A Sensual Design for the Serious Cook

"The existing kitchen island included structural columns that needed to be addressed," says Schwartz. "Rather than having them just hold up the ceiling, I used the columns to turn the backside of the island into a countertop bookcase. That gives more display space and also breaks up the long space and makes it look nicer."

Try this at home: More and more clients are opting for multiple ovens, says Schwartz, particularly for those few times each year when the extended family comes together for a lavish meal and they need extra units for warming, reheating and baking. He also estimates that 50 percent of his new clients' designs include warming drawers for the same reason.