Articles -> Kitchen/Bathroom -> Kitchen Trends

Today's kitchens reflect the growing tendency of families to use this room as a hub of daily activities. Family members parade in and out grabbing snacks, working on projects and settling down in the evening to discuss the events of the day. Instead of relegating the kitchen to a cramped, dark space for use by one person only, many now turn this room into the focal point of their home—a place for much more than just cooking and eating.

To encourage family togetherness, some home designers open the kitchen to an adjacent, casual living area that includes a breakfast nook and a family room. This convenient arrangement allows the family chef to visit with guests, or lets Mom and Dad answer homework questions as they whip up a quick dinner.

Today's families also spend more time preparing meals than they have in years. For some, meal preparation has even stepped up the ranks to a form of entertainment. Guests and family members now join in the task of chopping vegetables for a stir-fry, rolling out dough for holiday cookies or preparing jars for canned tomatoes.

To allow all those eager souls to participate, a kitchen needs ample work space. Many kitchens now feature an island workstation or an island cooktop that frees up counter space and allows extra hands to join in. Oversized pantries can hold even the largest collection of gourmet cooking oils and hard-to-come-by spices.

Some of today's kitchens also include special features to accommodate a variety of other activities. One common addition is a built-in desk, often called a chef's office or a planning center. These handy spots include room to jot down a grocery list, chat on the phone or plan the week's menus. Extra storage space holds assorted sundries like hefty phone books, that unruly collection of rubber bands and piles of wrinkled coupons.

The most effective way to adapt the kitchen to fit this role is through the efficient use of cabinets. Evaluate your needs now, before you build, to make sure you get the most out of this important space. Also, try to anticipate how those needs will evolve over the next few years.

Does your spouse's penchant for baking bread necessitate extra storage space for a bread machine, piles of mixing bowls and countless oversized bags of unbleached, all-purpose and whole wheat flour? What about that espresso machine you want for Christmas?

To make room for all these cumbersome pieces, manufacturers now provide an extraordinary array of cabinets in a multitude of sizes and shapes, even in their stock collections.

Creatively designed cabinets accommodate bulky pasta makers and food processors. Other units store recyclables out of sight, keep bread fresh in a metal-lined drawer or include special compartments for spices or cleaning supplies.

Before you start on your search for the perfect cabinets, make sure you know what you want. Research what's out there and become fluent with the lingo.

One of the first decisions you need to make is whether you want stock, semi-custom or custom cabinets.

Stock cabinets mean factory-made, mass-produced units that come in a standard selection of heights (usually 36 inches) and widths that increase in 3-inch increments. Spacers fill in any gaps that occur between units. Stock cabinets cost less than most custom and semi-custom units.

In the past, stock cabinets offered a limited selection and cost significantly less than custom units. Today, however, the selection is much larger, featuring many speciality units, like recycling cabinets, lazy Susans and appliance garages that conceal unsightly toaster ovens and electric can openers. With more options come higher costs. The price tags of some stock pieces can parallel those of custom units.

Some stock units can be brought home immediately, while others require a few weeks' wait for delivery.

With custom cabinets, which can be factory made or crafted by local cabinet makers, you call the shots. Because custom cabinets are built to order and to your exact specifications, they can solve problems caused by tricky corners, oddly shaped spaces or plumbing.

Aesthetically, custom cabinets allow you to find the exact look you want. How about a set to match that antique hutch or heirloom table from your grandmother's kitchen? Or a set that complements the beautiful view of the lake from the kitchen window?

Expect a wait of anywhere from eight to 20 weeks for custom cabinets to arrive. Usually, custom cabinets cost more than stock pieces, but the choices and versatility can be well worth the price.

To spice up a set of stock cabinets, but maintain a relatively low price, some people choose semi-custom units. These pieces add custom options to stock cabinets. Semi-custom units also feature a wider range of finishes, doors and details than stock collections.

In addition to choosing between stock, custom and semi-custom cabinets, you also need to decide on the cabinets' material.

By far, most Americans choose cabinets made, at least partially, of wood. Some common choices include oak, cherry, maple and pine, which, depending on the design features and setting, can present a traditional or a contemporary look.

Many wood cabinets consist of a wood veneer bonded to a plywood interior, which stands up to tests of heat and humidity, without warping as much as natural wood.

Another, less common, option is plastic laminate, which is found in many contemporary kitchens. Laminate cabinets offer an endless choice of colors, textures and finishes to give a unique, stylish flair to your kitchen.

Laminate cabinets also feature durable, easy-to-clean surfaces that withstand those inevitable spills and splatters.

Finally, you need to choose the look you want the cabinets to portray. The cabinets' doors largely define that style. For example, glass-paned doors give cabinets a nostalgic, turn-of-the-century feel, while heavy, glazed plastic panes lend a retro look reminiscent of a 50s diner. Flat-panel doors that are flush with the frame fit right in with a contemporary kitchen.

Usually the kitchen eats up the largest chunk of a building budget. If, like most families, you plan to spend the majority of your time here, the hefty investment is worth the expense. Have fun when you choose the pieces for your kitchen. You'll be looking at them for years to come.

Photos by Mark Englund/Homeplans, part of Move. The photographed homes may have been modified by the homeowners. Please refer to drawn elevationsand/or floor-plan artwork for actual blueprint details.