Home Kitchen Ideas

Sports venues across the country have new players on their fields as they host The Pro Expo, a 30 city tour event to help those in the design, building and remodeling industries build their business skills and help feed the hungry. Thermador and Bosch are two Fine Lines brands participating in these educational events sponsored by Pella Windows and Doors.

During the free events, attendees can obtain continuing education credits, learn about the latest products, services and tips to help build their business and support local food banks in partnership with The Salvation Army.

One of more than 20 brands on display, Thermador is the only kitchen appliance manufacturer taking part in the tour and will showcase five products, including a 48-in. Pro Series Harmony dual-fuel range and hood, 36-in. Pro Series Freedom French door refrigerator and 24-in. Pro Series Emerald and Pro Series Sapphire dishwashers.

Training and educational credits will be offered in partnership with the National Association of The Remodeling Industry (NARI), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and American Institute of Architects (AIA). Sessions will cover proper window installation, marketing ideas, construction tips, trends, and green building.

Events will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. showcasing products, services and the latest building practices.

Events scheduled in hhgregg and Fine Lines states:
March 4 — Atlanta, Turner Field
March 9 — Charlotte, N.C., Bank of America Stadium
March 16 — Richmond, Va., Richmond Int’l Raceway
March 30 — Philadelphia, Citizens Bank Park*
April 6 — Pittsburgh, PNC Park*
April 20 — Columbus, Ohio, Schottenstein Center
April 27 — Cincinnati, Ohio, Great American Ball Park
April 29 — Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland Browns Stadium

hhgregg will open six new stores in the Harrisburg, PA and Wilkes-Barre, PA markets this Spring.

hhgregg Fine Lines has been cooking up some yummy recipes lately.  Featuring full entrees and simple desserts, Leslie Meredith posts her favorite recipes every Wednesday on the Fine Lines Blog.

This week?  Bon Mercredi: French Dessert Crepes - easy enough your child can make!

Below are some of the most recent recipes shared.  Visit the hhgregg Fine Lines Blog every Wednesday for new recipes each week!

Rustic Italian Bread
Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Berries
Nachos Supreme with Three Cheeses (or 4!)
Sweet Potoato Biscuits and Smithfield Ham

hhgregg Fine Lines provides high-end appliances with experienced professional sales consultants, state of the art showrooms, and expansive product selection and exclusive white glove delivery and installation services.

If you're ready to build a new home or remodel your kitchen, start your new kitchen's design at hhgregg Fine Lines.  Find an hhgregg Fine Lines near you!

In response to the growing importance of the kitchen in American family life, Electrolux proposed a new name for the kitchen: The Live-in Room.

If homeowners want their kitchens to become useful spaces for cooking, entertaining, and simply hanging out, changes may be necessary.

The designers at Electrolux offer these tips for transforming a kitchen into a Live-in Room:

Make comfortable seating a priority

Straight-back chairs lose their allure while everything from cozy club chairs to chaises made for lounging vie for valuable floor space. Even a sunken cushioned fireplace hearth beckons. 

Warm up, but don’t overwhelm, the space with color

Imbue the live-in-room with hues infused with light, helping to bring a feeling of optimism into the space. Brighter and fresher shades—of coral, rose, greens and whitened yellows—add a glow, while imparting a sense of peace and calm. And don’t discount the power of a burnished, antiqued look for faucets and hardware.

Use plenty of light

Light up the live-in room with plenty of ambient light, overhead lighting and task lighting. Consider what happens here—cooking, reading, bill paying, web surfing, homework and more—then plan your lighting to meet your needs.

Include technology

Tap technology to help maximize the space. Get wired—laptops are more moveable than a PC. Keep technology out of sight with HDTVs that fold up under cabinets and built in speakers you’ll hear but never see. Look for the latest gadgets like video and voice-activated telephones and motion sensitive lighting to keep your room up to the minute.

Think out of the triangle

Don’t relegate appliances to the traditional “work triangle.” Instead, relocate them to the parts of the room that make the most sense. Who says a dishwasher or winecooler can’t be conveniently located? In the live-in room, great appliances, large and small, are never out of reach.

Surfaces are key

Don’t settle for sub-par surfaces. Choose the right table—one that can do double duty for meals, homework, arts and crafts, bill paying, etc. Round or oval tables encourage conversation. Create countertop spaces that adjust to various tasks.

