Kitchen the family room for many households

MIELE Makati Showroom

MORE THAN any other time of the year, Christmas is when families spend more hours gathered in the kitchen preparing holiday meals for noche buena. Indeed the kitchen is the family room for many households in our country.

I am not much of a cook but I love designing kitchens—choosing wood cabinets, countertops and appliances. Kitchens take up a big chunk of the construction budget when building a house, so careful planning is necessary to achieve the deserved outcome.

In the early stages of planning, it is wise to look for the kitchen appliances first so you can design the cabinets and counters around them. Check out different appliance stores and compare finishes and functionalities to get a better idea of total kitchen look.

Located at the ground floor of The Residences at Greenbelt is Miele, one of Europe’s most trusted brands in appliances. Focus Global is the local distributor.

Tested durability

Miele was founded in 1899 by Carl Miele & Reinhard Zinkann in Gutersloh, Germany, and has since remained a family-owned-and-run business. Their innovative, cutting-edge technology, sleek designs, unparalleled service and quality have made them a household name over the past century.

All Miele products are made in Germany, assuring customers of highest standards and tested durability. These customers include luxury hotels and condominiums all over the world, like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Ardmore Park in Singapore, Trump Hollywood in LA, Edgewood in Sydney, and here at home, Essensa Codominium.

MIELE espresso machine

The client list includes celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, who owns a Miele dishwasher, and Adam Levine, who makes his morning coffee on a Miele espresso machine. Gosh, somehow Adam making coffee is a lot easier to imagine than Gwyneth stacking the dishes.

Helping all of us decide on what kitchen showcases to buy and other “sosy problems” is Slice Magazine, a new, alternative monthly that “celebrates a higher standard of living.” The mag is the brainchild of Steve and Malou Tan of Ozzi, the leading source for high-end, custom-made kitchens, vanities and closets.

Slice is aimed at “affluent and mobile readers, sophisticated consumers and professionals.” Inside is a cool combination of interior design, kitchen interiors, fashion and sharp personalities.

The maiden issue features jewelry designer Wynn Wynn Ong, renowned interior artists Cynthia and Ivy Almario and architect Jason Buensalido. Esteemed professionals in the design sector, like Heny Sison and Chef Sau del Rosario are also featured in the magazine’s culinary section.

OZZI Kitchen in Slice Magazine

The most amazing thing about Slice Magazine is its cost to its readers—zilch! The freezine is an advertising-supported publication. In fact, a copy of the magazine can be downloaded at www.altodesign.com.ph/downloads/magazine/.

So whether your kitchen is just a single countertop with a microwave and a faucet for amenities, or a huge, state-of-the-art, kitchen showcase, you can still get a slice of the high life with Slice Magazine. But more than all that, what is truly important is the meals that are prepared in your home kitchen—hopefully all done with love, fun, laughter and the presence of your loved ones—because in the end, that’s what truly counts.

Happy Holidays and have a great noche buena!

Follow @tessavaldes on Twitter or e-mail her at [email protected].