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W

hen Mark and
Renee Phillips
redesigned their
Oak Park kitchen,
they knew exactly what they
wanted: In addition to two
dishwashers, two sinks and
more counter space for easier
kosher observance, they wanted
to evoke the relaxed feeling of
Mark's native Mexico.
"We walked into an art
gallery in Puerto Vallarta, and I
remember the feeling of the
cool tiles under my feet, the
warm air all around and the
smell and sound of ocean near-
by," recalls Renee. "I wanted
to emulate that peaceful feel-
ing, since I'm in the kitchen all
the time."
In the kitchen, they eliminat-
ed a wall to create flow to the
family room. They also got rid
of hanging cabinets over the
counter, further opening the
room.
The cottage-white walls are
bare, except for a tile and tin
mirror. The tile floor is antique
terracotta from Italy, and the
counters are cornflower blue
ceramic tiles, with occasional

accent pieces in the backsplash.
The counters are three feet
deep, and the stainless Kohler
double sink (ordered online)
faces the family room. The
maple cabinets have silver
metal pulls with concentric cir-
cles, inspired by the ones in
Mark's mother's kitchen.
"I wanted something warm
but still light in feeling," says
Renee. "Everything we did
gave height and light."
Faced with the constraints of
keeping kosher, the couple
opted for two dishwashers and
two sinks but only one oven.
"I would prefer to have two
ovens, but space didn't allow
for it," explains Renee.
There are two aspects to
designing a kosher kitchen —
the physical layout and the
practicality of separating meat
and dairy, she says. "We
weren't adding on, so we had to
figure out how to find space for
everything."
Today, several appliance man-
ufacturers offer ovens, stoves
and refrigerators with a
"Sabbath mode" — an override
to allow the machine to stay on

beyond the 12-hour automatic
shutoff. Additionally, certain
materials can be made kosher
for Passover, including stainless
steel sinks and dishwashers and
granite countertops.
Of course, buying two of
everything can make creating a
kosher kitchen a twice-as-costly
venture. Mark and Renee tried
their best to add style to ease
on a reasonable budget.
"I was amazed that you could
get pretty high quality products
for reasonable prices," Phillips
remarked. "Home Depot was
my middle name."

BY LYNNE SCHREIBER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN SOBCZAK

STYLE A•1 "r1- 11:: JN • JANUARY 2002

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