In Julia's Kitchen: Practical and Convivial Kitchen Design Inspired by Julia Child

“Most architects I know don’t know anything about cooking, and their designs are not practical for cooks!” Julia Child wrote to architect Pamela Heyne. Indeed, our contemporary kitchens are showplaces with islands, hidden appliances, and cold stone surfaces. They resemble laboratories more than the heart of the home, and they are neither cook friendly nor family friendly. American culinary icon Julia Child embraced the significance of the family meal and was devoted to sharing delicious food with friends and family at the comfortable dining table in her kitchen, a place where conversation was as important as cuisine. Pamela Heyne and Julia’s long-time food photographer Jim Scherer collaborate to share Julia’s kitchen design and lifestyle concepts in this book, which examines the kitchens in her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home; at la Pitchoune, the Childs’ French vacation retreat; and in her television studio. The authors reveal which materials, layouts, and equipment Julia preferred and why, providing practical advice interspersed with Julia’s inimitable, wry humor. They bring Julia’s wisdom into the contemporary kitchen, exploring current trends, including modern green sensibilities, and varied styles of kitchens, featuring architectural designs by Heyne, Jacques Pepin’s kitchen, a renovation Julia Child consulted on for PBS’s This Old House, several celebrity home kitchens, and more.

PAMELA HEYNE is a Yale-educated architect and author of Mirror by Design and Today’s Architectural Mirror. In 1989, she met and interviewed Julia Child and, with photographer Jim Scherer, produced an article on Julia’s kitchen design for Washingtonian Magazine. In her architectural practice Pamela designs comfortable homes, estates and larger projects. Early clients include Oberlin College and Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn. She lives in Maryland. JIM SCHERER is one of the premier food photographers in the country today. He was the staff photographer for Julia Child’s Julia Child and Company and The Way to Cook, and photographed many of Julia’s recipes for Parade Magazine. He lives in Boston.