CHEO's Dream Kitchen [General]

2008 Oct 6
So I went and checked out the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime 2008 House this weekend, and the kitchen / food prep & storage facilities were amazing! Besides the incredible GIGANTIC kitchen in the centre of the house there was also a walk-in pantry, an Outdoor Kitchen and in the basement / entertainment area a bar & food service area. The cooking facilities were great, but of course as a wine affectionado I was bowled over by the full-wall wine rack and wine fridges, "The Man" loved the beer-fridges that could house kegs and had multiple taps.

Has anyone else been yet, or are planning to visit, buy tickets?
And if money was no object what would you have in your dream kitchen?

Here is the related quotes from the Ottawa Sun article (Saturday, October 4, 2008):

The outdoor kitchen, which was created by Capital Appliance & BBQ, sits appealingly on the back deck off of the four-season sunroom and next to the outdoor hot tub. This is no Hibachi barbecue slapped down on a picnic table either! We’re talking a granite countertop with stone surround and a built-in gas barbecue, built-in sink and a built-in beer fridge. And if that’s not enough, there’s a built-in garbage can stationed behind a stainless steel door.

The main kitchen is a dream in dark espresso stain and dramatic reds. The kitchen is open to the two-storey high family room and the sunroom. The backsplash and the countertop on the island have been done in powerful colours. The backsplash makes use of three types of glass tiles — red subway tiles, 1”x2”multi-coloured subway tiles, and tiny mosaic tiles in chocolate. Donna Correy, of Donna Correy Designs, who decorated the house, says this is the first time glass tiles have been used in a CHEO lottery home. The cayenne-coloured quartz countertop on the large island draws the eye into the center of the room.

The kitchen comes with a built-in espresso machine but the twist to this year’s version is there is a stainless steel warming drawer below it to warm up your espresso cups or for preheating plates before serving.

A two-sided, salt-water aquarium graces the wall of the breakfast area. The other side of the fish tank can be viewed from the home office.

The basement kitchen is aimed more at recreation and entertaining with the male in mind. Done in a hockey theme, this kitchen is equipped with a microwave, dishwasher, sink, wine cooler, and a draft beer dispenser and cooler with tap. A 28-inch flat screen TV is built into the mix too. Red and espresso colours dominate here too.

The complete article can be found at:
www.ottawasun.com

The home is provided by Minto, and there are a series of photos and a virtual tour on their website at:
www.mintohomes.com

As always tickets can be purchased at the Dream House, 9 Tradewinds Drive, in Barrhaven off of Prince of Wales, or by phone (613)722-5437 or from CHEO's Website at www.dreamofalifetime.ca

2008 Oct 7
Wow that kitchen is bigger than my entire apartment! Of course my dream house would be one big kitchen with sleeping quarters off to the side somewhere. (Heck I will be too busy cooking/entertaining to sleep!) I would love to have an island in the middle of the kitchen dividing it into a “prep area” with lots of cupboard space and counters along one side of the kitchen and a really big wooden table in the other half with comfy chairs for my guests to sit at all evening so they can eat, drink, and be merry! Then of course I would have to find somewhere to install a bar with two fridges of course – one for wine and the other for beer – and bar stools for my guests to sit at. I would love to be barkeep for a night so the right bar just might be part of my dream kitchen!

2008 Oct 9
Pasta Lover - You gotta go see this house! Nothing has been spared... I thought the main kitchen was to die for (and it certainly is) as you say lots of cabinets, counters and a great island. There is a round table in the Breakfast Area, and for more casual dining the island has seating, and the run of counter that seperates the Kitchen from the Family Room (with the wine fridge underneath) is a perfect set up for a buffet, but it also has an overhang on the FR side, so you could put more bar stools there.

This house is a foodie / entertaining persons dream. The outdoor kitchen has everything one would want for, and the basement bar area could easily double as a second prep / service area if one was having a kick-@ss party.

The nice thing about the CHEO Dream Houses vs the other Charity Lotteries that give away houses, is living the dream is possible. The Dream Home comes fully equipped, and includes $ 10,000 in groceries from Farm Boy, Housecleaning for a year, $ 5,000 from RONA, Moving & Legal fees are covered, a new car (2009 Saab) and $ 100,000 in cash. So anyone who could afford the $ 100 ticket, could afford to at least to live there. The cash could offset the taxes and utilities and other expenses for awhile, and then if you listed the house for sale you'd probably walk away with somewheres in the neighbourhood of a Million Dollars profit. Sweet!