Chef's Home Adapts to Many Purposes

When Wendy Brodie and Bob Bussinger built their home in Carmel Highlands area of coastal California nine years ago, they knew exactly what they wanted - and what they created is both intensely personal and incredibly welcoming.

It may be as perfect a home as there's ever been for entertaining and the presentation of glorious food.

Brodie and Bussinger call it Zenwood, a nod to their mutual love of all things Asian and the serene setting of the home among the native Monterey pines, overlooking the Pacific.

Brodie, a well-known executive chef who never seems to sit still for long, these days is busy with catering, teaching cooking classes, and filming her television show for American Public Television, "Art of Food," which can be seen on public television stations across the country.

She and Bussinger collaborate together on her projects, including the show, for which he's the producer.

Their collaboration on their home is no less vital to their success. Many of their events and classes are held there, right in the kitchen they designed. It's also the set for their television show.

So when they chose the elements for the kitchen, dining and entertainment areas, they did so with an eye not only for beauty but also practicality.

"Everyone always ends up in the kitchen anyway," said Brodie. "So we definitely had to go with the open kitchen concept."

It's not a huge kitchen, but it contains many things that you don't ordinarily see in a home. The side-by-side professional-quality gas ranges, for instance. Or the walk-in refrigerator, the ideal place to store many dozens of eggs, pounds of butter and cases of wine.

Adjacent to the kitchen is a small dining nook, suitable for just a few people; the kitchen flows into a larger entertaining and formal dining area, which also includes a bar and the home's living room.

Some of the handmade paper art in the Brodie-Bussinger home was created by Brodie's mother, Isabel, an accomplished artist who gave the house its name.

Brodie comes from a family of artists; her father, Howard Brodie, was an artist journalist who covered World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and is now in the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame along with Norman Rockwell, Andrew Wyeth and other notables.

Brodie put her own artistic talent into food, but has always had an eye for visual beauty as well.

Simple lines and a minimalist color scheme helps set off Brodie's and Bussinger's extensive arrangements of Asian art and collectibles, which range from wooden carp and tiny netsuke carvings to silken folding screens and lengths of bamboo. And love of beautiful objects was what originally brought them together, Bussinger recalls.

"We were collecting the same kinds of art even before we met," he recalls.

That was 20 years ago; they've been married for the past nine. But their careers also have meshed well, with Bussinger's rooted in restaurant and hotel management.

There are three main components involved in this home: simplicity, flexibility and space. Having spaces that can adapt to many different needs has been key for Brodie and Bussinger; for instance, the granite-topped island in the kitchen serves a multitude of purposes, from food prep to extra seating, and even better, doesn't show fingerprints.

The floors throughout the cooking and entertainment areas are stained concrete, with scattered tones of gray, brown and black. Not only is it unique, "It's so practical," said Brodie. "The roughness and even the cracks are part of its character."

The earthy tones are repeated throughout the entertaining/living area, with the ivory walls providing a clean backdrop for the paintings and other objets d'art that Brodie and Bussinger have collected over the years.

It's also easy to add color when needed. For instance, during autumn Brodie decorates with brightly hued pumpkins and gourds in gorgeous reds and oranges; yellow accents are also included in arrangements.

In the kitchen, alder cabinets the color of espresso and stainless steel appliances have a sleek look that's also warm and inviting. Brodie chose two Dacor ranges, professional quality equipment which is essential for her cooking and classes.

"To only put in one oven is a real mistake," she said. "Even if you don't cook, if you hire someone to come in, one is just not enough" if you entertain frequently.

Brodie also chose to have two dishwashers installed - one in the kitchen and one in the bar area - as well as an ice machine, convenient either for making drinks or providing quick cooling for recipes.

"I found a good way to select appliances," said Brodie. "I found that asking repairmen was the smart thing to do. They can tell you what brands to avoid."

The Brodie-Bussinger abode also sports plenty of sinks. In addition to the kitchen sink and the bar sink, around the corner is another large one in the laundry room, which has generous countertop space and cabinets for storage.

Brodie considers the positioning of the laundry room vital to the entertaining equation. Hers is easily accessible both from the dining area and the master bedroom, and is an anything room that can easily accommodate mess as well as extra necessities, such as vases and baskets, which she uses for flower arrangements.

Her favorite way to handle dishes, for instance, is to stack them in soapy tubs in the laundry room. That way, she can enjoy her own party without worrying about the cleanup - until the next morning, that is.

"Out of sight, out of mind," Brodie says with a laugh.

She uses folding screens also to rearrange her space, or to hide unsightly areas. For casual get-togethers, there are sofas and large ottomans, as well as seating around the central fireplace.

Extra room can be found in a freestanding studio next to the house, which can be used for storage or as additional guest quarters, if needed.

And parties at the house can get fairly large, with overflow space provided by the patios surrounding the structure.

"The open space works for entertaining or parties, but it's still cozy for the two of us," said Brodie.

Sources:

Personal interviews with Wendy Brodie and Bob Bussinger, October 2009

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