Design different zones

Rethink the traditional work triangle in favor of live/work zones. Even the smallest kitchen can accommodate different zones for eating, entertaining and everyday living. For example, set up an easel in one corner for arts & crafts projects or put a chaise lounge by the window to relax  and read in. Homework stations are a must for parents who want to monitor the Internet surfing of their youngsters.

The timeless appeal of stainless

Choose appliances you know you can live with, that blend seamlessly. Sleek and stylish stainless steel appliances are a must because they complement a variety of design styles from contemporary to traditional. Another bonus—premium stainless steel appliances stand the test of time by never going out of style.

Make it yours

Put your personality on display. Set aside areas purely for display just as you would in any other room of your house. Use built-ins, free-standing cabinets or shelving to display your collections, books, artwork, photography and more. Experiment with lighting to add drama and call attention to your display.

A Fine Lines sales associate can help put these tips to work as you consider a new kitchen design or simply an update.

Wolf and Sub-Zero have just posted the rough cut of the HGTV Dream Home 2010 on their Facebook fan page. The home is located in the high desert of New Mexico, an isolated site that sets this classic Pueblo home in high relief against the desert sky. Although we won't find many examples of Pueblo architecture in the midwest or south, lessons from this home may be applied to any contemporary style.

"Modern design has to be complemented by applilances with modern functionality," says spokesperson for Dream Home 2010. For the past five years, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances have been selected for the HGTV Dream Home, and the tradition continues with this year's choice of appliances.

The Dream House kitchen has more than 60-inches of cooking surface including a gas cooktop, an induction cooktop that uses 50 percent less energy than its gas counterpart, and a steamer for healthy food preparation. In addition to the expected warming drawers, the kitchen has a microwave drawer. Not sure how practical that would be for liquids, but I like the idea of a "hidden" microwave.

The kitchen also has two Sub-Zero refrigerators with under the unit pull-out freezer drawers. Each refrigerator uses less energy than one 100 watt light bulb.

I was struck by the exceptional use of glass tiles set in aluminum in this kitchen, design techniques that could be applied to many kitchen styles. Note the trio of colors: vanilla, aqua and grays. They're easy on the eyes, reflective, and add a welcome splash of color that blends well with the view through the windows. The tiles are used liberally throughout the space, from backsplash to accent wall. I also liked the lower island which provided seating and workspace at the height of standard chairs, rather than stools which would have blocked the view.

Fine Lines is the place for a comprehensive selection from Wolf and Sub-Zero. Better yet, each Fine Lines location features fully built-out kitchens, so visitors can see how the appliances fit into a living space, often difficult to do when your kitchen remodel is at the bare stud stage.

The Fine Lines in Charlotte is hosting a trade show for some of the top cabinet and counter companies, along with some of the best kitchen designers in the business. This event is open to the public and offers significant savings on exceptional appliances at Fine Lines.

Even if you are not currently in the market to remodel your kitchen, you may have your eye on a new TV or washer and dryer. Bring this invitation into the store on Saturday, December 5 for savings as exceptional as the appliances. Savings will also be extended to a full suite of kitchen appliances.

The event includes three live cooking demonstrations along with a complementary coffee and expresso bar hosted by The Java Passage.

Drop by anytime between 11:00 AM and 3PM. See the best from manufacturers, talk to designers and builders, and get some tips for holiday entertaining. Feel free to extend this invitation to friends, family and neighbors. It’s a wonderful way to start the holiday season.

hhgregg Fine Lines presents The Ultimate Kitchen Remodeling Event.  Visit with Kitchen Designers, Factory Appliance Reps, Fine Lines experts and enjoy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.

PLUS - Register to WIN a Golf & Spa get-away to sunny Arizona!


Come see the latest and greatest in kitchen appliances and meet remodelers, Kitchen Designers, Architects, Interior Designers, builders and appliance experts all in the Ultimate Kitchen Show.  Sub-Zero, the leader in refrigeration, has created beautiful new food storage designs, along with innovative water and air filtration systems.  Wolf is Sub-Zero's cooking appliance soul-mate.  And as such, every unit provides the very best in styling, performance and durability, down to the last detail.

hhgregg Fine Lines presents The Ultimate Kitchen Remodeling Event.  Visit with Kitchen Designers, Factory Appliance Reps, Fine Lines experts and enjoy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.

PLUS - Register to WIN a Golf & Spa get-away to sunny Arizona!


