Four tips from chef Nancy Silverton’s Umbrian kitchen.

Plus: How to Cook Like You Own an Italian Villa

Open shelving

Instead of closed under-counter cabinets, Nancy Silverton opted for open shelving in her Umbrian kitchen. Since many of her guests visit the house without her, the design makes it easy for them to find cooking equipment.

Hanging tools

Silverton’s kitchen designer created a Tuscan-style pot rack by screwing hooks into wooden boards and installing them on the wall in a grid. A separate organizer on a narrow wall holds the pot lids.

Cooking fireplace

Silverton had the fireplace raised to waist level to make it easier to cook over a Tuscan grill, a cast-iron grate on legs. (The Steven Raichlen Cast Iron Tuscan Grill is $40 at bedbathandbeyond.com.)

Backsplash

Silverton installed locally made tile around her stove to simplify cleaning up.

Published March 2009