“We tried to make it look like Mrs. Baird could cook in here,” explains Nancy Dambro, M.D., medical director of Pediatric Pulmonology at Cook Children's, about her kitchen. “This house and the row of four were built out of TCU brick in 1932, and Hoyt Baird, son of Mrs. Baird, bought their house at that time. He and his wife raised seven children here and lived here until the end of their lives.”
The Dambros purchased the house in 1991, and redid the kitchen, which was two-thirds of the size it is now, along with the rest of the house at that time. Jean Smith was the designer, and Larry Sebastian, the contractor, for that construction. Even so, the kitchen isn't large, but the design makes maximum use of the space. Off-white cabinetry and white Corian countertops are the perfect contrast for the red brick wall and give it a classic, timeless look.
“We did it 24 years ago, and it is still absolutely up to date,” she says. “It's a comfortable space. We spend a lot of time in here—it's light and cheery and has everything you want.”
The sizeable island features a Gaggenau gas range top and indoor grill with downdraft hood. Nancy enjoys the fact that the kitchen has double ovens and two microwaves, and she is particularly fond of the warming drawer. She also has a side-by-side Sub-Zero refrigerator that they purchased for the original remodel but feels “just like new.”
Of course, during the warmer months, the family loves to use the indoor and outdoor kitchens by the pool house they added in 2008, designed by architect James Nader. Outside, they have a Wolf grill, but the interior pool house kitchen is what Nancy enjoys the most. It also has a Sub-Zero fridge, as well as a Wolf induction cooktop, Miele speed oven, and even a deep fat fryer.
“We are both from California,” she says. “Now we are definitely transplanted Texans, but this is our little piece of California in Texas.”
