Good design part of recipe for success in kitchen

"It is only the modern that ever becomes old-fashioned." Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish playwright, poet and author, "The Decay of Living" (1891)

Kitchens are truly the heart of the home, whether you are a foodie, gourmet cook or just like to hang out with friends and family. They also have become laboratories for modern design, with every sleek solid surface, finish and modern appliance imaginable.

Since we just celebrated a big eating holiday, chances are most of you and your guests ended up in the kitchen. Because kitchens are so popular, their design and effectiveness are very important.

While a lot of us enjoy the sterile, clean lines of the contemporary kitchen, others miss the cozy, comforting kitchen they knew as a child. More than likely it's the smell of freshly baked cookies or whatever aroma you remember from your childhood that you are missing.

I'm sure it's not the old standalone stoves, the "sink in a cabinet" or cracked linoleum floors that you miss. Everybody wants the modern appliances and trimmings that make cooking and working in the kitchen a joy.

Kitchens are just like every other room in your home. The décor can be made of mixed patterns, finishes and materials. One style or one trend doesn't have to dominate.

In the world of modern kitchens, it is so easy to choose a cabinet collection or decorative finish that turns out to be a short-lived passing fancy fad and not the investment you envisioned.

But when it comes to creating a fashionable, yet modern kitchen that boasts high-quality, progressive technology and seamless design, there are many choices.

Traditional raised-panel doors on kitchen cabinetry will complement concrete countertops. Stainless steel appliances complement any style. Stainless steel and leather bar stools look grand with any countertop material, from solid surfaces to butcher block. And sleek, clean-lined cabinetry is softened by wicker barstools pulled up to granite counters.

Hardware is another key to diversity in the kitchen. Traditional cabinet doors can be updated and made to look more contemporary with stainless steel, clean-lined handles.

Lighting also will mix in any design scheme. Tracks and pendants look great in a modern or more traditional room, but you also can soften up a totally contemporary kitchen with a beautiful chandelier over the island.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (nkba.org) issued trends and treatments to inspire . The organization is a wealth of information and you can visit its website to get more ideas.

One that I particularly liked was glossy finishes and fixtures: "Shimmering surfaces, shining fixtures, high-sheen finishes, and perfectly placed lighting accents are a prominent personality trait of current kitchens."

Another interesting trend is the white kitchen revisited. They say, "The white kitchen has been called many things - classic, contemporary, clean, sparse, but one thing can be said, it's a consistent in kitchen design. White has never entirely gone away, but neatly and cleverly reinvented itself to remain in the archives and future of home kitchens. There are a number of ways that white continues to make an appearance, in hues ranging from snow white to varying shades of creamy, muted, milky tones. This combination of colors and textures is a strong representation of the reinvented and renewed white kitchen - strong, sleek and superb."

Suspended lighting is hot. "Suspended lighting allows for a number of outcomes, and in kitchen design the result is dangling focal points that drop light onto defined areas of countertop, dining surfaces or flooring. The result can also be artistic pieces of sculpture that contribute to the visual appeal of a space, exuding light, glimmer and glitz. With angled spotlights running along a track to serve as hard-working partners to the suspended lighting, the shaded fixtures are allowed to play the role of prima donna in the forefront and become the place where the eye goes upon entering."

Symmetry in design also was mentioned as creating "stability and balance. If not a mirror reflection of itself, the space should possess components and pieces that act as counterbalance to the one another."

So whatever your taste, prowl around on the Web and look at cabinet makers or the NKBA website. These images will provide great food for thought if you're in the market. You also can appreciate their blend of contemporary and more traditional elements.

And you can prove Oscar Wilde wrong - modern doesn't have to become old-fashioned, just less modern.

Carolyn Muse Grant is a founder and past president of the Architectural & Decorative Arts Society, as well as an interior design consultant/stylist specializing in home staging. Send questions to creativemuse@cox.net.