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Made for Entertaining
Model and TV host Marc Nelson finally gets his dream kitchen.
When Marc Nelson decided to purchase a home, he made it a point to get the kitchen he always wanted. "I was living in a condo for so long with a tiny kitchen. It was just a service kitchen really. I couldn't cook. The ceilings were so low," he complained. "I love having my friends over and cooking for them, so when I was building this house I made sure I got what I always wanted."
What he got was a spacious kitchen that he custom-designed together with interior designer Aissa Gonzalez and the help of VConsunji Inc.—stainless steel countertops, recessed cabinets with dark wood tones and modern streamlined hardware. "I was always attracted to kitchens with an industrial feel to them. This is where the work gets done. This is where real cooking happens! Maybe it's because I used to work in bars and restaurants in college so I'm used to this kind of environment. It just feels so solid and it's easy to clean."
Though Marc is rarely home, his many hosting gigs and work for Sports Unlimited take him to far-off corners of the Philippines and of the world, he makes it a point to invite his friends over whenever he's in town. "I wish I could be cooking more. Whenever I have friends over, like the other night we just had Taco Night, I like chatting with them while cooking. This is where the action is."
Photography by Jomar Retuya
Lots of space. After years of condo living, this roomy kitchen was a welcome change for Marc.
The recessed pantry doors open up the space and create a wide passage way. The dark wood doors and modern streamlined hardware make for a refined contemporary look. "My friends love to hang out with me while I'm cooking. So you definitely want the space."
Cookbooks occupy a corner of Marc's kitchen. "I inherited many of my Mom's cookbooks. There's still an entire box of them in the den that I haven't opened. Just last Christmas, she gave me a copy of Jamie's Kitchen."
Marc is a fan of Ariston. "This burner is my favorite piece of equipment. I could be roasting something in the oven while making a Cauliflower and Cheese on the stove top."
Marc grew up in Australia and just loves to grill. "It's so simple. Season a good cut of meat with salt and pepper and cook it over here. It makes for a great party."
Originally, Marc wanted two range hoods over his stove. "It's for when I'm grilling. But two would make it feel crowded in here. This one does the job anyway."
Marc likes roasting leg of lamb in his electric oven. "It's hard to find a good leg of lamb around here. I usually ask family from Australia to bring some over when they come and visit."
This De'Longhi Nespresso Coffee maker was a gift from Mom. "It makes the most amazing coffee!"
Marc likes heavy non-stick pans with oven-proof handles so he can pop them in the oven anytime when he needs to and not worry about them.
Marc wants a proper steel chef's knife. "I have a regular knife and a ceramic knife. The ceramic one is extremely sharp but a little brittle so I only use it for vegetable, fruit and cooked meat."
This piece hangs in the dining area and comes from Brazil. The others he inherited from his Mom who down-sized her place recently.
This is an antique Burmese gold scale that sits prominently on the countertop. The kitchen has other Burmese accents like knives, bookends, and spoons. This is his homage to his cultural roots, his mom being Burmese.
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