When she began working on the Malibu house, Sassaman knew she wanted a working kitchen where two people could cook at one time, as well as a functional outdoor kitchen for entertaining.

She also knew she needed to eliminate most of the existing arches. By eliminating nearly every arch in the house and installing a series of NanaWall bifold doors, Sassaman opened up the house, blurring the lines between indoors and out. Now the Malibu house features a stunning series of interconnected spaces for cooking, dining and entertaining.

Both the indoor kitchen and outdoor kitchen feature a wide array of Viking products. “As a developer, I learned that Viking products are fabulous, both in terms of design and function,” says Sassaman.

Sassaman says when she designs her kitchens, aesthetics are very important. She wanted to make certain all of her appliances matched. “I have a thing about matching appliances, especially the handles,” she says. "With the Viking line offering so many different kinds of appliances and options, it was perfect for what I wanted to accomplish.”

Sassaman recently joined forces with Shannon Colburn to launch a new home accessories and furniture store in the heart of Los Angeles: Colburn Sassaman, Inc. The store features her new, environmentally conscientious furniture line. “It’s important to be planet-conscientious these days,” she insists. “That’s another good thing about Viking — they’re on top of this. They are already making some ecofriendly products, and I understand there are other green ones in the works.”

For more information about Nicole, visit www.nicolesassaman.com - or download a PDF of her story here.

See more of Nicole’s photos.

Nicole is also our 2005 3rd Quarter Featured Designer. View her previous bio.