POTS & PLANS
July 26, 2007 — Whats the first thing youre going to make in your new kitchen? Bart Simpson once asked his mother, Marge, after a two-year kitchen renovation.
How about cooking up some money, because this stupid kitchen cost a hundred-thousand dollars, Homer chimed in, bursting into tears.
Oh, Homer . . . $100,000 is nothing.
Its not hard to spend many times that figure on the kitchen of your dreams.
Kitchen design has strayed so much from the basics, says Andrew Heiberger, founder and CEO of Buttonwood Real Estate. It has become disconnected from reality.
What might have seemed like an over-the-top kitchen five years ago is de rigueur today. And even if youve never made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and have no interest in a splashy kitchen, youre probably going to get one anyway if youre in the market for a new apartment.
Tricked-out kitchens with ultra-luxe appliances have become standard in new condos and conversions. Sub-Zero, Miele and Viking appliances are expected - as are custom cabinets and high-end finishes.
The kitchen is a showpiece, says Elisa Orlanski Ours, vice president for pre-development at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing. But its also functional, as well. So the appliances have to be very thoughtfully chosen.
In some cases, home kitchens rival those in city restaurants.
When I started JoJo, it was a 50-seat dining room and it was $120,000 kitchen that was fully equipped, says super-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten of his 16-year-old eatery. Now, $120,000 is nothing special for an above-average apartment kitchen.
When Eric Mann, a partner at The Developers Group, moved into his $3 million Fifth Avenue two-bedroom condo last year, the kitchenette was a cramped, tiny space. It had a four-burner stove, a beat-up metal counter and a mini-bar instead of a full-size refrigerator. Mann spent 10 months renovating, took out the apartments
master bath and turned his new kitchen space into a gadget-filled extravaganza. >PAGE 1>
