The kitchen is the heart of the house. Increasingly important and more frequented, kitchens have gone from hall to center stage. Years ago, kitchens were narrow rooms at the back of the house. Eventually, kitchens moved closer to family activities and took rooms adjacent to dining rooms. Today, they occupy center stage and sometimes welcome you when you walk in, as they are next to the entrance of a house. Here are some of the current features your kitchen must have!
Kitchens are adapting more of a male character. Kitchens were once strictly the territory of women, but that’s no longer the case. Perhaps to the flourishing of celebrity chefs and aspiring amateur chefs, kitchen designs are making a nod just for men as well. Designs range from the commercial all-steel aesthetics to warm dark wood panelling that is traditionally seen in libraries and dens. Most woods being used are without the gloss and varnishes of yesteryear, with more natural textures and black as main color and counterpoint to the all-white kitchen. How about slate and cork in your new kitchen?
For years now we have seen the stainless steel trend in appliances. Now other metals and metallic finishes are coming to the forefront of kitchen design. Cabinet doors and backsplash walls are smitten by brass, copper and steel. The integration of these decorative metals is being seen everywhere, from appliances and decorative tiles and door hardware such as hinges, knobs and pulls.
Kitchen design often follows the wake of any furniture trend. Remember a couple of decades back when everyone wanted a “tuscan” kitchen to match the tuscan decor in their tuscan house? Today’s designs are no different, taking cues from the revisiting of mid-century modern design and also the minimalist wave promulgated by technology. The result is an ultra-clean look that complements the interiors inspired by the minimalist designs of retail and technology shops. Cabinetry and appliances are often so integrated that it is hard to discern that you are actually in a kitchen.
Everyone’s favorite must-have: the Island Bar. Emulating the coveted chef’s table or bar, wood planks or stone, literally mounted on island or peninsula make for a WOW statement in a working kitchen. Accompanied by stools or chairs without backs, these islands make for a great work surface, buffet spread and are excellent for entertaining while cooking.
Since the kitchens have been converted into living room-like socialization areas, they adopt all the elements of a living room. Antique chandeliers and eye-catching contemporary lighting fixtures have replaced white fluorescent fixtures and dropped ceilings, and sculptural ventilation hoods are gaining ground in open kitchens. Another trend is to have ventilation hoods that are integrated to the cabinetry, making them almost invisible to the naked eye.
Step aside farm sink and undermount sinks. Sinks are being replaced by those that merge with the countertop — both steel and high-tech resins allow one-piece models without joints. Some surfaces are even engineered with anti-microbial agents, once strictly used for medical and hospitality use, now increasingly available for residential application. What a milestone for hygiene and post-cooking cleanup!
Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. His website is www.josephpubillones.com. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
