Kitchens haven't always been such a big deal. Back when grand houses contained ballrooms and servants' quarters, the kitchen's sights, sounds, and aromas were kept hidden in the basement or back of the house—far from the family's realm. But now the kitchen is often the house's social center: it is the place where kids and parents connect while baking a batch of brownies, guests gather together with a glass of wine, and, as anyone who's ever set their laptop onto a kitchen counter can attest, an impromptu office where homework or catch-up work often gets done. The kitchen designs reflect their importance and illustrate that they can be glamorous as well as multi-functional.

"More often than not, the kitchen is the heart of the home," says designer Elaine Jackson of Diane Hughes Interiors. Depending on how the family plans to use the kitchen—whether it is just for cooking or family dinners around a large center island—the design follows accordingly. "There are so many ways people enjoy their kitchens today and how they want them laid out," she explains, "that it doesn't take very long to realize exactly what they're looking for."

Elaine designed a cheerful yet elegant Kitchen punctuated with bold colors inspired by fabric she used for the window treatments, which features a black background with a medley of watermelon, tomatoes, peas, pineapples, and other fruit. She pulled colors from the fabric and placed them throughout the room, where they can be seen in the bright yellow wall color, the green, yellow and terra-cotta Italian urns from Vietra, and the black kitchen counter stools with yellow seat cushions.

Elaine explains that because the kitchen was elongated she believed that the pale green cabinets and gray countertops had to be anchored with the stronger colors placed in understated ways. "The subtle use of color can create a pleasing impact," says Elaine.

Although the appliances featured the latest technology, Elaine also incorporated antiques into the design, including a French étagère dating from 1700, which she accessorized with cookbooks and contemporary artifacts. Elaine says, "I believe antiques are wonderful to include in most decors, adding warmth and interest. This can be done with thoughtful accessorizing—not unlike how a bride might accessorize her grandmother's wedding gown to wear at her own marriage ceremony."

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Paying attention to a home's waterfront setting was part of Debbie Kingry's inspiration for her kitchen design. The results combine the estate's period details of the 1920s with modern conveniences to make an attractive space where family members could either interact comfortable together, or work independently while sharing the same space.

"My whole idea for the kitchen was to do a sophisticated coastal design in a very livable and comfy space," explains Debbie. "Men also loved it because it wasn't overdone with accessories."

Water views and an abundance of natural light pour into the kitchen through a wall of windows that look over extensive grounds leading to the water's edge. The incoming sunlight reflects in the seeded glass panels of the white cabinets whose clean lines are accented by the bold tones of marine blue seat cushions and cookware, and black granite countertops, which have been honed and pitted to look antique.

The few accessories Debbie did bring in were mostly personal pieces from her own collection, including an unusual grass ball that sits on a vase. She said she often uses her clients' existing pieces in new and thoughtful ways to "make it current, and make them feel really good about it."

Mindful of the busy family who would be using the space, Debbie also transformed an old salvage door into a family message board by installing slate into the door's vertical slats. "Out of all of it that was my favorite," says Debbie. "Everybody kept calling me asking how to do it. It was a really great piece."

Though kitchens vary, one thing is certain: they must be functional, which is not always an easy task for an interior designer. Designers Leslie Rifkin of L. Newman Associates/Paul Mansback, Inc., and Heidi Huddleston of Dovetailed Kitchens faced the challenge of designing a glamorous kitchen while also bringing rough conditions up to code and keeping the colonial-era house's historical integrity intact.

A leafy print fabric Leslie found for the windows served as an inspiration for the room's palette. Heidi explains, "the custom tile backsplash was designed around it and elements of nature started sprouting" such as the "chocolate" walnut counters, and shades of cream punctuated with crisp accents.

In a nod to the home's long history, Leslie and Heidi designed moldings, along with turned posts and columns to support a massive working island, based on the elegant exterior door trim. They also brought in a hutch and the chandelier from the dining room. For function, Heidi and Leslie installed high-end appliances, including a large commercial-type range and a glass-door refrigerator.

The designers also introduced an element that they call "instant glitz." Wanting to preserve the room's original pressed metal ceilings, they painted them silver, adding a touch of glamour that became a key element of the room's design. "We repeated the silver in many places, sparkling crystal with gleaming accessories, pewter and brushed chrome hardware, a shiny faucet, stainless appliances... ooh la la," says Heidi.

"Most clients are afraid to add glitz to a kitchen," explains Heidi, "For us, it was just the ticket to the success of the room, and we think a trend."