said. The proceeds benefit the league's community programs with the goal of helping women and children attain self-sufficiency. Seven kitchens are shown each day and the event features cooking demonstrations by some of the city's top names, including Kevin Rathbun and Carvel Grant Gould of Canoe.

We talked to a handful of designers whose work is displayed on this year's tour for their favorite kitchen-design tips:

* Sync the style. “I love to keep the consistency in the architecture of the house," says certified kitchen and bath designer Emmye Cherry, of Fusion Design Group. "I don’t want to enter a Victorian or an Arts & Crafts home and see a really contemporary kitchen.” Cherry's work can be seen in a petite Morningside kitchen on Sunday's tour. She honored the home's Arts & Crafts style with simple lines in the layout, as well as with inset cabinetry painted cream and muted moss.

* Forming function. When designing a kitchen for a busy Dunwoody family, designers Debra Bobo and Diana Risher of CSI Kitchen & Bath created a multi-functional island to meet many of their needs. The spacious island, which can be seen Sunday, features a sink just steps away from the range, refrigerator and oven; raised-bar seating; a dishwasher and a desk-height area with plug-ins for a laptop and phone.

* Consider your routine. Cherry says if you're planning a kitchen redo, think about how you live. Where do you place your purse? Make your coffee? She designs kitchens with designated zones, such as a breakfast corner where one stores a coffeemaker and toaster. She also suggests parents have designated "snack drawers" where children can grab approved food. Lastly, think about storing dishes in drawers next to a dishwasher so children can help in clean-up.

* Focus, baby, focus. Bobo and Risher of CSI Kitchen & Bath said every kitchen should have a focal point. They used symmetry in the Dunwoody kitchen to highlight the mantle over the stove, flanking the range with cabinetry and appliances. This design must-have can also be seen in a kitchen by Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio, which used a rustic wood beam to create a mantle on a farmhouse-inspired white brick hood.

IF YOU GO

The 13th Junior League of Atlanta Inc. Tour of Kitchens run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25 in advance and cover both days of the tour. A limited number of tickets will be sold during the tour for $35. For details, visit www.jlatlanta.org