Come see the latest and greatest in kitchen appliances and meet remodelers, Kitchen Designers, Architects, Interior Designers, builders and appliance experts all in the Ultimate Kitchen Show.  Sub-Zero, the leader in refrigeration, has created beautiful new food storage designs, along with innovative water and air filtration systems.  Wolf is Sub-Zero's cooking appliance soul-mate.  And as such, every unit provides the very best in styling, performance and durability, down to the last detail.

Electrolux wants input from kitchen designers everywhere. The celebration of the 2009 Electrolux Design Lab awards has barely died down, and already it's time to be thinking about next year's contest.

Not a company to work in a 'vacuum', Electrolux seeks your participation in setting the theme through an on-line vote.

This is the first time that interactive voting, open to everyone, has occurred. Your thoughts and opinions will help Electrolux formulate the brief for the 2010 Electrolux Design Lab.

Think about it ... what's most important to you? Connecting with like-minded individuals, going green and thereby saving both energy and money, saving time without sacrificing results, or spending more time with family. Remember, this is within the context of futuristic appliances. Project yourself into the future and consider what will be most important to tomorrow's families.

Voting closes on November 23rd.

Good news from Sub-Zero today, news that may signal an economic recovery in 2010 was . Increased demand for Sub-Zero and Wolf products has prompted the company to add
a second production shift at its factory in Fitchburg, Wis. The company had cut 300 employees from the 1,350 Wisconsin facility, turning a two-shift operation into a 40-hour-a-week schedule, but will now add 165 jobs to the plant in anticipation of increased demand next year.

Not only will Madison benefit, but Kentucky as well. Sub-Zero just finished a new factory in Kentucky and is looking to hire 100 workers to build dishwashers, a new appliance line for this upscale manufacturer, a favorite at Fine Lines stores.

"For the first time in more than a year, home sales and home remodeling projects are steadily picking up, and our distributors and dealers are reporting increased interest and demand for our appliances," said Chuck Verri, Sub-Zero and Wolf's vice president for human resources. "We've been in this business for more than 60 years, and we've successfully weathered other economic downturns. We're cautiously optimistic that the industry and the economy will continue to recover, and so we've positioned ourselves to rebound quickly as we come out of this recessionary period."

Hiring usually picks up long after a recovery is under way, but though Sub-Zero hiring may break from the pattern, no one is complaining.

When: Wednesday, November 11th at 1 p.m. CST
What you’ll learn: Get the inside scoop on what's new with the 2008-09 contest, learn how it can benefit you and your business, and get insider tips for entering the contest. We will also answer many frequently asked questions about the contest that are common barriers to entry, including photography and creating narratives for your entries.

Sign up for the KDC Webinar.

About the Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest:

Sub-Zero and Wolf showcase the best in kitchen design from the trade. For 2008-09, professionals who have helped make Sub-Zero and Wolf the quintessential components of the uncompromised kitchen will be honored. This contest is the most respected within the design industry and is judged by a panel of professional designers representing the various disciplines under kitchen design.

The associates at Fine Lines are happy to answer your questions regarding this contest.

Go Mobile!
Trade Alert from Sub-Zero & Wolf: Quick reference guides, installation instructions and use and care information are now all available from a fast mobile version of the Sub-Zero/Wolf spec library at subzerowolfspecs.com. Compatible with iPhone, Blackberry, Palm and other smartphones.

Last week I attended a global shipping conference in New Orleans and heard the guarded outlook from senior economist Scott Frisby from Moffatt & Nichol. In summary, consumers took a big step down in spending, which is likely to last. U.S. manufacturing capacity just above 60%, not good. Manufacturing will continue to be sent offshore to countries with younger and cheaper labor rates. The U.S. workforce is aging: today the average worker is 42 years old, commanding higher rates than younger counterparts. Not inspiring.

So you can imagine my delight in seeing this announcement from Sub-Zero and Wolf,  just days after my return:

Increased demand for Sub-Zero and Wolf products has prompted the company to add a second production shift at its factories in Fitchburg, Wis., and Phoenix, Arizona, the Madison-based appliance manufacturer announced today. The company had implemented a production and workforce cut earlier in the year due to the economic recession.

“For the first time in more than a year, home sales and home remodeling projects are steadily picking up, and our distributors and dealers are reporting increased interest and demand for our appliances,” said Chuck Verri, Sub-Zero and Wolf’s vice president for human resources. “We’ve been in this business for more than 60 years, and we’ve successfully weathered other economic downturns. We’re cautiously optimistic that the industry will continue to recover, and so we’ve positioned ourselves to rebound quickly as we come out of this recessionary period.”

