July 2012 - Los Angeles Times

L.A.at Home –Design, Architecture, Gardens,Southern California Living

Slide N Hide: Sliding kitchen counter with hidden cook top

July 17, 2012 - Bradco Kitchens & Baths created its Slide N Hide kitchen counter system for L.A. client Michael Saleh. The Silestone quartz counter slides over to reveal the induction cook top and a pop-up downdraft vent. (Bradco Kitchens & Baths)

Los Angeles-based Bradco Kitchens & Baths is literally rolling out its latest design: an expandable kitchen island with a hidden cook top. It's called the Slide N Hide, and it was designed as a space-efficient solution for clients who want to keep their island compact but still have the flexibility for additional counter space.

In the L.A. installation pictured here, a Miele induction cook top and pop-up downdraft vent are hidden under the Silestone quartz counter. When owner Michael Saleh wants to make dinner, he simply slides the counter, exposing the cook top and creating a 4-foot bar than hangs over the edge of the island.

To support the weight of people leaning on the counter when it’s cantilevered out, Bradco Kitchens & Baths ownerMichaelKienzl said, the Silestone slab is equipped with the same weight-bearing gliding mechanism that’s used to construct hospital MRI tables.

Including the formaldehyde-free cabinetry made with sustainable walnut veneer PureBond doors, a Slide N Hide kitchen like the one pictured here runs about $25,000, Kienzl said. Saleh’s counter slides manually, but Bradco recently developed a motorized version too.

— Craig Nakano