This is an exciting time for the home building market, as the industry heads into another year of growth. This year, the kitchen will continue to be a big investment for homeowners, and remain one of the most important selling features as it is now firmly established as the center of household activity and entertaining.

With so much time spent in this space, many new home buyers (who are also culinary enthusiasts) are seeking larger kitchens that offer modern convenience and a timeless look of luxury. They are no longer the back-stage areas for preparing food – these are lavish kitchen theaters for entertaining, and homeowners are not willing to compromise on luxury, quality, design and performance. It is important that the builders and designers creating these and kitchens incorporate top quality furnishings and appliances that provide the latest innovations while staying true to the specific design preferences of the home buyer.

Thermador remains committed to offering innovations that drive ultimate cooking performance, while meeting the unique design tastes of homebuyers. Our Professional® Series line of appliances stand bold and proud in the kitchen with stainless steel exteriors and restaurant style knobs – a perfect design choice for a traditional kitchen. Meanwhile, our Masterpiece® Series line offers a sleeker, more contemporary look for culinary enthusiasts who desire transitional kitchen design, and may even prefer their appliances disappear altogether with a flush installation and custom panel options.

In fact, the key to creating an ultimate kitchen theater is the appliances, which now represent the biggest investment homeowners make in their kitchens. The home appliance market saw great growth in 2013 as the industry’s core appliances, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturing 6 (AHAM6), grew nearly 9 percent year-to-date compared to last year. This is growth the industry hasn’t seen since 2004.

Culinary enthusiasts want appliances to meet, exceed and reimagine their every cooking need – from healthier cooking through steam, to faster boiling times, settings to simmer delicate sauces, or simply more burners and oven space to prepare multiple courses. Our Pro Grand® Steam Range is the ultimate example of a well designed appliance that delivers true performance, by combining seven cooking options all into one appliance.

Because more guests are gathering in the kitchen theater, a growing number of affluent homeowners want their kitchens designed with multiple work triangles that allow cooks to move freely while preparing a meal together. These kitchens often feature a range in addition to wall ovens, multiple refrigeration and freezer columns – such as the Thermador Freedom® Collection built-in refrigeration, and may even include an additional cooktop. It is the ultimate in kitchen customization.

Equally as important to functional design is the need to reflect the personality of the homeowner through special details, like custom paneled appliances or colorful backsplashes. Features such as custom cabinetry or a custom hood can transform a cooking space into a luxurious room for entertaining. Large kitchen islands provide a place where friends can gather to help prepare a dish, but must be stylish enough to serve as a location to unveil the finished product.

As the layout, function and look of today’s affluent kitchens have evolved in recent years, Thermador is continuing to find new ways to elevate the cooking experience of culinary enthusiasts. We are proud to unveil the newest Thermador innovation during Design & Construction Week 2014 in Las Vegas. We hope you will make time to visit our booth, #C3837, and see the quality, performance and design of Thermador luxury kitchens come to life.