So it’s little wonder that today, more time, money and attention is being poured into kitchen design than any other period in history. It’s a relatively new trend. Even as recently as thirty years ago, kitchens weren’t considered the domestic focal point, taking a back seat to formal dining rooms and sitting rooms as primary living and entertaining areas. Galley kitchens – boxy rooms separated from the rest of the house – were commonplace until the advent of open concept floor plans; a design style that first appeared in the late 80s and has dominated the housing market ever since.

“Kitchens have been an integral part of homes for centuries, but since the surrounding walls have come down, they’ve really become the hub,” says Carole Sagüez, Design Center Manager at Morrison Homes. “It’s a reflection of our modern lifestyle. People entertain now more at home than ever before – dinner parties, cooking clubs, wine tastings, you name it. People are living more in their kitchens, and it shows in the design. They’ve become a multi-purpose living space.”

Making your kitchen make a statement is easier than ever (or more complicated, depending on how you look at it) thanks to an endless array of choices in tile, cabinetry, countertops and appliances. If you’re in the process of building or renovating, you know just how vast the selections are. So where in the world does the weary homeowner begin?

“Think of your kitchen as an extension of your own style and personality,” advises Sagüez. You’re going to be in the space a lot, and live in the home for maybe quite some time, so you have to like what you choose. There really are no hard and fast rules. There are trends, definitely, but you don’t want to follow one just for the sake of being trendy. What you choose has to work for you in the long term. These days there’s enough selection that you can choose pretty much any style, pattern, colour you want and make it work.”

While keeping true to your personal style is important, there are a lot of hot kitchen products on the market that many savvy homeowners simply have to have. Here are a few of the most popular:

APPLIANCES
Commercial-style appliances top the list of must-have kitchen features. Heavy stainless steel cook tops, wall ovens, and refrigerators are more popular than ever, and virtually all manufacturers carry their own line. A standard appliance package will generally run between $5,000-$7,000, while high-end brand names such as Gaggenau, Wolf and Sub-Zero cost considerably more. If money is no object, it’s possible to spend $20,000 on appliances before you can say “hot potato”. A staggering sum to be sure, but if you fancy yourself a bit of a chef, it could be money well spent.

Combi ovens – which combine convection technology with steam – are the latest appliance rage. Used by professionals for years, the combi oven allows you to control humidity while you cook (anywhere between 100% and 30%) so roasts, breads and other baked foods come out moist and flavourful. Gaggenau makes a beautiful model. Roughly the same size as built-in microwave, the combi oven is ideally suited for installation above a standard wall oven.

Some top-of-the-line appliance manufacturers also offer what are known as modular cooking centres – individual steamers, burners, griddles and grills that can be grouped together in a variety of ways to create a custom cook top – a viable and stylish alternative to the common one-piece cooking surface. Countertop steamers are the hottest item of the bunch; they’re easy to clean and make healthy eating a lot more convenient. The steamer is embedded flush with the counter, often beside a small prep sink, creating a mini cooking station where you can wash and steam vegetables, poach fish or prepare rice.

Wall ovens too, are becoming more common, both for their style and practically: they have tremendous visual impact, and allow more than one cook to work comfortably in the kitchen. Keep in mind, a wall oven will come at the sacrifice of cupboard space, so having a large kitchen is usually a must.   

In addition to adequate space, proper placement of appliances within the kitchen is key to making the most of the room. “Good kitchen design employs a standard work triangle,” says Jens Birkkjaer of Denca Cabinets. “The fridge, cook top and sink should all be within 22 feet of each other to make the space really efficient and usable. In a larger kitchen, we typically set up a sort of sub-triangle for morning prep, with a small sink, side refrigerator or under-counter refrigerated drawers, so the triangle is reduced down when you’re not preparing a big meal.” If you do plan to incorporate a prep sink, be sure it’s of sufficient size. “A too-little sink is a big mistake,” says Birkkjaer. “Eleven inches diameter is the smallest you should go – enough to fit a strainer into.”

The ultimate extravagance in appliances is to have them fully integrated into the cabinetry. The effect is a fridge or dishwasher “in disguise”, stealthfully camouflaged as cupboard space. The result is a linear feel in the kitchen and the illusion of more square footage.
 
CABINETRY
Cabinets have evolved from simple storage spaces to the realm of furniture design. A wide selection of available wood types, stain treatments, intricately carved patterns, variations in depth and height, and the incorporation of details like pillars, glass and punched metal have made kitchen cabinets true works of art.

