More kitchens taking on upscale appearance

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Many homeowners are trading their old linoleum kitchen floors for tile or stone. They're getting rid of their avocado green ranges, eliminating outdated countertops and even hiding appliances.|ret||ret||tab|

There's a lot you can do to a kitchen these days, and remodeling that space seems to be a priority when it comes to changing the look of a home, according to Todd Barnes, owner of Kitchen Solvers.|ret||ret||tab|

"What leads most people to contact me is ... their kitchen is old and outdated. It's dark and ugly, and they're tired of it," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

Not only do consumers get a much nicer look in their kitchens when they remodel, they also get a much more efficient kitchen with a better use of space.|ret||ret||tab|

Islands those workspaces in the center of kitchens that can house cutting boards, cooktops and cabinet space, among other things are very much in demand now when space allows for them, according to Barnes.|ret||ret||tab|

That's because "kids can be at the table doing homework and mom can face them ... everything is so much more focused and so much more family oriented," said Judy Fick, marketing director for Metro Building Supply. The islands are popular, in large part, she said, because they allow for more communication in the kitchen "people sitting around the island talking while someone cooks."|ret||ret||tab|

Peninsulas in many older kitchens the counter and upper and lower cabinets that divide the kitchen from the eating area are often turned into eating bars, and the upper cabinets eliminated, Barnes said. But that doesn't mean less storage space.|ret||ret||tab|

"You can make up for cabinet space by designing the kitchen with things like rollout shelves" and eliminating blind corners by installing Lazy Susans, he said. "You can actually have fewer cabinets, but it seems like you have more because all of the space is functional."|ret||ret||tab|

Mixer trays are also popular, said Sam Tillery, owner of Custom Kitchens and Furniture. "They're spring-loaded and bring in things like breadmakers to counter-top level," he said. Cutlery trays are also being added to kitchens to double drawer space. When a drawer is opened up, there's a cutting board with a rack of knives, according to Tillery.|ret||ret||tab|

Baker's racks can be found in many kitchens these days along with spice racks. "I didn't start putting in spice racks until about five years ago, then bam every kitchen's got them," Tillery said. "It opens up cabinet space for other things."|ret||ret||tab|

Things that are popular now, he said, are "those little things that help keep you organized."|ret||ret||tab|

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Endless options|ret||ret||tab|

Customers who visit an appliance store today often come away with their heads spinning. "The field of appliance is vast," Fick said. "There are so many options that people have these days."|ret||ret||tab|

One of the latest is the Polara, Fick said. The Polara is a refrigerated range, which allows cooks to prepare their casserole or dish the night before or in the morning before they leave for work. They simply put the dish in the Polara, set it for refrigeration mode and adjust the timer for when they want the refrigeration to shut off and the range to turn on. After cooking, the appliance goes into a keep warm mode. If the homeowner is delayed in getting home, the Polara goes back into refrigeration mode for another 24 hours.|ret||ret||tab|

"The technology on this particular one is going one step further right now into computerized mode," Fick said. "You can control (the Polara) from your cell phone or computer at work."|ret||ret||tab|

Dish drawers, which replace traditional single front pull-down door dishwashers, are becoming more popular, Fick said. The appliance, by Fishel and Paykel, features two dishwashing racks that pull out like a drawer. One can be placed on top of the other or homeowners can have one dish drawer on each side of the sink, which eliminates the need to bend over to load dirty dishes.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's the only dishwasher on the market now that you can set for a lighter setting, and it's a lighter spray rather than a heavier spray for a shorter period of time, which is the case with most dishwashers," Fick said. Crystal, for example, could be placed in one drawer on a light setting, and pots and pans could be placed in the other drawer on a regular setting.|ret||ret||tab|

Gas cooktops are becoming more popular as well, according to Fick. And specialty and high-end appliances are growing in popularity, too. The industrial-style, stainless steel appliances are in demand, she said. Convection ovens, which cut cook time in half, are also being put into many kitchens these days.|ret||ret||tab|

And in many home remodels, the microwave is taken off the countertop and placed above the stove in place of a hood.|ret||ret||tab|

Wine cabinets, both small and full-size, are also showing up in new or remodeled kitchens.|ret||ret||tab|

Whatever appliances homeowners choose, they want their kitchens to look integrated, Fick said. Wood panels are being placed on the fronts of refrigerators and dishwashers. Generally, the person that designs the kitchen cabinets is the one that makes the wood panels to disguise the appliances, she said. "At this time, really you can walk into a kitchen and the only thing that doesn't look like one of your cupboards is typically the range."|ret||ret||tab|

As far as cabinets go, the trend is to get away from oak, which was used in the 1980s and early 1990s, according to Barnes. Alder wood is the wood of choice of many since it's similar to cherry but not as costly, he said. "It's kind of the poor man's cherry if you've got a champagne taste in a beer-budget type of wood."|ret||ret||tab|

Maple is also popular, especially in the arts and crafts style of cabinetry, which also is a top choice of many homeowners today, Barnes said.|ret||ret||tab|

Another trend in kitchen remodeling is customers going back to the Victorian era when it comes to choosing cabinetry, Tillery said. "You're looking at a higher quality cabinetry ... carvings, different colors of stains and corner blocks on the cabinets," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Tillery's cabinetry is in demand now, he said, because people want the kind of product he produces all original, all hand-done and one of a kind, he said.|ret||ret||tab|

A trend he's not too pleased with is painted cabinets, black and white in particular. A shop has to be set up for it, he said, or the cabinets must be dropped off at the job site for the painters to finish.|ret||ret||tab|

A trend on the East and West coasts, but one that hasn't caught on in Springfield yet, is stainless steel door and drawer fronts on cabinets with a wood box, typically in cherry, Barnes said. "It'd be neat if some homeowners would expand their horizons, and if people would see it, it's something that's pretty neat," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

Once the cabinets are installed, kitchens these days are featuring better undercabinet lighting, Tillery said.|ret||ret||tab|

The kitchen, overall, can be much better today than it ever could. "You're looking at nicer finishes," Tillery said, "just an all-around general improvement."|ret||ret||tab|

And kitchen remodels have an added bonus. Besides making life much easier for the homeowner, a newly remodeled kitchen can help a home sell quicker and at a higher price tag, Barnes said.|ret||ret||tab|

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