Long gone are the days when kitchens were dreary work-spaces, hidden behind closed doors. Today's kitchens are central to everyday living and special-occasion entertaining, often doing double duty as family rooms, offices and media centers, as well.

The kitchen is truly the focus of the home today. A great kitchen design will give essential clues to how the rest of the home can and should develop.

To meet the growing demand for show-stopping kitchens, manufacturers now offer cabinets, countertops, and fixtures in all of today's most popular design styles, from Old World to modern, city chic to country cozy. And your options aren't limited to what you'll find in the kitchen showrooms, either. You can also turn to antique stores, high-end furniture makers and salvage resellers when sourcing kitchen projects.

Whether you're designing your kitchen to match the decor of other rooms, or planning your whole home's look around the kitchen, you can make it a beautiful reflection of your personal style.