proximity kitchensystem

This is the second major project we have taken on with Pete. Our goal was to turn a very large and poorly laid out master suite into something we loved. We gutted the entire space down to the studs. Pete was great at taking our feedback and ideas while bringing in concepts that felt anything but cookie-cutter. We love the way the entire space feels very open but never cluttered with clothes. There's an incredible amount of storage without ever making a traditional walk-in closet (something we wanted to avoid). We feel like the bathroom layout and the steam shower create a spa-like experience while still being pretty simple visually. The whole thing flows well with the rest of the house. Finally, Pete suggested we large windows to 2 sides of the house. While it wasn't a cheap add-on it has fundamentally changed the house for the better.

Some people plan their weddings from the time they were young, but not me, I was planning my dream kitchen. I spent years looking at kitchen design, materials and styles.When as an adult I finally had the luxury to build a kitchen from scratch I knew it would take a very special individual to help me build the kitchen of my dreams. I talked to a lot of different people before I found Pete Walker, kitchen designer extraordinaire. Pete and I collaborated on building a highly functional yet aesthetically beautiful kitchen. I had a lot of requirements in that we were building a kosher kitchen so we needed 2 sinks,2 dishwashers,2 ovens and a huge amount of storage because I have equipment for dairy cooking and equipment for meat cooking. The challenge was to create a kitchen that could store everything I need and be functional but not feel overly large and impersonal. Pete came through with flying colors. I cook in my kitchen every day and while it is large and has storage for everything I need, the design is so efficient that I am never running from one end of the kitchen to the other to find something. Everything is really so well organized and at hand. If you take good design seriously and want a kitchen that really works yet is pleasant to work in -I implore you to hire Pete. You will not be disappointed!

Pete has an eye for detail that is unmatched. The philosophy behind his design is game changing. If we were to ever guess what the future of efficient, ergonomic kitchen design looks like, let this guy show you the way.

Do you love to cook? I mean really love every facet of food from sourcing to the final dish but your kitchen just seems like it can’t keep up with you? Things are never where they should be? That cooking triangle feels a treadmill of misplaced appliances and sinks and prep areas? Food being carried across the room, no place to set your pans and a sink that was always occupied by someone or something? That’s where I was for years and when it finally came down to tearing it apart and starting over I set out to find someone who put cooking first and that’s what led me Pete Walker. Trust me, you will never have a kitchen better than this. You may get something bigger, it might have more things in it, but it will never be better. Pete not only understands how to design but his understanding of the process of making a meal is unprecedented. Pete figured out what my needs were, laid out my space, and revision after revision, inch by inch he honed in on a perfect cooking area. I cannot recommend him enough.

Are you looking for a typical kitchen design that has more emphasis on form than function? Would you be intimidated to have someone look at your floor plan and give you a fresh start look at the possibilities? Is cooking just a necessary evil, not a passion for you? Are you content to go blindly on with a kitchen design, without any regard to how you will bring food into it, store it, prepare it, cook it, deal with leftovers, and clean up afterwards? Then don't contact Proximity Kitchen Systems. Because if you do, you will have your eyes opened to what really makes a kitchen design satisfying and enjoyable to use. Hint - it is not the kitchen work triangle! If you dare to work with Pete, it will be time and money well spent.

Pete was an absolute delight to work with. His kitchen design went "above and beyond" and one end of our house has been totally transforned. Pete was able to envision the possibilities that our original (cramped and cut up) kitchen/pantry/laundry space held and he rearranged it to bring our home into the 21st century. He took our comments, suggestions, and budget to heart and worked very hard to incorporate all of them in his design. He even assisted us in finding a contractor to do the work. The project is just nearing completion so there are no photos yet, but we are thrilled with the results. We will post photos when they are available. We can't recommend Pete highly enough.

When we first stepped into the Dunblaine house, it was through the back door into the kitchen -- and then stayed put for 30 minutes. The realtor was yelling at us to come see the rest of the house, but we were already sold. The kitchen is an incredible work of art - both design and function. We marveled at the beautiful sinks, appliances, and storage system - a place for every single thing and more! A built-in steamer, induction and restaurant power gas burners, a steam oven - wow! When we moved in, having never heard of Proximity Kitchens or the Proximity System, I moved into the kitchen as if I had been trained in how to use a Proximity Kitchen. The kitchen flows so perfectly, everything goes naturally where it should go, and as you move through the food supply, storage, preparation and serving process, the Proximity System makes everything easier and smoother. The tools, pans and boards that move you from the prep sink to the oven or the steamer are simply marvelous, as well as beautifully crafted. This kitchen is an absolute delight for people like me who love to cook and entertain!

