Chris Sligh Online

About as ubiquitous Metropolitan Opera or Save the Hudson dinners on every well-heeled New Yorker’s calendar each year is a kitchen remodel. Countless New Yorkers from all walks of life have recently (it seems) discovered that money spent on kitchen design is money well spent – not only because it makes the kitchen a better place in which to cook (as opposed to going out) but also because it builds home equity by raising the value of the home to prospective buyers. Smart New Yorkers realize that new kitchens translate into new wealth, and rich New York dwellers are more and more discovering that artistically designed custom kitchens, especially those featuring contemporary design, are what the market wants, and what any great (private) chef would be privileged to cook in.

That explains why Italian kitchens in New York have become so prevalent. Sleek lines, shiny custom cabinetry in bright colors, and functional layouts make the Italian kitchen design aesthetics extremely appealing to all renovators, and especially the wealthy, who feel that the Italian aesthetic is an artistic reflection of NYC itself, which is consummately Art Deco. Italian kitchen designers in NY incorporate the finest materials and appliances in bold ways to create spaces that are both beautiful and functional.

What’s more, such spaces distinguish that Brooklyn Brownstone from that Soho loft with the huge chef’s kitchen making the home in which it is found worth much more than it might otherwise be worth. Veteran chefs will of course scoff at these innovations as huge Stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and heavy wood cabinetry loses its appeal in the face of style; nevertheless, there is something to be said for a space that is able to blend beauty and practicality, and Italian kitchens seem to do that extremely well.