MADISON, WI— For Warner McConaughey, the third time is most certainly a charm. After submitting designs for the bi-annual Sub-Zero/Wolf Kitchen Design Contest on two previous occasions over the years, McConaughey’s third submission was named the first-place winner in the “Best Kitchen Utilizing a Full-Size Built-In or Integrated Unit and Wolf Cooking Instrument” category.

All of the design winners, including the winners of the other categories in the 2006/07 contest – such as “Best Use of Wine Storage in a Unique Location,” “Best Dealer Showroom Using Sub-Zero and Wolf” and “International Winners,” among others – were announced during the awards ceremony held recently at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch.

According to Paul Leuthe, corporate marketing manager of Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliance, all of the winners were recognized for innovative layouts featuring the integration of Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, as well as the unique use of space and overall aesthetic elements.

Home made Design

The design that finally garnered McConaughey, CR and owner of HammerSmith in Decatur, GA, the coveted award was a remodel of the kitchen in his own home.

Working with his wife, Allison, an interior designer who is also part of the HammerSmith team, McConaughey worked to capture an industrial look.

“I’ve always been intrigued by kitchens that are stuffed down in a basement and kind of out of the way, but [still retain a modern look and feel],” he remarks.

To that end, the 13'x15', energy-efficient kitchen they created features a fashionable twist on antiquity, combined with cutting-edge technology. The room is highlighted by a Sub-Zero Pro 48 with glass door and a Wolf 48" dual-fuel range.

“We had to address function, and simple, clean lines are a must to accomplish this,” McConaughey states. That idea, coupled with the fact that the kitchen opened to a family room, gave the space a more current, trendy feel.

“So, the major thing that [challenged] us,” he remarks, “was how to make this modern kitchen feel old.”

Appliance Style

McConaughey notes that it required great diligence to create such a functional and durable space – particularly because he and his wife were the clients.

“This project was different because it is in my own house,” he comments. “It was a great experience to learn what it feels like to be the client and have all of the budgetary challenges and worry about cost overruns and delays.”

Specifically, McConaughey – who describes he and his wife as avid cooks who entertain often – notes that the industrial-style kitchen was “meant to be a real live-in, eat-in kitchen.

“It needed to be very functional for day-to-day cooking, but it also had to be large enough to handle cooking demonstrations that we sometimes have in our home,” he explains.

The McConaugheys started the design of the kitchen with the large Sub-Zero Pro 48 “because it doesn’t feel old or out of date. It has this real industrial quality,” he offers.

“When you think about it, how do you put a refrigerator of that size in a normal kitchen?” he muses. But, he insists, they had to have that refrigerator, as well as that particular 48" Wolf range.

The range includes a grill, so McConaughey can entertain guests for homemade pasta dinners or pancake breakfasts.

He stresses that the range was an ideal complement to other items selected for the design.

“Instead of it being a 48" range with a 48" hood above it, we selected an 8'-hood that runs all the way across, so there is nothing below part of the hood,” he explains. “In the meanwhile, the range is totally offset from the hood.”