Kitchen Decor

by Kathy Flaxman

When Pamela Cowan's daughter Jennifer, a

professional chef based in London, England,

visited her mom's newkitchen, she had

high praise for the space. The kitchen cabinetry in an antique high-gloss finish and the 36-inch-wide fridge, capable of

storing endless quantities of food, got rave reviews. "She was completely impressed," Cowan recounts. "The kitchen

comes into its own when we entertain. It's beautiful and the appliances are magnificent. My husband and I especially like the built-in coffee maker."

Kitchen appliances - from stoves and burner tops to fridges, wine coolers, and exhaust hoods - are blasting into prominence

in what is undeniably the nerve centre of today's new home. Gerry Mason, general manager of New World Kitchens in Toronto,

says that it's only the beginning. "I foresee more and more computerization in the kitchen," he says. "I can see having a

screen that shows you step by step how to cook - acting like

mapping devices in cars."

Customers looking for kitchen appliances are astonished by the choices. "Once there was the simple stove," Mason says. "Now there are double ovens, wall ovens, microwaves, microwave/convection combinations, gas burners with

electric ovens, electric burners with gas

ovens. There's even an exhaust hood

combined with a microwave. An option

with one large oven and one small one that acts more like a grill appeals to people who had that combination in Europe and

found they seldom used the full-scale big oven."

With fridges that take up larger spaces, multiple ovens, and new kitchen appliances such as built-in coffee makers and wine coolers, is the job of designing a new kitchen becoming more difficult?

"Once the appliances are chosen, it's easy to take them into account," Mason says. "Kitchens are becoming larger in many

cases. Also, the storage options in kitchens are designed to make the maximum use of space. There are double-decker cutlery drawers, where a tray of utensils slides back to reveal a tray of knives and forks. Let's face it, items like built-in wine coolers and sound systems are becoming the norm."

Sleek, ultra-cool stainless steel may rule in new kitchen appliances, but

trends in kitchen cabinetry show that the majority of consumers want

a traditional or country look. Alongside their futuristic kitchen appliances, they favour the warmth of wood in pale creams or

rich red tones with accents such as crown mouldings and multiple stained effects that bring out the natural grains. "Wood

dominates the cabinet side of the kitchen. It's warm, inviting, and offers design touches such as antiquing. You can only do so much with stainless steel," Mason says.

The well-designed new kitchen is a miracle of beauty, space use, and imagination. "There is no wasted space," Mason points out. "Small cabinets have dividers for trays or interior drawers fitted out for spices. Pull-out recycling units house two bins-one for garbage, one for green garbage. The island option

offers storage, food preparation space, and a place for eating and socializing. If we find an inch, in today's kitchen

we use it."

The Kitchen: Past, Present, and Future

• If your grandmother had it, it's likely still popular in one form or another. Look for oversized sinks similar to the kind once used for laundry and pulls and handles that resemble those from an old window or icebox. A unit that holds baking goods
  with a marble counter for rolling pastry is a luxury item today. And the crafter's touch is everywhere, from bead board door treatments to wainscotting.
• Using an element of an antique kitchen as décor, such as the above baking unit, is a great idea. Keep in mind that the very same cabinet may well have been someone's entire kitchen in another era!
• The plasma TV is front and centre in kitchens, unabashedly present for cooks and cohorts to enjoy. With hundreds of channels, some devoted exclusively to food, it's hardly surprising.
• It was bound to happen: a kitchen appliance maker has introduced a computer specially designed for the kitchen, with an elevated screen and a well-designed waterproof keyboard.
• Joe Giorgio of Caplan's Appliances notes that homeowners who like

  to cook and entertain in the new kitchen lap up the latest in functional and

  fabulous appliances. "Stainless is here to stay in my opinion," he says. "It's been used in professional kitchens for decades."