What a Cooker SHOULD look like…
We’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to the design and construction of classic French ranges. Up through the 20’s, French ranges were the rage in upscale American kitchens… the more heavy and ornate, the better. This picture of a early 1890’s Wehrl Company gas range is one of the most beautifully ornamented cookers we’ve ever seen.
Since Purcell-Murray began importing La Cornue ranges 20 years ago, a small but growing number of Americans passionate about cooking have redicovered the aesthetic and culinary joy of classic French ranges. At CLP Design, we’ve gotten into the market with our partnership with Delaubrac, who are known for the top quality construction and performance of their ranges, but a much simpler, less ornamental design than these Victorian masterpieces.
The next step for us is to push the design envelope, so to speak. We, in collaboration with Delaubrac’s engineers and a team of designers here, are in the process of redesigning Delaubrac from the inside out. We’ve started with add-ons - see the sketches below for two projects we’re working on that involve expanding the range with metal cabinetry and shelving into an entire island.
Projects like these are fairly easy for us to achieve. What we want to do, though, is design a range that incorporates quality construction, precision cooking function, and convenience with a whole new interpretaion of ornament. For example, there isn’t a top-tier professional-quality French range on the market today that can fit a large turkey in the oven. We’re looking at a redesign of Delaubrac’s ranges that pushes the oven height to as much as 16″ without compromising precision and performance. We’re also looking to allow custom ornamentation of our ranges, with inspiration from the Victorian originals and our experience with architectural metalwork. Look for exciting things soon!
For more information about Delaubrac, visit DelaubracRanges.com.
More inspiration photos:
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