Home for the Holidays: Kitchen Upgrades and Design Trends

Holiday time is here. That means entertaining and gathering, usually in the kitchen, the favorite room in every home. LifeMinute hit SKS's (Signature Kitchen Suite) multi-million dollar showroom grand opening to see the latest in functional and spectacular ideas and upgrades. Signature Kitchen Suite is for you whether you are a foodie or a home chef. As an award-winning luxury built-in appliance brand, it's recognized for its precision and performance and for giving home chefs all the tools they need to prepare and preserve foods in the best ways possible. The star of the show is the 48-inch built-in French door refrigerator --a first-of-its-kind with precise preservation technology and a never-before-seen capacity and functionality in a sleek, innovative design. This is an entertainer's dream fridge that fits everything, making it ideal if you are cooking ahead and need to store it till your party. It comes in stainless steel or panel-ready. That means it blends with your cabinetry. A favorite feature is the convertible drawer, which you can set to five different temperatures, depending on what you're storing -- chilled wine, deli meats, or cheeses. You can even turn it into an extra freezer. With built-in WiFi, you control it all through your smartphone. It also has a dedicated ice drawer that makes both rectangular ice cubes and the large round craft ice, perfect for fancy cocktails. Another must-have is the 24-inch built-in undercounter wine fridge , which holds 41 bottles. It has patented wine cave technology to protect from the biggest threats to wine: vibration, light, changes in temperature, and humidity. A triple-paned window for UV protection keeps your wine collection precisely preserved, so you don't have to head to the basement anymore to store it. Now, let's talk countertops -- truly the workhorse of the kitchen. You want something beautiful and durable, and Silestone by Spanish surfacing leader Cosentino offers both. The countertops look and feel like natural stone but are handmade sustainably with HybriQ technology that uses 99% recycled water and 100% renewable energy. The best part is you don't need to worry about etching, chipping, or staining as they are stain, acid, shock, and scratch resistant. All of these Silestone colorways can be purchased in a range of sizes at your local Home Depot store. When it comes to color trends, 72% of designers and 56% of consumers report an interest in bringing neutral palettes to the home in a modern, contemporary way. Silestone offers the most incredible array of colors, such as Ethereal Indigo, Snowy Ibiza, and Toscana Cream, which are stunning with detailed veining. Why are people so enamored with the kitchen? Simple -- the kitchen is where everyone congregates. It's the heart of the home, which is why it's the best place to add value to your home. Cosentino recently surveyed designers and consumers, and both confirmed that the kitchen is their #1 priority when renovating. It's also where they would dedicate the most significant percentage of their budget, so investing there will always be a win.