The Silestone counter top peninsula features one of three sinks in the kitchen at the home of Eric Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre. They transformed their Monticello kitchen into a spacious area to cook and to socialize. less

The Silestone counter top peninsula features one of three sinks in the kitchen at the home of Eric Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre. They transformed their Monticello kitchen into a spacious area to cook and ... more

Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News

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A generations-old pan from Eric Lane's grandmother is still utilized in the kitchen that he and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, transformed into a spacious area to cook and to socialize. They wanted a practical yet eclectic setting that was also inviting. less

A generations-old pan from Eric Lane's grandmother is still utilized in the kitchen that he and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, transformed into a spacious area to cook and to socialize. They wanted a practical yet ... more

Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News

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Earth ware from New Mexico artisans line a shelf in the kitchen of Eric Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, who transformed the space to better cook and socialize. They wanted a practical yet eclectic setting that was also inviting. less

Earth ware from New Mexico artisans line a shelf in the kitchen of Eric Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, who transformed the space to better cook and socialize. They wanted a practical yet eclectic setting ... more

Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News

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A unique light fixture by artist Stacy Parten at the home of Eric Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, who transformed their Monticello kitchen into a spacious area to cook and to socialize. They wanted a practical yet eclectic setting that was also inviting. less

A unique light fixture by artist Stacy Parten at the home of Eric Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, who transformed their Monticello kitchen into a spacious area to cook and to socialize. They wanted a ... more

Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News

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Plates painted by Eric Lane as an adolescent growing up in Italy are seen hanging in the home of Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, who transformed their kitchen into a spacious area to cook and to socialize. They wanted a practical yet eclectic setting that was also inviting. less

Plates painted by Eric Lane as an adolescent growing up in Italy are seen hanging in the home of Lane and his wife, Kellen McIntyre, who transformed their kitchen into a spacious area to cook and to socialize. ... more

Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News

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Cooks & Cocinas: Kellen Kee McIntyre and Eric Lane

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Food and art enjoy equal billing in a space that's all about cooking and creativity.

Who's cooking: Kellen Kee McIntyre and Eric Lane, founders of Bihl Haus Arts, enjoy cooking and lingering over dinner for two or for the crowds they entertain.

What's cooking: The couple collaborate in the kitchen, and their cooking blends influences from her El Paso roots and his European heritage, especially his childhood in Italy.

Kellen devised a dish, Pesto a la Tejana, that stirs both cultures into one pot. She learned from Eric's mother how to make light-as-a-cloud pasta, and she likes to cook Thai food.

He grills and makes Milanese that uses turkey cutlet rather than veal. It's one of their go-to items for small dinner parties, which they host two or three times a month.

When guests number 40 or more for artist receptions, usually about six times a year, they often serve pasta because it multiplies well and they can work together to feed the group.

In this kitchen: Kellen and Eric remodeled the kitchen of their home in Monticello Park about three years ago. They took elements from the original 1945 kitchen, which they lived with for their first 15 years in the house, as inspiration for the more open space.

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The space: The space measures about 16 by 14 feet, not including the connected area that funnels into the kitchen and serves as a gallery for a rotating display of works by artists such as Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Rabkar Wangchuk, Franco Mondini-Ruiz and Eric's stepfather, Italian painter Michele Cascella.

On the surfaces: Colors that dance along the mosaic backsplash run through the prism. “It gets to my core,” said Kellen, explaining that she loves the color and the undulating rhythm of the river motif. Artist-friend Dale Jenssen designed the rainbow mosaic, which Kellen helped to install.

Jenssen's partner, Stacy Parten, who did the kitchen installation, created spaceship lamps that hang above the sink and peninsula.

Deep blue Silestone counters remind Kellen of the mid-evening sky. The color was inspired by the kitchen's original blue linoleum, which the couple removed to reveal wide pine subfloors.

Kellen stained the pine planks with a hint of red to echo the terra cotta tone in pottery collected by Eric's mother. The pieces, handmade in Madrid, N.M., are displayed on open shelves.

Glossy white cabinets contrast with the dark tones for a crisp, contemporary feel.

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Why it works: Set in the peninsula, the six-burner gas range faces guests. “I like theater, so the stove faces our audience,” Kellen said. Guests can gather along the peninsula without intruding into the workspace. They also can filter into the adjoining room, where Eric often tends bar during parties.

Kellen planned the space meticulously, using cardboard boxes to approximate appliances and get placement exact. They recessed the refrigerator a few inches into the wall so it wouldn't protrude beyond cabinets.