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62 | Kitchen & Bath Design News January 2015 R espected trend watchers have written about the attributes of the new clients and their families we will serve in the New Year. I'm also seeing a change occurring in requested planning layouts for Great Room kitchens, and an evolution that may well be leading to a two-kitchen home in the future. First, what do I mean about new types of families? Post-recession, kitchen and bathroom designers are serving four distinctively different types of clients and family structures. Here is a brief overview of these di- verse consumer groups: » » Generation»Y»consumers»enjoying» a»casual»lifestyle»– preferably, in an open space with a well-orga- nized kitchen tucked in a corner. The term "family" for Generation Y can mean one person, a tradi- tional two-person union or just about any other combination of folks living under the same roof. This age group embraces multi- generational family living, as well. » » Young»families»age»34»to»49»make» up»Generation»X. This new "family" may be a blended one: having tod- dlers and teens in the same house. An aging parent or relative might share their home. Once again, a casual lifestyle in an open space is preferred; however, when this fam- ily entertains, they want some way to manage the pre-dinner prep, and the post-dinner clean up. For these two younger client cat- egories, the definition of "cooking together" is changing as well. One part of the meal might be made at home, with other elements of the feast brought in from well-vetted gourmet take-out services. These groups also enjoy sharing meal prep by family members cooking together, or having all guests bring a contribution for the meal. For that reason, extra storage and warming space is a must. » » The»Baby»Boomer»generation»is» also»interested»in»an»open-space» living/kitchen» area. That's be- cause these homeowners want to accommodate children with grandkids! Typically, this group has a traditional host and hostess, but they are tired of a Great Room kitchen where elegant entertaining is not possible with stacks of soiled dishes within sight, or cooking aromas lingering in the air. » » Seniors,»our»last»group»of»clients,» may» be» downsizing» in» square» footage – but not in the joy of life. They struggle to fnd enough adequate storage to house their lifelong collections, as well as have an area planned to allow them to age in place gracefully. By Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS Designer's Notebook Two-Kitchen An intriguing new trend toward a two-kitchen home is changing the way kitchens are being planned, particularly with spacious kitchens that are part of a Great Room gathering area. A good way to think about this new approach is to redefne an island from being a standalone cabinet with countertop to possibly being a standalone center structure that has some type of wall as part of its design. In this design, the foating section is an L-shaped confguration so that the dining area can be closed-of from the scullery kitchen. Note the warming drawer installed at the end of the island, just under the countertop. Warming drawers are an important addition for a kitchen that will host many types of gatherings. If guests are contributing to the meal, the warming drawer can keep everything at the proper serving temperature. For a cook who is unaccustomed to preparing multiple dishes and having them all ready to serve at the right time, the warming drawer can help keep whatever is fnished frst at its correct temperature. Too often, I have seen warming drawers installed below double oven stacks. This type of installation may place the ovens higher than convenient for a petite cook. Remember, most new oven appliances have controls activated via a touch screen, so easy access and a clear sight line to the appliance control panel is important. And, a warming drawer that low just makes it hard to bend down and retrieve items. As you look directly into the kitchen you'll see one key component that seems to be an important element of these 'kitchen within a kitchen' designs: large openings between the shielded work area and the open space. This type of expansive walkway – seen here as a user travels into the back pantry area through the left side opening – means that someone in the secondary work area can still hear what's going on in the open kitchen. THE HOME