I found Pete and Proximity KitchenSystem online and was instantly impressed with his way of looking at kitchen design. It was what I was after - something that paid more homage to function than anything else I had seen. And no sign of the dreaded work triangle that I couldn't make sense of in my space. We hired Pete to design our kitchen after an initial consultation over the phone. I found his process to be extremely thorough - pages of questions about how we intended to use our kitchen that dug into every detail. Everything from what type of cooking/baking we did and what level entertaining the space would need to accommodate to what type of small appliances needed to be housed in our kitchen and how tall were its' users. I was curious how working remotely (we are in Canada and Pete in California) would impact his ability to come up with a design but he has a very detailed solution for that also. There is some homeowner work required for sure, but it is well worth the effort. We took pictures and very precisely measured our space in order to provide Pete with the information he needed to create drawings of our space. This was executed flawlessly. Pete will push you to be creative, consider function more than you ever have before and challenge your preconceived notions about kitchen design. You will feel challenged by the process but, in our experience, relieved that someone is actually asking you the right questions. For me, proof that the process works is in the result - our kitchen functions the way we want it to. No more wishing we had more counter space here or the fridge over there - it is all exactly where we want it and for our family it is a perfect fit. The process was thorough and enjoyable, the price was extremely competitive for design result we received and the end result is a kitchen we are thrilled to use every day. I would highly recommend Pete.

Pete Walker designed two kitchens for me. Both were remodeling jobs that morphed from kitchen design into greater design projects. Pete was a pleasure to work with. I have had experience with architect's who didn't have the facility of mind that Pete has, and who were as a result rather slow and rigid about making changes. With Pete, the design was a collaborative process. He would present ideas and we, the client and Pete, would riff on them from that point. Pete had so little ego attached to what he presented that he thoroughly enjoyed playing with ideas on the fly and trying out any wild idea he or we had. We would play with moving whole rooms around, re-imagining the purpose of the house organically, so that each entry point, use of space and flow area made sense for our life and family. Pete could take a CAD drawing, or a piece of napkin with scribbles on it and just run with it. No idea was off limits and he was never haughty about his ideas over ours. He was, however, a font of knowledge about why one idea might work better than another, and he didn't let the process get out of control. I think Pete knows the basic rules so well, and has questioned each aspect of those rules so thoroughly, that he can be creative and make it work. The results were usable, intereresting, gorgeous spaces. What I learned from Pete is that, although a design fee can seem high as you go along, a project that doesn't invest that money at the outside will ultimately be huge waste of money. Every foot of space feels a certain way to the human body, and it is amazing how adding even a foot or two radically changes the way the space feels. Given that one's kitchen is the nourishment point for the entire family, the feeling you get there is crucial to the entire house. Hire Pete Walker if you want a kitchen that is uniquely yours and the best experience getting there you can have. Jennifer Tobias

I hired Pete to work with me on the renovation of my kitchen. I initially found Pete as a resource for Semihandmade and I am absolutely grateful I found him. He has been a tremendous resource in sorting through all of the options available as well as providing blunt guidance (respectfully) when needed. Pete has gone above and beyond the effort I would have expected of a typical design professional...proving himself a "not typical" design professional. In the long run, working with Pete will save us precious time and money all the while delivering bold results my family will love for many years to come. He may very well design our whole house renovation plans. But I will deny having ever said that.

I worked with Pete Walker, the principle of proximity designsystem, on the 2011 renovation of my condominium in Chicago. Pete worked with me on everything from discussing building changes with the developer to furniture, carpet, and fabric and wall colors. The great thing about pds is that Pete knows and understands everything from kitchen planning and design to bathrooms, closets and virtually every other functional space. For example, Pete’s concept of integrating the dining room table into the kitchen island was particularly effective in creating unobtrusive additional seating in the main room (please see images of this design under “Condominium (Chicago, Poggenpohl Hybrid)”. His attention to detail is astounding and we left no stone unturned in the process. The built-in furniture and clean, uniform style work well for me. I recommend Pete and proximity designsystem without reservation.