What's Cooking

When they first bought their Longwood home, Beth and Al McKenna thought the 1970s-era kitchen seemed dated but large enough. Then, eight years ago, their triplet boys and three corresponding highchairs came along.

"They were really crammed in there," recalls Beth.

Still, the couple coped with the forced coziness until a few years later, when they brought home twin 15-month-old girls, adopted from a Russian orphanage. At that point it became abundantly clear that something had to be done about the cramped quarters.

"We were all crowded around one tiny table that would seat four comfortably," Beth says.

So the McKennas planned an overdue home renovation that would include doubling the size of the kitchen and replacing the tired cabinetry, outdated appliances and Formica countertops. They hired Jonathan McGrath Construction, a remodeler based in Longwood, to do the work.

Six months later, the work was complete and the family of seven had a nine-foot-long, granite-topped bar to gather around for casual meals. They also had two ovens, two dishwashers and two giant refrigerators.

"Now we can easily get 16 in our kitchen to eat," says Beth McKenna. "It was well worth the wait."

Kitchen remodels are among the most popular home-renovation projects, contractors say.

"Clients frequently want a bigger kitchen," says Marion McGrath of Jonathan McGrath Construction. Plus, she adds, they often want walled-off kitchens in older homes opened up to the family's main living area.

The kitchen is usually the most expensive room to remodel. And living in the home while the work is under way can be difficult, to say the least.

However, unlike many other remodeling projects, for which homeowners can rarely recoup their full investment, a kitchen makeover will frequently return more than 90 percent of its cost when the home is resold, studies show. In the meantime, homeowners get to enjoy a more comfortable-and aesthetically pleasing-space for cooking, eating and entertaining.

Not only is the McKennas' kitchen functional, it's also tricked out with some of the hottest equipment, fixtures and finishes available today: double appliances, granite countertops, mixed-finish cabinetry, faucets in an oil-rubbed bronze finish and a huge island.

With many floor plans now designed around the kitchen, the island has become a true household hub, designers say. Often the island is where families dine, children do homework and guests perch during parties.

As a result, islands have become more elaborate. Many are ornamented with extensive woodwork details and outfitted with everything from sinks and cooktops to refrigerators and second dishwashers.

"That's the place where a lot of creative things are happening," says McGrath.

For instance, some families are opting for multiple food-preparation areas, including secondary sinks, according to Victor Farina of Farina & Sons, a remodeler based in Winter Park.

"Double ovens are as popular as ever," Farina says, "but sometimes one of the two is a convection oven or a combination convection/microwave." And, he adds, extra refrigerators and icemakers are showing up in islands or in butler's pantries.

When it comes to countertops, kitchen remodelers now have more choices than ever.

Yes, granite is still very popular, but some high-end buyers are opting for solid-surface counters, such Zodiaq or Silestone, created from 90 percent quartz crystals bound together with epoxy or acrylic.

Corian, a completely manmade product, is another popular solid-surface choice. Laminate, which has improved dramatically in appearance, remains the choice of the budget conscious.

Cabinet options have changed as well.

Gone are the days when cabinetry all matched. Now finishes are being mixed. Painted cabinets are being combined with traditional natural wood finishes. And some solid cabinet doors are being replaced with glass panels. The mixing of finishes is seen most frequently with islands, which often have a different finish from the main cabinets.

Sometimes countertop colors are being mixed as well, with perhaps a black granite on most of the countertops and a more mottled coordinating granite on the island. Built-in cabinetry is also taking on the look of stand-alone furniture, with detailing such as legs and columns.

Turning to appliances, stainless steel finishes are still very popular for ovens, cooktops and refrigerators. It's a finish that adds sparkle and a sleek, modern touch.

Metallic finishes are showing up in other, less typical places, including backsplashes adorned with metallic tiles. And the choices have expanded beyond the shiny silver of stainless steel, chrome or nickel to more rustic-looking, oil-rubbed bronze faucets and copper sinks.

But don't think you have to discount standard chrome.

"Chrome is kind of timeless, neutral," says Grant Gribble of Gribble Interior Group, based in Orlando. "Not so [with] shiny brass finishes, which are way out now."

Buyers who pay big bucks for commercial ranges and other appliances are making them kitchen focal points. For example, they're accentuating ranges, with elaborate hoods. And they're not hesitating to mix manufacturers.

"Buyers may choose a Viking range and a Sub-Zero refrigerator for the same kitchen," Gribble says.

While some homeowners choose to display their high-tech appliances, others choose to conceal them with cabinetry. Some refrigerators have wooden cabinet fronts camouflaging the doors while dishwashers and warming ovens are being concealed behind drawers.

Gribble is also seeing more interest in contemporary design in some kitchens. "It's a boutique hotel look, with deeper, darker woods," he says. "It's more streamlined, warm and metropolitan."

