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Recipe for Success

A penthouse in a Mexico City high-rise designed by Cesar Pelli calls for kitchen cabinetry by Snaidero—Hajj Chebaro serves it up

Sheila Kim -- Interior Design, 3/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

To install a high-tech kitchen that would reflect the minimalist architecture and modern interiors of a Cesar Pelli-designed apartment tower in Mexico City, the owners of one of the building's penthouse residences consulted with Hajj Chebaro, Snaidero Mexico's in-house architect. Chebaro cooked up just the solution. "We used smooth lines that wouldn't create too much visual noise or confusion," says the architect, who implemented Snaidero's Idea 2000 collection of seamless, handle-free drawer systems and cabinets.

Chebaro clad Snaidero's units in lacquered American cherry and juxtaposed the golden wood with a stainless-steel backsplash and countertops. The line's innovative built-in work-top utility accessory reduces the clutter of knife blocks, utensil bins, and electrical outlets for countertop appliances, thus keeping surfaces free for cooking (and displaying the occasional objet). Sleek Gaggenau ovens and cooktops, Sub-Zero refrigerators, and Piuma high chairs at the breakfast bar complement the cherry-and-steel composition, which is completed by off-white Spanish limestone flooring.

The result not only impressed the clients but also caught the eye of Snaidero USA, which awarded Chebaro first place in its Photography Installation Award Competition, an annual event in which company showrooms enter their best installations featuring new products. As the 2001 winner, Chebaro landed a trip to Italy, where the manufacturer is based.