Delebrity chef Dan Butler has done lots of catering, so he has cooked in lots of kitchens. One thing he’s noticed: “Many of the kitchens are beautiful, but they just don’t work. The oven is nice, but you can’t get a sheet pan in it.”
So when his friend Gary Munch, president of Boss Enterprises Inc., came up with the idea to help homeowners transform fabulous but non-functional kitchens into professional kitchens, Butler jumped on board.
Thus was born Artisans Kitchens (524 Greenhill Ave., Wilmington, 654-0886). “The concept is a turnkey solution around luxury homebuilding,” says Munch, “kind of a one-stop shop.”
Boss Enterprises handles construction, but the unique element is the culinary input. Whether you’re building new or renovating, the chef consults with the client to find out “how kitchens should operate if you’re a serious cook, do a lot of catering or parties, or if you’re a professional chef,” says Munch. Once the kitchen is built, the chef cooks the inaugural meal. In Delaware that chef would be Butler, chef and owner of Piccolina Toscana, Deep Blue Bar and Grill and other popular places. But Munch plans to go national by working with celebrity chefs elsewhere. On board is Michael White, a 2010 James Beard Foundation Award winner and one of Manhattan’s most beloved chefs.
“If you throw parties, professional chefs tend to make their way into your kitchen,” says Butler. “So if you want a professional kitchen, a professional chef helps.”
For more, visit bossenterprises.net, or call 654-0886.
Page 2: Historic Style for Modern Living | Winterthur licenses a line of faithful reproduction homes. Where better to build than here?
Historic Style for Modern Living
Winterthur licenses a line of faithful reproduction homes. Where better to build than here?
If you’re planning to build, your new home could boast features similar to houses on Henry Francis du Pont’s Winterthur estate.
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library has granted Vermont-based Connor Homes an exclusive license to produce a line of architecturally faithful homes. Inspiration comes from the museum’s archives, as well as adaptations of existing architecture at Winterthur. Connor Homes, nationally known for design and manufacture of historic American architecture, will create floor plans and living environments that preserve historical integrity yet accommodate modern lifestyle.
Homes range from 2,000 square feet to 4,400 square feet. They are preconstructed in the Connor factory. “That makes it easy for the houses to be assembled at the job site, and homeowners get a custom look with sustainable green construction behind it,” says Kristin L. DeMesse, director of Winterthur Licensed Products, which also approves lines of reproduction furniture.
There are four styles, including a rendition of Winterthur’s charming gatehouse. Prices vary. The homes can be built anywhere, says DeMesse. “If you have the land, Connor Homes will take the house you like and make sure it works for your site.” For more, visit winterthur.org.
Page 3: Now That’s Smart | When it comes to heating and air-conditioning, all rooms are not created equal.
Now That’s Smart
When it comes to heating and air-conditioning, all rooms are not created equal.
Brian Darby blames the attic.
The attic, Darby says, hoards the home’s energy. If it’s not properly insulated, “The heat will penetrate into the house in summertime, and during the winter, the heat will escape through the insulation. It goes up to the attic and out the window.”
Darby’s company, Smart Home in Wilmington, offers a solutions that Darby promises will decrease utility costs. “We actually guarantee a 30 percent reduction in your utility bills,” he says, “or you get your money back.”
Smart Home uses a radiant barrier technology developed by NASA before today’s insulation material was developed. The radiant barrier worked so well, “its competition had them put out of business, saying it was a monopoly,” says Darby.
That left us with the pink and yellow stuff we have now. They stop conductive and convection heat, but neither stops radiant heat. Radiant is what’s in the attic, which is “like a sponge that absorbs the heat through the day, heats up the drywall of the ceiling and radiates through the room,” says Darby.
Total insulation jobs range in price from $1,800 to $7,000, but the average bill is about $2,500. The product is placed on top of existing insulation.
Smart Home was founded in October, and business already is booming. Darby was a customer first. “I went to a seminar and I was hooked,” he says. “At first I didn’t believe it, but after I purchased the product, and saw how much money it saved us, I said ‘I have to start marketing this product.’” For more, visit smarthomeies.com, or call 345-8761.
