Enjoy a taste of French-inspired interior design with this Dubuque, Iowa kitchen renovation featuring Wolf and La Cornue high-end appliances. Designed in a stunning display of refined elegance punctuated with moments of robust personality, this kitchen spotlight is a model example of how luxury appliances transform simple ideas into something truly special.
Often found donning his tool apron, designer and contractor Mark Gudenkauf of Mark Gudenkauf Construction, Inc. has been redesigning commercially and residentially in Iowa for more than 25 years. With a seasoned eye for design and a passion for pulling together a vision, Mark has garnered a notable reputation as the guy to get the job done.
See for yourself!
Completing the look is Ashley Boysen and the Ruby design team at Ruby & Co. With a mission to "bring your luxury home visions to life," Boysen and the team were able to perfectly capture the theme of this Dubuque new home kitchen and match it with the unique look of the featured appliances. Check out more of their work!
Why We Love This Kitchen Design
Refinement is always easier said than done, but when it’s done right, the look feels effortless, coherent, and logical. Beyond aesthetics, Mark’s expert designing skills were used to create a functional kitchen area that can just as easily be the scene for a social gathering or family dinner. Here’s how they did it.
From The Designer
When Ashley found out she would be designing with the Cornufe Range, "I immediately got on their website and started customizing this range to compliment the style of the home.This style range is more of a work of functional art and a conversation piece, rather than just another appliance. The vision I had for the kitchen was a Modernized French Chateau, completely inspired from the Cornufe.
When she landed on the Provence Blue color with Polished Brass accents, Ashley knew this to be the main feature of the kitchen. The team chose the white cabinetry to be more simplistic, contrasting with a black granite top.
"We chose a thicker edge on the quartz island top mimicking the old world charm of a traditional marble counter. The White Carrara Marble backsplash in a basketweave pattern was the perfect accent to act as a backdrop to the main attraction. The lighting, hardware, and fabric for the built in breakfast seating were all mindfully selected to accent the Cornufe and bring the overall design full circle; giving this space the character of a French hillside kitchen, all while reflecting the personality of the homeowners."
An Eye for Accents
We just can’t get over how this kitchen project approaches fun and fresh design with a fusion of classic design and modern appeal. The all-star in this design is a stunning Cornufé 110 professional range in a Provence Blue finish that sets the design’s color scheme. This color choice is echoed by the large built-in seating area that’s upholstered in a blue-and-white pattern, which also serves as a balance between the two areas.
The satin chrome and brass hardware on the range and wall mounted over-the-range hood with matching trim create an upscale motif that allows the two large appliances to coexist in the same space rather than compete for the eyeline. The metal accents also complement hints of black used on adjacent countertops and inside the sink, giving the muted tones from the stainless steel appliances, white cabinetry, and marble surfaces a touch of warmth.
Multifunctional Design
When it comes to cooking and entertaining in the same space, how a kitchen is staged makes all the difference. This aspirational kitchen design strikes a smooth balance between form and function several ways, starting with the use of countertop space. Extending countertops on either side of the range provide a practical area to prep and store ingredients just before cooking.
Another smart design feature is the placement of the sink right across from the range, which reduces the walking distance and effort when transporting large pots with water. Wrap-around countertops around the kitchen sink and seating nook are excellent supplemental work surfaces but can also be utilized as a work zone for hosts to engage with guests while meals are being made. Once prepared, the beautiful marble also serves as an impressive setting to display the latest culinary creation.
Appliances for Serious Cooks & Entertainers
In addition to its thoughtful layout, the high-end appliances used in this kitchen provide cooking enthusiasts with all power and performance to create exquisite dishes.
A 43 inch La Cornue dual fuel range with five sealed solid-brass burners deliver heat outputs between 6,000 and 17,500 BTUs, giving cooks the power to handle everything from gentle simmers to sensational sears. Complete with dual convection ovens, this CornuFé pro-style range with 4.6 cubic feet of total oven capacity is loaded with powerful cooking features.
