A new kitchen spurs the creativity of Winged Pig proprietor.
By: Diane Landis Hackett
When Princeton resident Alissa Bronsteen received the call from the producers of House and Garden Television recently asking to film her newly renovated kitchen for their show "Kitchen Trends," she was thrilled.
When they asked her to cook during the show so they could film her in action, she had to pause for a moment. "I haven’t cooked in two years. Cooking came to a cold stop when the store opened," says Ms. Bronsteen, who owns The Winged Pig, a gift shop in the Princeton Shopping Center. As life goes, her kitchen renovation was completed at just about the same time the store opened.
She acquiesced and was ready to make a steak, baked potatoes and a Caesar salad the day the film crew arrived, but she admitted feeling quite rusty in her shiny new kitchen.
"We are in the kitchen a lot but I’m not cooking. I have a full freezer in the pantry and Layla the woman behind the woman cooks for us," she says, admitting that her life is very hectic these days as she tries to balance a fledgling store and a family of three teenaged boys.
Once the filming began, Ms. Bronsteen started talking about the renovation, which turned her small Pullman kitchen into a food pantry and her only family room into a soaring-ceilinged kitchen. With her gift for words and deep connection to the design process, she shifted the focus of the show from cooking in her kitchen to a discussion about kitchen design.
Ms. Bronsteen says in the end she didn’t have to do much cooking for the show. She did make sure her sons and the dog were in the picture, however. The show is slated to air in early fall.
It is Ms. Bronsteen’s pursuit of beauty and texture right now that seems to have driven her kitchen design process.
"I love looking at beautiful things that people have produced. Humans appreciate things that are beautiful because they speak to our artistic soul and we get fed by their beauty," says Ms. Bronsteen.
This aesthetic was carried over into her kitchen, where she mixed surfaces and textures. Next to the smooth, cool, stainless steel countertops and appliances are warm textured brown and tan wall tiles. Shaker-style cabinets add simplicity to the more modern appliances, and there are bridges that span existing windows that reach almost to the floor, lending a floating quality to the cabinetry.
HGTV scouts found the Bronsteen kitchen by surfing the Web sites of kitchen designers. In this case, Princeton resident Tad Troilo, owner of Cranmer Kitchen’s By Design in Yardley, Pa., received a call one day from an HGTV scout saying she liked the kitchens on his site and could they meet?
After reviewing a number of client portfolios, the producer chose the Bronsteen kitchen for its use of stainless steel and the creative use of cabinetry and windows. An additional reason the HGTV scouts were drawn to the kitchen was that Ms. Bronsteen designed much of it herself.
"It is not typical for the owner to envision the space. Most homeowners pick out the appliances and the dining room table and leave the rest to the designer," says Patti Karnes, associate producer for Nancy Glass Productions, the company which produces shows for HGTV, The Discovery Channel and Women’s Entertainment Network.
This is not the first time Ms. Bronsteen has had her house in the news. When she was young, the kitchen that her mother designed for their home in Denville (Morris County) was featured on the cover of House Beautiful Magazine.
"She did her own stuff and did it quite well," says Ms. Bronsteen of her mother’s creative flair.
Ms. Bronsteen, who unlike her mother is not an interior designer by trade, worked late nights to find a way to create a kitchen that was functional and unique. Then one night she figured it out.
"I guess all the stars were lined up properly and I came up with the perfect plan," Ms. Bronsteen said.
With no fear of digging in, she produced scale drawings, which she says she views as fun puzzles, for the designers to follow.
"Alissa was an absolute ideal client. She was completely involved and brought great ideas to the table, " says Mr. Troilo, who added that they worked for possibly six or eight weeks to streamline Ms. Bronsteen’s vision and designs.
Ms. Bronstein believes that her desire to put a personal stamp on her creative endeavors stems from her need to distinguish herself from the pack and be unique.
"My one sister is 11 months older and my other sister is 18 months younger. My mother used to sew our clothes and we were often dressed alike. Being the middle girl, and a part of this package, made me want to do things in a unique way. This is important in how I perceive my world today. I can’t just go the regular route. There is something about what I do that needs to be different."
In her mid-40s, after being a stay-at-home mother and an ice dancer, she realized she missed a certain creativity that her domestic existence didn’t offer. This is when she launched her remodeling project and came up with the plan to open a store that sold "beautiful things." While her life is exceptionally busy and full now, Ms. Bronsteen says she still savors the simple beauty that life offers.
"I just can’t help it. When the light is so intensely white and gray in the skies I have to stop and look. Things like that just turn me on," she said.
The Winged Pig is located at the Princeton Shopping Center, 301 N. Harrison St., and can be reached by calling (609) 924-1212. On the Web: www.thewingedpigonline.com