Kitchen lighting is taking on a different tone as well. Gone are the single fluorescent tube, overhead light fixtures. Now lighting is coming from many sources.

Overhead "can" fixtures are effective, while chandeliers set a traditional mood. Pendant lights with beautiful glass shades illuminate islands. And under-cabinet lights brighten work surfaces.

Dimmers are installed on many of these fixtures to tone down the lighting from operating-room bright to ambient mood lighting. That's especially important when kitchens adjoin family rooms.

There's not just one dominating kitchen design trend anymore, says Farina. "For a while, it was all about the wooden cabinets," he says. "Then it was the granite countertops. Then it was the appliances, then the flooring. Now it's about everything."

With so many choices for kitchens, the task of choosing fixtures and finishes for a renovation can be daunting.

Stephen Gidus of PSG Construction, based in Winter Park, didn't fully appreciate how difficult it is to navigate all the choices until he renovated his own home.

"It really enlightened me," he says. "It shed a lot of light on what the customer goes through in the selection process. It really is time-consuming." Even Gidus, an award-winning remodeler and custom homebuilder, got a little help from his company's kitchen designer.

"Yes, absolutely, get some help," says Gribble, adding that even do-it-yourselfers can get some design assistance at home-improvement stores and on the Internet. "It's a lot for a person to take in, and there are people who design kitchens all day long."

McGrath agrees: "It's so important that you get someone to help you who knows what they're doing, so they can help you get a kitchen that works for you."

KITCHEN REMODELING:
A SURVIVAL GUIDE

Beth McKenna has one piece of advice for families planning to live in their home during a major kitchen remodel: "Go away on vacation as long as you can."

Beth and Al McKenna and their five small children lived without their kitchen for four months during a six-month makeover that also included renovations to the rest of their home.

Their makeshift kitchen during the renovation included a microwave and a refrigerator in the garage. Because there was no sink, meals were served on paper plates.

"We usually tried to wing breakfast and lunch," says Beth. "At first we went out for dinner, but with five children that got old fast."

Not to mention expensive.

Jack McGrath, whose company, Jonathan McGrath Construction, remodeled the McKenna home, suggested they move out during the work. But, like many people remodeling their homes, the McKennas didn't want to incur the extra cost.

When vacating isn't an option, remodelers do what they can to help families survive life without a proper kitchen. Often that means fashioning a temporary space for food preparation.

"Jack can get pretty creative," says his wife and business partner, Marion. "Usually he finds a place for family members to have a small table, the refrigerator, a microwave and a hot plate. But we tell our clients up front that these are custom jobs, and they have to be patient. They adapt."

At first, families are typically excited by the novelty of the renovation work. "Then by the middle, they are really tired of it and we'll send them a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant," Marion McGrath adds.

Stephen Gidus of PSG Construction says his company often offers to build an elaborate temporary kitchen for customers whose new kitchen won't be available for months.

"When you're displaced from your kitchen and you don't even have a place to make breakfast, it becomes very disruptive," Gidus says, "especially if there are children in the house."

PSG has gone so far as to create a plywood-wall kitchen within another room in the home, installing sinks, stoves and refrigerators and even hanging the old cabinets.

"Sometimes the cost of doing that will be less than the inconvenience and costs of going out to eat all the time," Gidus says.

If the client doesn't go for a temporary replacement kitchen, PSG usually finds somewhere in the home to set up the bare necessities, such as a refrigerator and a microwave. Laundry rooms often work, especially if they have a sink, he says.

"I've never given birth," says Gidus. "But I'm told it's like that-nine months of pain. But when the baby is born, you forget about it."

HOT PRODUCTS

• Elaborate built-in coffeemakers that give you gourmet-quality coffee at home are big sellers, says Alan Hanel, appliance manager for Ferguson Bath and Kitchen Gallery. In addition to making regular coffee, they can grind beans, provide froth for a cappuccino and dispense plain hot water. While the prices seem steep-$1,800 to $2,600-so is the price of a store-bought cup of joe.

• Induction cooktops, which marry the seamless surface of electric ceramic ranges with the power and precision of gas burners, are the latest kitchen cooking rage. These ranges use low-level microwaves to heat up the pan without using a heating element. The cooktop gets hot, but not scalding. In addition, the units are energy stingy.

• Tall gooseneck faucets have become a practical and pretty alternative for kitchen sinks. They make it easy to fill deep pots.

• Kitchen sinks are morphing. With all those extra dishwashers eliminating the need for dual sinks, some buyers are opting for a single deep sink, such as a farmhouse model. For those unwilling to give up two wells, Kohler has come out with a double sink with the partition in the middle partially removed, making it easy to wash bigger pans and cookie sheets. Sinks are also sprouting multiple spouts that dispense everything from hot water to soap.