Los Angeles design showroom MASS Beverly is owned by architect Lars Hypko and his wife Mary Ta, whom also owns the Minotti showroom one block away. They frequently work together on projects, like a $25M Hollywood Hills home recently purchased by Calvin Klein.
They do full home builds, but we’re interested in one thing here:
Their kitchens.
MASS makes breathtaking kitchens. And they outfit them with automated appliances that are straight off a Jetsons set.
It takes them about three months to turn a project around: one week to do architectural layout and design, then about eight weeks to manufacture the fixtures and appliances before they’re air-freighted over from Italy and put into working order.
And every single one of their builds is eligible for LEED Certification should you be aiming for those tax credits (and — more importantly — keen on reducing your ecological footprint).
Layout
There are two kitchens in many high-end homes: the main kitchen, for entertaining, and the butler’s kitchen, for prep-work and cooking.
The butler’s kitchen we saw was covered in heat-treated oak, a process that makes it impervious to stains and bacteria. It’s also stunning and soft to the touch.
The entertaining kitchen (seen here) is covered in stainless steel and NanoCeramic lacquer (more on that below). There’s a discreet table that slides in and out of view, and the cabinets have automated, retractable shelves and doors that can be activated by touch or an iPad app.
The main prepping console was designed by MASS with an assist from ernestomeda, a venerable Italian company known for combining elegance with environmentally safe materials and production.
Some of the surfaces are made of NanoCeramic: a microscopic material reverse-engineered from seashells that maintains a rich color while blocking bacteria and stains. MASS also uses pietra grey marble (an Italian stone) and brass, a top seller these days. Everything is built on clean lines that run flush so surfaces stay smooth and eye-catching.
The kitchen also features this “Brass Cube,” a hidden-stovetop storage component designed by Lars that opens by touching an iPad or pressing on its drawers. It’s also compatible with Crestron home automation. You can paint it to prevent patination, but MASS recommends allowing it to age naturally, which will give it a unique character and lend your space a little more personality.
Our favorite piece of tech in the kitchen: a Champagne machine by Enomatic that lets you taste all your vintages without finishing a bottle. It uses argon gas to block oxidation, allowing you to preserve an open bottle for as long as you want. Also works with white wine.
We also got a kick out of Freddy Blast by Irinox, an instant temperature regulator that uses heat transfer to efficiently cool or heat your food and drinks. Think of it as a combination microwave/freezer on steroids. Drops to 35 below in five minutes. Equally effective heating up. And it’s equipped with a meat thermometer that obviates bacteria.
But slow and low is the best way to cook. Irinox Zero, a vacuum sealer and sous-vide machine, does that with the aplomb of a commercial kitchen while looking sharp as a freshly ground No. 2 pencil.
Sensor-controlled faucets allow you to start and stop without touching anything. Keeps everything clean; helps you conserve resources. Plus: Gaggenau induction stovetops that detect what’s metal and only heat that area. Faster, cleaner and easier to use than their gas counterparts.
Last but not least: the TopBrewer, a self cleaning, self-grinding coffee maker and drink dispenser. Makes the perfect cup of coffee, espresso or cappuccino as well as sparkling water. And never once misspelled your correspondent’s name.
Accessories are how you can make a place your own. MASS has a variety of items that push the envelope, some of which you’ve seen throughout this tour:
- Peruvian butterflies placed in recessed glass frames
- Uniquely contoured stone vases and plates that help highlight your botanicals
- Flatware by Bottega Veneta
- KnIndustrie cookware with removable heat-treated walnut handles
- And a stuffed zebra by Deyrolle, a Parisan taxidermist that’s been in the business since 1831
Photos by Dustin Downing