Lisa Mende Design: What's New at Subzero & Wolf

You are probably thinking this is a very special private dining room in a upscale restaurant, right? Actually it is the Subzero/Wolf showroom in Atlanta, Georgia. Pretty fab right? I don't know if you can tell from my photograph but the room is actually round. Behind those paneled doors are food refrigeration and wine storage. Amazing integration!

I had the good fortune of visiting the Subzero/Wolf showroom when I was in Atlanta recently for a combined trip to ADAC, AmericasMart and girls weekend. Veranda hosted a cocktail party in the showroom to celebrate new designs and technology recently introduced by Subzero and Wolf . Clinton Smith, Editor in Chief of Veranda was on hand to meet and greet the designers in attendance. The showroom looked fabulous! I must say I was blown away by the new product technology, as well as the beautiful design options.

(Click the Here to see the new designs and continue reading…)

One of the fun aspects of visiting a Subzero/Wolf showroom is the fabulous food they feed you! Did you know you can attend cooking demonstrations at your local Subzero/Wolf showroom? Click here to find a showroom near you. Visiting a showroom offers the opportunity of seeing innovative ways the appliances have been incorporated into various styles of kitchens. It's a great way to get design ideas which can be used in designing your own kitchen. For designers, it offers us the chance to show our clients product offerings up close and personal. The design in the showrooms is always cutting edge, so well worth the effort of attending. You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it so why would you invest in appliances you haven't experienced first hand?

All Subzero/Wolf showrooms have a fabulous chef's kitchen where the chefs prepare food on the latest and greatest products designed by the companies. It's an opportunity for clients interested in Subzero/Wolf to learn more about the products and taste food prepared by chefs using these products. Here is a photo of the Atlanta showroom's chef's kitchen. Feast your eyes on the wall of ovens on the left! Can you imagine having the ability to cook so many things at once? I spoke to one of the chef preparing food that evening and he said he especially liked cooking in the Wolf convection/steam oven for events, because it will cook large amounts of food quickly, without fear of drying out the food.

This arrangement of Wolf ovens has been very popular. The top oven is a microwave/convention oven, with a convection/steam oven next in the stack, followed by a warming drawer on the bottom. (sorry I got my reflection in the oven doors!) My friend Aml who looks like she is watching my photo shoot is actually listening to the sales rep explain why this particular arrangement works so well. Aml has a new kitchen with Subzero and Wolf appliances, so she was sharing what she liked about the appliances with the showroom sales person. That's another great aspect about visiting a showroom. Getting interaction with the knowledgeable sales staff who can answer any questions you might have about the products. If you are working with a design professional, ask your designer. He or she will gladly book a showroom visit for you. I find it is extra helpful to attend with your designer, because he or she designed the plan for your kitchen and can direct you on the best options for your space. If your designer has already specified what he or she thinks are the best choices for your kitchen, a showroom visit can solidify your options. Good appliances are not cheap, but you do get what you pay for. I always direct clients to buy the best appliances they can afford. If you are a cook, this is an area that can make everyday life more enjoyable. Not to mention that beautiful appliances really add to the wow factor in a kitchen in a high end home.
There are so many options available. I am only going to highlight a few. For more information please ask your designer or visit the Subzero-Wolf Website. Here are a few of the new appliances I saw in Atlanta.

The 30" Transitional cooktop is the latest gas cook top offered from Wolf. The design of this cook top marries well with traditional or contemporary interiors. It features four dual stacked sealed burners with heat outputs of 18,000 BTU's.

Featured here is the Wolf Professional series 30" cooktop. This particular series offers four dual stacked burners as well as a low flame burner for cooking at lower temperatures.

I had to share a picture of the fun chess set in the showroom.

What a clever and fun way to show off the Wolf knobs. All Wolf appliances come a set of the Wolf "red" knobs or plain black knobs for those that don't want the touch of red.

Next I took a tour of the many options for Subzero refrigeration. Subzero is known for being the pioneer in built-in refrigeration. The options for integration are greater than ever. Want to make your refrigerator disappear in your kitchen? With Subzero, anything is possible. You no longer have to have a big "silver elephant" in your kitchen. With city dwellers it is often necessary to make your kitchen disappear as space is often an issue and the kitchen becomes part of your living space. With Subzero that isn't an issue. The finish options are as handsome as fine pieces of furniture.