The company has called back approximately 40 hourly employees at its Arizona plant, and 165 in Wisconsin, and will hire 60 additional salaried positions. The hiring effort will take full effect in November for hourly employees and will continue over the next six months for salaried positions.

Maybe reaction is best summed up by Sub-Zero, Wolf Facebook fan Kathy Mullins, “More made in USA YAY!! YAY for Sub Zero!!!!!”

Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances are available through Fine Lines.

This month, Baltimore Magazine featured comments and opinions from leading kitchen designers in the area.

Insightful.

Perhaps inspirational.

And at the least, food for thought:

On refrigerator drawers:

"Some people go for drawers just for the kids, so they can get their juice boxes; others do their entire refrigeration under the counter."

“They open up wall space, working well in kitchens with lots of windows.

On refrigerators and freezers for smaller kitchens:

"It was tall and skinny, about 23 inches wide—perfect for a rowhouse. (From GE, column style)

Manufacturers like Thermador are making refrigerator columns as narrow as 18-inches. Split columns of fresh food storage and freezer storage can offer great flexibility to the designer.

“Designers agree freezers are not necessarily a part of the traditional "triangle"¬ of stove, sink, and refrigerator in most kitchen designs. By moving the freezer to a remote corner, or even a pantry or mudroom, the refrigerator can be part of the triangle, but it doesn't take up so much space."

On French-door refrigerators:

 “A walk-in closet for women and their shoes. It's a tremendous feeling to have everything within view, and in easy reach."

"Most of what you need is waist-high. It's easy to see and easy to reach."

"The slimmer doors mean the refrigerator can be placed near an island or a wall, so the designer has more flexibility about where to place it.”

On custom paneling to match cabinets:

"People want their refrigerators to disappear into the kitchen." Custom panels are half the equation and units built to the depth of adjacent counters, so they don’t jut out into the space complete it.

With so many options available in both fresh food and storage option, choosing the right combination of units is essential to the success of kitchen designs both large and small. Some clients want the refrigerator to be a focal point of the kitchen. Think Sub-Zero’s glass fronted restaurant style unit. While others, want all of the appliances to disappear into the cabinetry. Is it a closet or a kitchen? That’s a question these clients crave.

Visit a Fine Lines store to discover all of the available options.

Thermador is also running their One Two Free promotion. Buy a 36” or 48” professional range or a 36” or 48” cooktop, or any double or triple combination oven and get a free dishwasher. Add a 36” or larger refrigerator  or two Freedom columns and get a free ventilation system of your choice, free stainless steel refrigeration panels and free stainless steel refrigeration toe kicks. Talk to your Fine Lines associate for details.

Take a look at Thermador’s Kitchen Design and Planning Guide microsite. It takes under 30 seconds to download the 296 page PDF file. Big file, but worth every bit of information. Alternately, designers and contractors can download individual chapters like the 12 page Designer Kitchen Idea Gallery or product line specific chapters  including Pro Grand Ranges, Induction Cooktops, and Freedom Refrigeration. Each product line chapter includes Features & Benefits, Planning Information, Specifications and Installation Options for each model.

Juicy, inspired design. Now I want orange kitchen walls.

Thermador is available through Fine Lines located  in Indianapolis, IN, Columbus, OH, Charlotte NC, Hoover, Alabama and Jacksonville, FL.

Sub-Zero's new ice maker, Model UC-15I, is available at Fine Lines. The ice maker can be integrated into any space- the kitchen, bar, even the outdoor patio. Features include:
Fast production. It is only 15" wide, but will produce up to 50 pounds of ice in one day, and can store up to 25 lbs.

• Water filtration. Model UC-15I comes with a water filter with a built in alert system, so the homeowner will know when it’s time for a filter replacement.
• Full integration. The icemaker's shallow 24” depth allows it to be installed flush with surrounding cabinetry. It can blend in with custom panels and hardware, or use one of our stainless steel fronts with three handle options.
• Stylish inside and out. The inside features a stainless steel face, electronic controls and LED bin light.
• Drain/pump options for flexible installation. Models UC-15I and UC-15IO have a gravity drain, while Models UC-15IP and UC-15IPO have a built-in pump to allow greater installation flexibility.
• Approved for outdoor use. Outdoor entertaining is now easier with the outdoor ice maker, Model UC-15IO. It is tested and approved for extreme heat, and will produce ice in temperatures up to 110 degrees.

Homeowners will appreciate this thoughtful addition to a new kitchen design, especially those who entertain frequently … and that’s the Fine Lines customer.

