Multiple Functions Mark Today’s ‘Lifestyle’ Kitchens

ORLANDO, FL — The kitchen is becoming more of a multi-purpose room, with specifically integrated work zones for a variety of purposes that go beyond just cooking, such as entertaining, paying bills, doing homework, relaxing – and everything in between.

Today’s kitchen also sports cleaner lines, sink centers, generous work surfaces, multiple appliances and a multitude of storage options. Plus, the surfaces, materials, technology and style going into kitchens are making them easier to maintain than ever before.

That’s the belief of a trio of kitchen experts who presented the “Lifestyle Kitchens: Designs, Materials and Techniques That Guarantee Great Kitchens” seminar at the recent International Builders’ Show (IBS).

Mary Jo Camp, CKD, CBD, CID, Connie Edwards, CKD, CBD, and Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS, presented ideas to assist kitchen designers, builders and architects in creating kitchens that will help to sell new-build homes. Additionally, they outlined some significant trends these industry professionals should be watching and incorporating into their kitchen designs.

Successful, Saleable Kitchens

“The three of us know that kitchens sell homes, and we want to help builders [and other design professionals] differentiate themselves in the marketplace,” said Camp, a designer and v.p./marketing and business development for Rohnert Park, CA-based FBA Holdings (Standards of Excellence, Westar and Florida Builder Appliances).

To start, Edwards, the director of design for Timberlake Cabinet Co., an allied member of ASID and a chairholder of the Color Marketing Group (CMG), Peterson, owner of Mary Jo Peterson, Inc. in Brookfield, CT, and a columnist for Kitchen & Bath Design News, and Camp outlined what they believe are three essential requirements that combine to make a kitchen design successful:

• The kitchen must relate to the architecture of the home and the lifestyle of the inhabitants.
• The kitchen must possess a balance between counter, storage and appliances.
• Appropriate materials and products must be chosen for the kitchen to be functional and appealing.

Then the trio outlined some major trends in kitchens. Among the continuing trends is the use of multiple appliances: dishwashers, ovens, microwaves and refrigerators for each cook. Among the tips for placement and installation given were paying attention to ergonomics when placing appliances – making sure they’re neither too high nor too low; adding a luxury piece, such as a wine storage unit or espresso maker to a small kitchen as a premium touch; considering the balance of appliances with other needs such as storage, countertop space and walkways; and remembering that “bigger is not always better.”

The addition of pantries and prep kitchens in larger homes is a popular trend, meant to compensate for the lack of upper cabinetry in more open kitchen floorplans. This goes with the trend of maximizing storage options in smaller kitchens and adjacent areas.

“Walk-in pantries are one of the most highly requested features in a kitchen,” reported Camp, Edwards and Peterson.

“Expanded butlers’ pantries and prep kitchens help hide some of the food-prep clutter, too.”

Sinks are also becoming larger, and the three designers noted large single sinks – some of them apron-front – in stainless steel leading the way, with accessories that increase flexibility and function. They are also seeing the use of more single-bowl sinks in other materials, such as stone, enamel on cast iron, and copper, plus more hands-free faucets that conserve water.

According to the three designers, sinks have grown beyond one sink with a handspray. They are now more like sink centers, with multiple accessories, and clean-up stations built around them, with pull-out waste containers, recycling centers, dishwashers or drawers and dish storage. Elsewhere in the kitchen there is also a prep sink and/or a bar sink, plus a pot filler near the range.