Remodel Trends

Tese days, we’re entertaining at home more than ever and the kitchen has become the central gathering spot for family and friends. That explains the resurgence of the so-called “scullery kitchen.” It’s  a space for cleaning, storing dishes and utensils and handling messy kitchen prep work.

“It can be a separate room or just an area of the kitchen that can be closed off during parties,”says Jacksonville kitchen designer Neena Corbin. “It’s kind of a service area to the dining room, but it’s tucked away. It could be compared to the old butler’s pantry.”

A scullery is great for homeowners who like to entertain because they can stack dirty dishes out of sight and then clean up after guests leave, says designer Kristi Wyndham of Kristi Wyndham Designs in Jacksonville.

“The prep kitchen  allows the main kitchen to remain more presentable for social gatherings,” says Wyndham. “It keeps those  aluminum-foil platters, mismatched bowls and leftovers out of sight and keeps countertops free for dessert and after-dinner socializing.”

A well-positioned scullery kitchen also can serve as a transition area between the main kitchen and an outdoor grilling area, Wyndham says.

“This works well in Northeast Florida, where the idea of a summer kitchen sounds wonderful, but no one stores utensils or serving pieces in the outdoor kitchen,” adds Wyndham.

Appliances in the scullery kitchen should be functional, say local experts, but they don’t necessarily need to be high-end designer built-ins because guests won‘t see them.

Scullery kitchens are only one of the latest attention-grabbing kitchen trends. What else is hot in kitchen design in Jacksonville? Here’s what local industry professionals had to say:

Heidi Campbell
FERGUSON ENTERPRISES
The trend in kitchen sinks is the single-bowl sink, which is the most practical because it allows users to wash big pots and pans and cookie sheets. Also, we‘re seeing sinks with a smart divide – where the bridge in the middle is not very high. The most popular style of faucet is something with a high neck and one lever.

Ted Thomson
THOMSON SELECT CABINETS
The trend is LED task lighting. It’s very efficient, low voltage and small. There are some very good alternatives to under-counter lighting. It costs more but lasts a lot longer than other lighting.

Kristi Wyndham
KRISTI WYNDHAM DESIGNS
A trend? Multipurpose appliances. For instance, the G.E. Profile Advantium oven is a microwave, convection oven and warming oven all in one. Turbo or fast-cook ovens also are getting a second look. And we’ve found that the ever-popular built-in coffee machines are still very popular – but they need to be plumbed with filtered water for the best brew.

Debbie Bullinger
KITCHEN ART OF NORTH FLORIDA
Jacksonville is a very traditional market, but the trend is toward a more contemporary casual kitchen space. Cabinetry is becoming more streamlined and we’re getting away from carved moldings. For a backsplash, anything goes, but glass tile is a nice way to give a kitchen some flair.

1. No need to open a cabinet door manually when you can wave your hand and watch it open automatically. With a wireless touch-screen device, the Anvil Motion fully automated cabinetry system from Anvil Cabinet and Mill also boasts an option for biometric security, which allows you to control cabinet access with fingerprint recognition software.

2. The new Whirlpool Gold free-standing range uses 50 percent less energy than a full-sized oven – and preheats in half the time. Using the same cutout as a standard range, it can bake at two separate temperatures at the same time. With the double oven’s combined 6.3-cubic-foot capacity, it’s possible to bake a cake and slow-roast a turkey and have it all ready by mealtime.

3.Wine cabinets are all the rage. If you’ve got the space, you can buy an under-counter unit or a large freestanding cooler with one or two temperature zones. But if you’re space-challenged, Liebherr has introduced a new built-in-the-wall wine cooler that stores 18 bottles.

4, Merillat’s CornerStore, an appropriately named corner-access cabinet, allows you to store more items, to easily view what you’ve got and to quickly access everything you need. Drawers are positioned in the center and offer two sizes for flexibility.

5. Combining Italian beauty with American innovation, the Lipstick range hood from BEST reflects the sleek, contemporary style so popular in Europe. Heat Sentry, two-level halogen lighting and multi-speed electronic controls. It vents air at up to 450 cubic feet per minute. Arriving from
Italy in March 2011.

6. Linkasink, know for its handmade copper products, recently introduced a sink crafted to resemble a bucket with a movable handle. This whimsical kitchen fixture is designed for mounting above the countertop and is available in a variety of finishes, including weathered copper, dark bronze, satin nickel and gold plate.

7. Cooking with steam is a healthy new option. Miele steam ovens are constructed with an external steam generator outside the oven cavity. Steam surrounds the food from all sides, ensuring that it’s heated rapidly and sealed instantly to retain all the vitamins, color and flavor. Plus, cooking times are reduced so your meal is ready more quickly and energy consumption can be kept to a minimum.