Bosch, one of the exceptional brands available at Fine Lines,  joins a group of appliance manufacturers to offer induction cooktops. Bosch induction cooktops come in two sizes, the 30” model and the 36” model, both with Bosch’s exclusive SteelTouch™ control and AutoChef™.

Unlike the more familiar gas and electric cooktops, which slowly heat the cooking vessel to the desired temperature, induction cooktops use electromagnetic waves to quickly generate the desired heat making for highly efficient cooking. As a matter of fact, induction cooking heats food more than two times faster than electric cooktops, while using 60% less energy than either gas cooktops. Bosch layers their patented AutoChef™ sensor cooking feature to deliver even more precise results.

This innovative sensor works with a premium aluminum core pan that comes with the Bosch induction cooktop. With AutoChef™ the cooktop heats to the desired temperature and makes an audible sound when it’s time to place the food in the pan, taking the guesswork out of cooking, maximizing energy efficiency and ensuring better cooking results.

Know that induction cooktop chefs must use compatible cookware. With current technology, induction cooktops require that all cooking vessels are made from "ferrous" metal. Why? Because induction cooking relies on electromagnetic waves, so the cooking vessel must conduct a magnetic field. Most cookware manufacturers including All-Clad, are suitable for induction cooking. Aluminum and copper are not.

How Induction Cooking Works:

1. The element's electronics power a coil that produces a high-frequency electromagnetic field.
2. The field penetrates the metal of the ferrous (magnetic-material) cooking vessel and sets up a circulating electric current, which generates heat. (But see the note below.)
3. The heat generated in the cooking vessel is transferred to the vessel's contents.
4. Nothing outside the vessel is affected by the field--as soon as the vessel is removed from the element, or the element turned off, heat generation stops.

The Bosch induction cooktops:
NIT8665UC
800 Series
36” Induction Cooktop with SteelTouch™ Control and AutoChef™
Stainless Steel Strips

NIT8065UC
800 Series
30” Induction Cooktop with SteelTouch™ Control and AutoChef™
Stainless Steel Strips

Talk to your Fine Lines associate about designing a kitchen around environmentally sound and efficient induction cooking.

Last year's categories included:
Advocate of the Year: Builder, Remodelor, Individual, Group and State/Local Government
Green Project of the Year: Single-Family, Remodeling and Multifamily
Green Development of the Year
Green Home Building Program of the Year

• Single-family Remodeling Project of the Year: Honors went to Red-B Construction for a Durham, N.C., home with striking design and extensive use of deconstruction techniques that improve resource efficiency.
• Multifamily Remodeling Project of the Year: Hardwick G.C. Inc. of Orlando, Fla., turned an early 20th-century bungalow into a charming duplex that has a rainwater harvesting system, native landscaping and other water-efficient features.

NAHB offers extensive resources for builders through their NAHB Green Building Program  including the NAHB Green Scoring Tool, NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and essential educational links. The site also provides information for consumers looking for green builders, reminding homeowners:
Whether building from the ground up or remodeling a kitchen, responsible homeowners should choose Energy-Star Rated appliances, not only will they save on their own monthly budget resources, but save our community resources as well.

*hhgregg states include Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky. This fall hhgregg will welcome Virginia and Mississippi.

Each year, NAHB honors excellence in green residential design, construction practices and outstanding green advocacy efforts. Though a formal call for entries has not yet been released, NAHB urges builders and designers to consider their entries. The deadline for 2010 entries is January 15, 2010, which will be upon us sooner than we think. The award gala will be held on May 17, 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina, an hhgregg state.*

Contact NAHB’s Chad Riedy at greenawards@nahb.com for details.

Last year's categories included:

• Advocate of the Year: Builder, Remodelor, Individual, Group and State/Local Government
• Green Project of the Year: Single-Family, Remodeling and Multifamily
• Green Development of the Year
• Green Home Building Program of the Year

Last year’s award winners included the following from hhgregg states*:

• Single-family Remodeling Project of the Year: Honors went to Red-B Construction for a Durham, N.C., home with striking design and extensive use of deconstruction techniques that improve resource efficiency.
• Multifamily Remodeling Project of the Year: Hardwick G.C. Inc. of Orlando, Fla., turned an early 20th-century bungalow into a charming duplex that has a rainwater harvesting system, native landscaping and other water-efficient features.

