Image courtesy of Wall Street Journal[/caption]A recent Wall Street Journal article titled, "The Kitchen That Ate the House," suggests that our lives are more "kitchen-centric" than ever before. As a result, we're not only building bigger spaces - the average floor area of the kitchen has increased by about 50% from 1973 to 2007 - but we're also taking the cooking and cleaning... elsewhere.Kitchens are the new great rooms. They're used more for entertaining than any other room in the home. "The trend is partly driven by a shift toward a more casual lifestyle, where people often want to prepare food with company either watching or helping them cook the meal."Homebuilders are offering new model homes with their largest and most open kitchens ever, often eliminating the formal dining room to allow for more space. In high-end and custom homes, the kitchens are incorporating informal living rooms and dining areas, so as to create one fluid space that is perfect for entertaining. "In some cases, much of the actual cooking is being relegated to a second, smaller kitchen space, so that the main kitchen can be used for entertaining—minus the unsavory dirty dishes or cooking smells."Whether you choose to cook in your kitchen or not, chances are good that your guests will be spending a lot of time there. If you've been dreaming of renovating your kitchen or just making a few small improvements, give us a call. From countertops and flooring to custom back splashes, we can help you transform your space into an area you'll be proud to entertain in - unsavory dishes or not.###