In high-scale kitchens, a professional range is not uncommon, but its size can make it a challenge to fit additional appliances into the plan. Double Wolf 30 inch wall ovens, however, solve the roadblock by providing multiple cooking methods while only occupying a small footprint. One convection microwave oven eliminates the use of a countertop microwave, while the second convection oven features the power of steam. Together, these ovens provide three cooking methods and greater cooking flexibility than by using a range alone.
Whether you’re an aspiring or advanced cook, everyone can agree that creating something by hand and getting fantastic results is a gratifying experience. Just ask the manufacturers at La Cornue, who make all their premium ranges completely by hand. Like the ingredients that go into a five-star dish, La Cornue ranges use quality materials that are carefully crafted into beautiful displays of traditional design redesigned for the modern homeowner.
Take a closer look at what goes into make a La Cornue range.
The La Cornue range used in this kitchen design spotlight (model C1IF) is just one example of the brand’s style flexibility. Since all La Cornue Cornufé ranges are customizable — including trim color, hardware finish, and cooktop configuration — there is more than one way to enjoy the timeless style of a La Cornue range.
Wolf: Classic & Affluent
A kitchen built with Wolf appliances is a kitchen ready to embrace the entire world of cuisine. Whether it’s a rangetop or cooktop, a professional range, or a built-in oven like in this kitchen renovation, quality and performance come standard on all Wolf appliance lineups. Here’s what you can do with this Wolf 30 inch wall oven duo in your kitchen:
- A Wolf convection steam oven gives users the option to cook three unique ways: With gentle steam, even convection — or a combination of both. When used together, convection and steam produce one-of-a-kind results, including meat roasts that are juicier, tender vegetables, and breads with the same chewy crust of a high-end bakery. Additionally, advanced digital oven technology senses the size of meals being prepared and adjusts temperature and cooking times for the best results. Best of all, the steam feature uses a large water reservoir for up to 90 minutes of cooking, requires no water line, and can even be changed without interrupting the cooking process.
Shop the Wolf® E Series Convection Steam Oven (CSO30PE/S/PH)
- As mentioned, countertop space is big in this kitchen build, which is why the Wolf convection microwave is such a smart inclusion into the design. This 2-in-1 cooking appliance provides the luxury of quick microwaving, plus uniform convection heating that cooks foods faster and with better results. Together with the matching convection steam oven and the La Cornue professional range, this kitchen provides four unique convection oven options to cook in for an impressive amount of flexibility to cook individual or family-size meals.
Shop the Wolf® M Series Built In Microwave Oven (MDD30PM/S/PH0)
Comparing Wolf & La Cornue Appliances
In a side-by-side comparison between Wolf and La Cornue, it’s hard to come out losing. Both brands design and manufacture exceptional products that look great and deliver premium performance that any serious home chef would enjoy. By using both names in this design, the homeowners of this Dubuque, Iowa kitchen project can delight in the best of old-world and new-world aesthetics along with reliability that exceeds standards.
That being said, each brand does have its own set of hallmarks. Ultimately, it’s up to the shopper to decide which option best meets the needs and look of a design, but generally:
La Cornue buyers: Wants to make a stylish statement in the kitchen and is looking for customizable appliance options that grant more flexibility when it comes to creating a vision.
Wolf appliance shoppers: Typically prefer sleek, versatile designs that still make a bold statement. In this case, function and form are equally important.
Since this kitchen design uses a combination of wall ovens and a pro-style range, it’s hard to make a direct comparison of the two brands. However, it’s worth noting that La Cornue manufacturers ranges exclusively, while Wolf offers a larger catalog of appliances in wall oven and range options. In the end, both Wolf ranges and La Cornue ranges are similarly priced and provide comparable capacity and power, making the final choice a decision of personal tastes and demands.
Let Us Help You Find Your Vision
With a wide inventory of home appliances from in-stock products and clearance appliances to luxury appliances, Grand Appliance and TV is where smart shoppers go to for all their appliance needs. Shop in-store from 25 locations throughout Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa or online today for reliable appliances suited to your lifestyle and needs.