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What is more important in a kitchen – how it looks or how it functions? Well – yes to both. But for many buyers, the look has become more important than the function.

My friend Susan, who is in the custom home business, says only about 50 % of her buyers actually cook in their kitchen. The rest – well you know the joke – what they make in their kitchens are reservations. This is especially true if they are in a country club community where the club has a food and drink minimum. If anything, they may do more grilling than cooking.

What’s Hot in High-End Kitchens

It could start with the appliances where a custom range hood can cost the same as a small new car.

This kind of investment sets the tone for the entire kitchen. Perhaps they want the best brand appliances, then choose to have cabinet front across them all for a sleek and seamless finish.

In a high-end kitchen, the Messy Kitchen is called a Scullery. Here, you will likely find a second refrigerator, sink, dishwasher – maybe even a built-in coffee maker that is pre-plumbed. Of course, walk-in pantries are a must with both open shelves, baskets, and cabinets.

How about the giant 8 burner gas cook tops or ranges? You know the ones that look like they came from a restaurant. Not only is the appliance expensive, but they require a mammoth sized hood. With that kind of BTU’s it seems like a waste if seldom used.

Those that do cook want it all – a pizza oven, double wall ovens with features like air fryer, bread proofing setting and steaming feature. And don’t think of the microwave as one of the wall ovens. A drawer microwave is a must!

What’s Out?

Remember pot fillers? These seem to be losing favor among the high-end buyers. I never understood those. Sure – you can fill up a large pot on the stove to make pasta – but that’s when the water is room temperature. To me the bigger problem is what to do with the boiling hot water you just heated up. I just love dumping the hot water and pasta into a strainer in the sinks and get blasted with steam on my glasses. Of course, the Italians will tell you to scoop your pasta out while still in the pot. Warming drawers seem to be out – at least in the south. Maybe because it’s too warm here already.

Finishes

Quartz is a must – and not just for the countertops. Running the quartz up from countertop to ceiling is beautiful and practical – but also expensive. An alternative is to run a tile backsplash to the ceiling. Cabinets are double stacked with glass fronts on the top layer. Add LED or puck lights to the upper cabinets and LED strip light below for tasking lighting. And speaking of lighting – the pendant lights hanging over the island are the jewelry of the kitchen.

The sink is a farmhouse style in a variety of finishes including concrete. Kitchen islands are the center piece fully clad in cabinets. Seating at the island should be a minimum of 4, but 6 is preferred especially if the seats are two or three sides.

What Did I Miss?

Do actually cook in your kitchen? If so, what are your must-have features? What thing (finish or feature) do you wish you had in your kitchen? Or maybe your kitchen is hardly ever used for cooking – is there anything that you did (or would do) differently? I’d love to hear your thoughts!