Star Kitchen: Waylynn Lucas

When Los Angeles baker and Cake Wars judge Waylynn Lucas moved into this kitchen, she felt right at home — because she was: “My mom lived in this house for 15 years,” Waylynn says. After her mom decided to move out, the pastry chef and her attorney husband, Todd, jumped at the chance to make it their own. The couple, who met because Todd frequented Waylynn’s Los Angeles doughnut shop, Fonuts, settled into the house in January 2015. Some pipes burst several months later, resulting in a major flood — and a reasonable excuse to do a serious renovation. The couple kept the cabinets and appliances, but Waylynn brought in new touches, like marble countertops, warm upholstery and a distressed wood floor. She now likens the long, grueling renovation process to pastry-recipe writing: “You change one thing and you have to change another — it’s kind of a never-ending evolution!”

Waylynn loves using herbs in savory dishes and desserts. She grows cilantro, mint, thyme, basil and rosemary in these indoor planters.

Having two sinks was essential for Waylynn. One is for food prep and the other is for washing dishes.

Because she’s a professional baker, Waylynn insisted on marble countertops. Marble stays cool, so it’s the perfect material when you’re rolling out dough or tempering chocolate.

These serving pieces once belonged to Waylynn’s grandfather, a friend of chef Wolfgang Puck.