Families increasingly like to congregate in large spaces with creature comforts, and a wide-open kitchen is ideal for this
David Bradley
Sun
It seems bigger is indeed better when it comes to kitchens and baths. And the more the merrier, say homeowners. Their marching orders to architects increasingly stipulate multiple kitchens and more baths in their new homes.
According to an American Institute of Architects member survey, 25 per cent of architects report client requests for an extra kitchen in “an in-law or au pair suite” or for secondary food storage or food preparation for kids and guests.
Newly built homes are best positioned to absorb a 36-square-metre master bath or kitchens akin to small estates. Of course, such wide open spaces allow owners to sample all the latest gizmos and do-dads when it comes to features. Yet, certain house expansions or room conversions may be ripe for this upscale approach.
Why devote so much space and creative thinking to these mega-rooms? It marks the continuation of a long-standing trend. Families increasingly congregate in large, informal areas which still have the creature comforts they covet.
In the case of baths, homeowners want a place to get away from household bustle and luxuriate.
David Hughes, of RP Hughes Architects in Columbus, Ohio, says the trend is to duplicate functions within the same space. His designers incorporate double dishwashers, multiple sinks and ovens and “a lot of under-counter refrigeration so the big units don’t visually take up the kitchen,” says Hughes.
Favoured built-in technologies in today’s mega-kitchens include Internet access, sound and water filtration systems and high-end appliances. Space may not be at a premium but storage is always in vogue. Hence the popularity of pantries.
Baths also reflect broader household sprawl. Hughes says customers ask for “lots of counter and vanity space to separate everyone.” Nearly two-thirds of architects see a continued trend toward spacious, multi-head showers. Another one-fourth of respondents configure multiple showers within the same bath. Still more report a surge in heated floors, warming bins for towels, and dressing rooms adjacent to the bath.
Overly-large spa-type tubs appear to be on the decline. Nearly one in three architectural firms reports a decrease in the popularity of the spas. Homeowners supplant the slow-filling, energy gobbling behemoths with standard size tubs that retain whirlpool capability.
This all sounds great if you have unlimited resources to fulfill your spatial fantasies. But what about the average homeowner? Hughes says the takeaway for other homeowners is that knowledge architects gain from large homes filters down to most other clients. “What it really cuts down to is the larger homes let us see how we can take that experience and apply it” to any homes, says Hughes.
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