NAHB offers extensive resources for builders through their NAHB Green Building Program  including the NAHB Green Scoring Tool, NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and essential educational links. The site also provides information for consumers looking for green builders, reminding homeowners:

Whether building from the ground up or remodeling a kitchen, responsible homeowners should choose Energy Star Rated appliances, not only will they save on their own monthly budget resources, but save our community resources as well.

*hhgregg states include Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky. This fall hhgregg will welcome Virginia and Mississippi.

In the annual Milan Furniture Fair,  Whirlpool supplied the appliances for a stunningly green kitchen designed by Elmar, a well known Italian design firm. Whirlpool, a leading brand at hhgregg, took the opportunity to showcase its 6th Sense Technology, which minimizes the use of water, energy and time.

 

Whirlpool's contribution to this exhibit went beyond the important use of Energy Star Rated appliances by incorporating eco-friendly technology to integrate the appliances and the other functions of the kitchen. Wasted heat and water is always a source of concern in the kitchen. Whirlpool captured used wasted water and heat from one appliance to power another appliance. For example, warm refrigerator coils were used to heat water for the dishwasher. Water was also captured from the dishwasher, recycled and used to water the wall of plants and spices. The Whirlpool green designer kitchen diverts 60% of the water and heat generated from appliances to fuel other appliances, resulting in an average savings of 24% in fuel costs.

 

As homeowners, we can take our cue from Whirlpool. Our first step is to look for Energy Star Rated appliances when it's time to replace a range, dishwasher or refrigerator. hhgregg makes it easy to find these appliances online and in the store. Just ask.

Go the extra mile. If you're considering a kitchen remodel, talk to your designer or contractor about additional ways to make your kitchen greener through recapturing heat and water for reuse between appliances.

For a simple, do-it-yourself improvement, consider adding plants to your design. A wall adjacent to a sunny window provides an opportunity for a hanging kitchen garden. You'll have greens and herbs within steps of the food prep area, fresher air and a tangible testament to your family's eco-friendly effort.

Enter on the 48th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows framing a view of Central Park. But don’t get distracted. Today it’s right on to the kitchen. Along with twin dishwashers, a Thermador range, Thermador refrigerator, built-in cappuccino maker, convection oven and steam over, our dream apartment also has a kitchenette upstairs full outfitted with our favorite Thermador appliances.

Now it may not be time to call the realtor, but a second kitchen on an upper or floor or down below alongside a home theater area, can be a useful addition to today’s home. Second, third or even fourth kitchens are a growing trend in new home design and renovation.  Also referred to as satellite kitchens, mini-kitchens or entertaining kitchens, such an addition is no longer relegated to Fifth Avenue.

Even the merely affluent are indulging in satellite "mini-kitchens," an increasingly popular option in luxury production homes. A fully equipped second kitchen will add $10,000 to the cost of a new home; for a restaurant-style kitchen, the price tag can run into six figures. Jessica Fabricant, a spokeswoman for high-end residential builder Taylor Woodrow Homes Inc., Laguna Hills, Calif., says, "10% to 15% of the company's clients spend an extra $5,000 to $7,000 for a kitchen outpost that includes a microwave, sink and small refrigerator. "

And it’s no stretch of the imagination that, like a kitchen remodel, a second kitchen will hold its value. If you’re ready for fall inspiration, do visit a Fine Lines showroom. You’ll find Thermador, Wolf, Sub-Zero and the other brands found in luxury homes throughout the country.

The star is a fundamental design element in traditional decorating. Sure, we think of faux rusted barn stars as bookshelf or mantel ornaments, Colonial style black iron candle holders with stars, and of course, Stark’s bestselling carpet seen across America’s governors’ mansions. But what a surprise to see the star integrated into Thermador’s Masterpiece cooktop series. No, it’s not just a design motif, but a new burner configuration, stylish and practical.

According to Thermador, “The Star Burner’s unique shape creates a perimeter 56% longer and has more flame ports than a comparable round burner. The result is a burner with superior flame spread and a reduced cold spot that delivers faster and more even heating.”
With chiseled edges and a trapezoid control panel, the cooktop is easy-to-clean and is available in both 36” and 30”.

The Star Burner cooktop is part of Thermador’s Masterpiece series including includes ovens, microwaves, warming drawers, built-in coffee units, refrigeration and dishwashers. It’s a simple and stylish way to introduce a traditional American accent while gaining top of the line cooking performance.

Thermador appliances are available through Fine Lines. Experienced associates are available for consultation with homeowners, architechts, kitchen designers and builders.