I recently dropped in on our Brooklyn Heights friend David Stark (NYC’s event planner extraordinaire) to check out his kitchen and sleuth out some design tips from the entertaining pro. David is known for his expertly choreographed parties and galas; he makes it look effortless, but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes.
David and his husband, Migguel Anggelo, worked with Ben Bischoff of Red Hook–based architectural design firm MADE and Jane Schulak, a designer and the founder of design advocacy group Culture Lab Detroit. “Together we came up with a lot of strategies for the apartment, including the idea that every room should have a minimum of one old thing. So in the kitchen that means lots of vintage dishware and pots and baskets. We also decided to tile the whole apartment in easy-to-care-for cement tiles in the 3-D pattern from Cuban Tropical Tile in Miami, a much less expensive alternative to Ann Sacks.”
Join us for a tour and for 11 takeaways from David and Migguel’s kitchen.
Photography by Heidi’s Bridge for Remodelista.
1. Use freestanding components and treat your kitchen as living space.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 1](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-1-733x489.jpg)
2. Make your washing-up area as efficient as possible.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 7](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-7-733x489.jpg)
3. Collect kitchen accoutrements on your travels.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 3](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-3-733x1098.jpg)
4. Pay attention to the mundane details.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 6](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-6-733x1099.jpg)
5. Protect your investments.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 13](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-13-733x1099.jpg)
6. Use unexpected materials.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-733x489.jpg)
7. Invest in statement flatware
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 4](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-4-733x489.jpg)
8. Store your candles in the freezer.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 5](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-5-733x1100.jpg)
9. Label the serving platters the night before.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 10](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-10-733x489.jpg)
10. Mix and match.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 9](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-9-733x489.jpg)
11. Don’t be too serious.
![david stark kitchen in brooklyn 12](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/david-stark-kitchen-in-brooklyn-12-733x1100.jpg)
For more kitchen ideas, see:
- The Unfitted Kitchen: 14 Deconstructed Spaces
- Chef David Tanis’s Low-Tech, Economical, and Beautifully Soulful Kitchen in the East Village
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