Colour-wise, the trend in cabinets has moved from light shades to deep browns and even black – a look that designers say isn’t going anywhere any time soon. “Cabinet styles follow furniture styles, which follow clothing styles…it’s all tied together,” says Patricia Cadman of Patricia Cadman Design. “We’re coming back into a traditional phase of furniture and dark tones follow traditional styles well.” While dark colours rule the day, a mix and match approach to cabinetry is good way to keep the look fresh. “Combining dark cabinets with a cream toned island, for example, breaks things up a bit and gives a real furniture feel,” says Cadman. “Five years ago, everything matched. Now it’s more common to mix things up – traditional with modern, dark and light. It’s more relaxed and I think it just makes people more comfortable. It’s a more livable look.”

When planning your cabinetry, it’s important to keep everyday use in mind. “Think about incorporating space for recycling bins, and tall, narrow cabinets for things like platters and cookie sheets,” Cadman suggests. “Anything that makes your kitchen more user friendly is a good thing. Pop-up cabinets for appliances like mix-masters and toasters are fabulous because they make using the items so convenient.”

A custom pantry is another great way to maximize usable storage space. “Moveable shelves in a pantry allow you to adjust space as the need arises,” says Jens Birkkjaer. Pantries designed by Denca are fully customizable, with exterior finishes that match the surrounding cabinetry.

BACKSPLASH
If cabinetry is the star of today’s kitchens, the backsplash gets a nod for best supporting actor. “You really can have a lot of fun here,” Cadman says. “There are lots of options, so it’s a great place to play a bit and express your yourself. A ‘wow’ backsplash is great way to punch up a kitchen.”

Tile is the most common choice for backsplash, but there are plenty of others. “Tiles are great because they come in every conceivable colour, shape and size. You can mix and match, play with pattern. There really is something to suit everyone,” Cadman says. “Stainless steal is huge right now in backsplashes, but natural materials work well too. Pebbles are a new thing, which can create either a calm cool feel or warm woodsy feel depending on the shade.”

For a really modern look, a glass backsplash is an ideal choice. “Sheet glass is easy to care for and compliments today’s modern designs,” says Carole Sagüez. “With glass, you move the electrical outlets from the wall to the underside of the cabinets, which creates a completely clean, lovely look.”

COUNTERTOPS
Once the domain of laminate, countertops have gone high class and high tech with the introduction of granite, concrete, Corian and engineered stone.

“Granite is still the most popular upgrade, but people are starting to explore other options just to have something different,” says Birkkjaer. “Corian used to be available only in white, but now it comes in a variety of colours and patterns. It’s warmer than granite and it’s definitely the most versatile of all the tops. If you can’t do it in Corian, you can’t do it in anything.” Integral sinks with stainless steel bottoms, built-in drain boards and built-in cove splashes are among the virtues of this old-but-new-again material.

Engineered stone countertops combine quartz and resin to create a smooth finish that is twice as hard as granite and completely non-porous. “Its one drawback is a set slab size,” says Birkkjaer. “You have to stay within the size or you end up with seams.” A wide selection of colour tones makes this man-made surface one the most popular new choices.

Another popular new option for countertops is concrete: a great choice if you’re going for a rustic or commercial look. Be careful about how the counter is sealed, however, to avoid trouble later on. “Concrete looks great, but it can be a bit of a headache,” warns Cadman. “If it’s not pre-treated properly before installation, it can stain, and the only way to get rid of it is to change the counter altogether.”

LIGHTING
The finishing touch in any kitchen is lighting, and once again, the choices are limitless. “Lighting is very important because it’s actual colour,” explains Sagüez. “Light causes emotion, and sets off every other feature in the room. Good lighting makes the difference between a nice looking kitchen and a fantastic looking kitchen.”

Placement of lights has just as much influence as the lights themselves. “Form should follow function, always,” says Cadman. “You need good light over your work surfaces, but softer light over eating surfaces, so dimmer switches are a must. I put in a lot of pot lights and pair them with complimentary pendants to add visual interest.”  Cadman also recommends going bold with lighting. “I don’t think lights have to match your house, per se. A gorgeous light fixture is its own entity; it can be a real showpiece. There’s so much selection now – funky crystals and beautiful blown glass in rich shades like purple and ruby red. Play with your lighting. Have fun.”

Pull-down light fixtures have recently made a resurgence in homes. Popular decades ago, these versatile lights can be pushed up or brought down manually to suit the height of whomever is using them – fantastic if you have tall people in your household, and perfect over an area like a raised breakfast bar.

If choosing kitchen features all seems a little overwhelming, take heart. Imagination and a willingness to experiment are the most important tools you need in designing the kitchen of your dreams. That, and maybe a stack of home design magazines. “Flipping through and pull out pages of things that appeal to you is great way to get started,” says Cadman. “It doesn’t even have to be kitchen stuff. If you pull out enough pages, pretty soon you’ll find the common denominator that defines your personal style.”