Currently, the kitchen is king. But the kitchen is on the rampage. Surely the kitchen should be on the decline. The chief reason is our fundamental need for a hearth, an emotional and spiritual center of the home. It is convenient and sociable and with the time-crunch factor caused by both partners working, we want to be together when we are home.
Cooking is only part of the role of the kitchen nowadays.
The more pre-prepared food is brought in the more we need to cling to the role of the kitchen as a cooking space. It is a compensation for the real thing. The trend toward ever more sophisticated appliances, particularly professional-style ranges, confirms this. Men, too, are getting in on the act. It has given rise to the inclusion of double work stations and higher quality appliances.