Look at some of the new options with Subzero.

This amazing configuration offers column refrigeration,

wine storage and refrigerator drawers below.

Perfect beverage storage! Wine on the left,

refrigerator on the right and drawer below with

a handsome finish.

What can I say? This is stunning! I don't remember

what this finish was called but if it were me

I would call this the Marilyn Monroe because it

is a cover girl for sure!

This design is a work of art! You would never

have to worry about fingerprints with this design.

I think this would be super fun in a designer's studio,

playroom or art gallery. Again, if you had a small

studio apartment in the city, you wouldn't mind seeing

this across the room would you?

Here is another beauty! Elegant without

being stark.

Here is an up close picture of the door of the

refrigerator above.

Want glamour in your kitchen? Here you go!

Here is an unclose of the refrigerator above.

It is seriously a work of art.

I've shared a few of the many options available. The options are endless and only limited by your imagination. There are so many fabulous ways you can blend your refrigeration seamlessly into your decor. Which ones do you like? Thinking just plain stainless is boring now?

Are you familiar with Subzero and Wolf? Does your kitchen have these products? If so what do you like about your appliances. Thinking about purchasing Subzero or Wolf or simply want to know more? Click Here to find a showroom near you. Below is a history about the Subzero and how the company acquired Wolf in 2000 from their website:

In the Beginning

In 1943, Westye F. Bakke built the first freestanding freezer in the basement of his Madison, WI. home. A businessman with a keen ability to anticipate post-World War II refrigeration trends, he founded Sub-Zero Freezer Company just two years later in an old two-car garage. From its modest beginnings, Sub-Zero has become what it is today: the recognized leading manufacturer of premium built-in home refrigerators.

Since its founding, Sub-Zero has pioneered quality products that meet its customers needs. In the mid-1950s, for example, the company developed the built-in refrigerator – a unit that changed the future of kitchen design by fitting within surrounding counter and cabinet space. Over time, the company has refined its early concept and has brought to market a comprehensive line of built-in models, including the 200 Series of undercounter models, its award-winning 500 Series, the design-flexible 600 Series, the integrated 700 Series, and, most recently, the state-of-the-art 400 Series of wine storage.

Indicative of the company’s innovative engineering is its dual refrigeration system, which relies on two separate, self-contained cooling systems to keep fresh food fresher and preserve frozen food longer.

For 60 years, Sub-Zero has offered innovative, aesthetically appealing and technologically advanced solutions to meet virtually any home refrigeration need. Through foresight and responsiveness, the company has earned its position as an industry leader – a position Sub-Zero intends to maintain well into the new millennium.

An Ideal Marriage

When Sub-Zero Freezer Company acquired Wolf in March 2000, kitchen design insiders uttered a collective "Aha!" It just made sense, this marriage of ice and fire, cold and hot. Sub-Zero and Wolf are complementary expressions of a single idea: the steadfast refusal to compromise. They are the brands for people who will have nothing less than the kitchen they have always wanted — an uncompromised kitchen.

Heritage Meets Heritage

Sub-Zero is the enduring symbol of the possibilities of what a kitchen can be, Wolf the symbol of all that the kitchen can do. Founded in 1945 and now in its third generation of family ownership and management, Sub-Zero forever changed kitchen design with the exceptional quality, beauty and innovative technology of its equipment.

For more than 70 years, Wolf has been synonymous with professional cooking equipment for restaurants and hotels. Now, as part of Sub-Zero, the Wolf line has been adapted for the serious in-home cook. With their superior performance and leading-edge design, Wolf instruments fuel a passion for cooking.

Compromise? Never.

Every product bearing the Wolf name was designed from the ground up to give the user ultimate control and cooking confidence. Each new Wolf instrument is tested not merely to meet but to exceed industry standards, and each is backed by one of the best warranties in the business. In design, manufacturing and customer service, Wolf accepts no compromise, and neither should you.