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"   A place where three generations of family could commingle and co-exist is what the homeowners told their designer they wanted their new kitchen to be. &amp;quot;We had worked with Mick De Giulio on our last project,&amp;quot; recalls the wife. &amp;quot;It was natural for us to call on him again. We simply asked him to design a De Giulio kitchen.&amp;quot; Which is exactly what the Chicago-based designer did, working with architect Arthur C. Danielian, FAIA, of Danielian Associates Architecture+Planning in Irvine, California, who designed the family&amp;#039;s two-level home to suit a lakeside site, an easy drive from downtown Chicago.  1 --&amp;amp;gt;  &amp;quot;Both Arthur and Mick agreed that flow was important, which is why the same travertine flooring was used throughout the first level,&amp;quot; says the wife. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s also an easy surface to keep clean.&amp;quot; The homeowners insist they did not dictate which amenities the kitchen should embrace, other than one particular safety feature. &amp;quot;Much attention had been given to pot fillers,&amp;quot; adds the wife, &amp;quot;but we requested a pot pourer drain. Adjacent to the cooktop, the setup includes not only a pasta faucet but also a drain where boiling water can be easily and safely discarded.&amp;quot;  The kitchen&amp;#039;s 151/2x18-foot space flows gracefully into the family room and also extends into a breakfast area that benefits from bay windows with a water view. There, set into a wall niche handy to the breakfast table is what the family calls la mattina, Italian for &amp;quot;the morning.&amp;quot; Says the wife, &amp;quot;This area was meant for making coffee and preparing light breakfasts. It includes a sink and a backsplash area that hides coffees, teas, sweeteners, coffeemakers and a microwave behind panels that raise and lower at the touch of a button. There is also a drawer-style refrigerator, tucked into the base cabinet, where our grandchildren store their special snacks and juices.&amp;quot;  Clean design is evident not only in la mattina, but also in the efficiently arranged cooking zone. Behind the cooktop, designer De Giulio points out, &amp;quot;there are two 30535-inch panels that match the granite countertops. They&amp;#039;re track-mounted and designed so that when you slide one open, the other opens too.&amp;quot; Vinegars and spices hide behind the left panel; baking products, behind the right one. The refrigerator-freezer is concealed within a huge glazed-pine armoire.  &amp;quot;Mick knew from the start that this space should include a mix of ideas that would not lean heavily toward either traditional or modern,&amp;quot; says the wife. &amp;quot;The result is a kitchen that&amp;#039;s warm and comfortable, with its own distinctive personality.&amp;quot; Hidden Assets  Panels that slide, raise and lower are not the only subtly concealed amenities here.  -- A single stainless steel band points up the limestone-fronted exhaust hood that extends the width of the cooking niche. -- The flush-mounted main microwave extends into what looks like vintage furniture. Its eight-drawer front disguises a two-door storage cabinet. -- Tiny tilt-out drawers on the ends of each island hide electrical outlets plus a switch that activates pendant lights over the main island.  2   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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