Star Kitchen: Michael Symon

Michael Symon and his wife, Liz, bought their East Hampton, NY, house from a cookbook author, so in some ways the kitchen was made for a pro: It had two sinks, two ovens and two dishwashers. But the space wasn’t exactly designed for entertaining — and Michael and Liz were planning to do plenty of that. They decided to gut it and make it more crowd-friendly, adding a huge maple island and a dining table that seats 10. Friends (and many fans) know that Michael and Liz are real estate enthusiasts — they’ve renovated more than a few home kitchens — so they knew just what they wanted for this one. They went for an updated industrial look, combining weathered oak floors and a white subway-tile backsplash with matte black counters and appliances, including a BlueStar stove. And they incorporated plenty of cabinets to hold Michael’s cookware. "Personalizing a space is the most important thing a new homeowner can do," Michael says. “We use every bit of this kitchen because we designed it exactly for our lifestyle.”

The counters look like soapstone (a material that scratches easily), but they’re quartz, which is much more durable. Michael likes the chalkboard-like matte finish.

Michael wanted a red stove but Liz loves matte black, so they compromised by choosing red knobs for their BlueStar range.

Michael had to beg Liz to agree to a TV in the kitchen — but there’s a big upside for her: Now he can cook Sunday dinner while he watches football or golf.

The kitchen ceiling already had beams but they were shallow, so Liz and Michael bulked them up by attaching veneers cut from 100-year-old reclaimed wood.