Not Grandma?s Kitchen Anymore

With kitchen furnishings that are more like fine furniture and appliances that lean toward the needs of a full chef, grandma might be lost in today’s upscale kitchen.

She also might wonder how she ever did without the storage options and cooking conveniences of today’s upscale kitchen. Among the appliance trends are professional chef-style stoves, multiple refrigeration units and dishwashers that are divided into two deep drawers rather than the traditional style with a front drop-open door.

A 2003 study by the National Kitchen & Bath Association, a New Jersey-based industry group, found that wood-finished kitchen cabinets were the most popular choice when it comes to kitchen cabinetry, with more than 80 percent of all residential cabinets purchased in 2002 featuring wood finishes.

“Anybody can put a box in a kitchen, but what this is is fine furniture,” said Tracy Lund, a kitchen planning consultant for Kitchen Distributors of Fayetteville.

There are a lot more options for wood finishes in kitchen cabinets than ever before, said Brenda Wallner, a kitchen planning assistant for Kitchen Distributors.

“We’re seeing a lot of distressed wood and a lot of glazes,” Wallner said.

Glazes highlight the wood’s feature. There’s also a trend to use knotty wood in cabinet doors.

Lund said the preference for inside the cabinets is to use veneer shelves, which are more durable and less susceptible to moisture problems inside the cabinets. For glass-front cabinets, Kitchen Distributors recommends wood shelving because it’s visible.

Another big trend in appliances is to cover the refrigerator fronts with wood, which can add $300 to $1,000 to the cost of the appliance, Lund said.

“Chalkboards are also big,” she said.

New finishes, detailed trim and custom designs make today’s new cabinets more expensive, starting at around $15,000 for the cabinetry alone in an average size kitchen, Lund said.

“People really like the molding details,” she noted. “It really adds to the cabinets.”

The cabinetry sold by Kitchen Distributors is all custom ordered and built after the purchase to fit the specific kitchen design. Lund explained that cabinets are even made at different heights. The old standard 36-inch cabinet can be raised or lowered by changing the height of the toe kick or the cabinetry itself, Lund said. Different heights are included in the same kitchen design to cater to different cooking stations, she added.

Countertops are also as varied and cater to the needs and wants of the individual homeowners. Lund said Kitchen Distributors uses Tune Tile & Granite of Lowell for its stone and granite countertops, which are very popular.

According to a survey conducted by the National Kitchen & Bath Association that polled about 41,000 consumers across the nation, laminate was used in only 53 percent of homes in 2002, compared to 72 percent of homes in 1997.

Consumers are getting even more sophisticated when it comes to kitchen appliances. The rule of thumb in kitchen design is to spend four times the cost of cabinetry on kitchen appliances, Lund said.

Appliances are so tailored to the buyer’s needs and so expensive, she said homeowners are more likely to take their appliances when they move.

Kim Gardner, owner of Jacobsen Appliances Inc. of Rogers, said home kitchen ranges are definitely more sophisticated than ever with many homeowners opting for commercial ranges in homes of various price levels. Stoves are bigger, stainless steel and come in custom colors. Gardner said she recently sold a range in a mint julep color.

Ranges come with more than the standard four burners and often come with a griddle and/or a grill.

“More people want the griddle than the grill,” Gardner said. “Some people are a little afraid of the grill, but it works.”

She pointed out the grill on a 60-inch Viking stove that includes a feature to capture any grease rather than let it drip on the gas burners.

Dual fuel ranges are very big right now, Gardner said, explaining the ranges have a gas top and an electric oven.

“A true chef uses a gas oven,” she said. “But for cooks like me, electrical is easier.”

A 60-inch dual-fuel range on display at the recent Home Show and Expo in Fayetteville would sell for about $9,200 with the range hood valued at about $2,500, Gardner said.

Doug Harvey of Metro Builders Supply in Springdale said homeowners like the nicer appliances in their custom kitchen because when they entertain they’re always in the kitchen. At least half of his customers want the commercial grade stainless steel appliances, Harvey said.

“They want high performance and something that looks good,” said Marion P. Crider, who works in builder sales at Metro Builders Supply.

Metro Builders Supply sells plenty of the dual-fuel ranges with the electric oven also including convection features. A range that Metro Builders had on display at the Home Show and Expo sold for about $6,000, with another $1,300 for a vent hood that included warming lights for a $3,000 stainless steel back above the range with a raised shelf, Harvey said.

Subzero refrigerators are also popular, Harvey said. Many are built flush with the cabinetry, which means they’re wider but not as deep as a traditional refrigerator. Wine storage cabinets are also popular, costing between $1,800 and $6,000 “depending on how many bottles of wine you want to store,” Harvey said.

Under-counter refrigerators and dishwashers that are built in a drawer-style are big in today’s custom kitchen too, Crider said. The dishwasher drawers allow a lot of variation. He explained that they can be installed stacked atop each other or placed on each side of the sink. The two-drawer dishwasher at Metro Builders Supply is about $1,400.

Denise Clark of J&B Supply Inc. of Springdale said kitchen sink designs, including faucet options, are as varied as the homeowners. Clark pointed out traditional faucet designs and a not-so-traditional tulip-shaped faucet.

A new sink design that Clark was excited to show off is a long shallow sink shaped like a meandering stream and deeper on the opposite end from the faucet to allow easy drainage. It’s called “The Mystic” by Elkay and is one of a number of newer sink designs. The under-counter “entertainment sink” is 18-gauge stainless steel and great for bar areas or as a second sink in the kitchen, Clark said.

In J&B Supply’s display of the sink they had it filled with ice and drinks and fruit.

“It’s also great for craft rooms,” Clark said.

Those kinds of personal preferences is what today’s custom kitchen design is all about, said Lund of Kitchen Distributors. She noted that professional kitchen designers don’t attempt to design a custom kitchen without a lot of input from the homeowner. Kitchen Distributors designers, she said, really spend a lot of time with the homeowners and getting to know their preferences.