Recently Filed in Kitchen

At first glance, this kitchen might look like any other kitchen. But what’s under the surface makes for an incredible recipe, cooked up by custom electronics pro Audio Video Concepts. The kitchen starts with one part audio, which is supplied by a Niles GXR2 multizone receiver and a pair of Niles CM710 ceiling mount speakers. These speakers are controlled by a Niles display keypad. If the chef needs a remote closer in the kitchen, he or she can use the i-remote. From these controls, the… View this story
HDTV • LCD • In-Ceiling Speakers • Surround Sound • Kitchen • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

In what might be the ultimate kitchen automation, Anvil Cabinet and Mill has introduced a line of fully automated, “intelligent” kitchen cabinets. These cabinets, which have the ability to “automatically fold and disappear” almost like a Roman shade, are activated by motion sensors. The homeowner simply waves his or her hand or taps a finger near the sensor. Unlike cabinets that have always opened with a hinged, swinging motion, Anvil Motion cabinets’ patent-pending technology allows the doors to rise and fall vertically, concealing or revealing… View this story
Home Control • Location • Kitchen • Miscellaneous • Product News

This small but effective condo kitchen is well-appointed, but the technology is not obtrusive. And it’s got plenty of smarts—so much so that it impressed a local TV morning news anchor to do a segment on it for Fox59 Morning News in Indianapolis. Without too much space to deal with, systems designer DistinctAV provided some viewing by tucking a 19-inch LG HDTV over the crushed-glass, underlit bar table. Colorado vNet lighting controls affect eight zones in the kitchen and dining areas alone, while an RTI… View this story
Home Security Systems • Home Control Systems • Kitchen • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

Careful attention was paid to integrating A/V into this kitchen remodel, as both homeowners were passionate about cooking, and used this space for a main gathering and social area. So custom electronics pro Sensory Environment Design cooked up some nifty solutions to keep A/V out of the way while delivering impact and everyday conveniences. “The original design had located the TV in the corner above the desk area on an articulating mount,” says SED’s Shane Seira. “After some on-site analysis and meetings with both the… View this story
Home Control Systems • Touchpanels and Keypads • Kitchen • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

How many kitchens include a 63-inch plasma TV and full 5.1-channel surround sound entertainment system, with powered sub woofers and 10 additional stereo support speakers for music in the kitchen, all discretely disguised or hidden? Right—not many, unless you’re at a country club maybe. Or this New Jersey home, which was outfitted with electronics by custom electronics pro Home Systems (in fact the entire home installation was such a mammoth project that it won our award for Best Grand Space). “This kitchen was designed so… View this story
Kitchen • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

This family kitchen was part of a whole-house install, but stands alone as a very elegant place to cook and eat. “The biggest challenge we faced on this job was integrating A/V equipment into a humongous home, and making sure that it was not going to overpower the aesthetic quality of the decorations,” says Chad Lofgren of custom electronics firm Hi-Tech Home. “We got involved in this home while it was in construction phase, so we had to make sure that our design was spot-on… View this story
Multiroom Audio • Kitchen • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

Not many people are willing to give up cabinet space in a kitchen for a TV, let alone two floor-to-ceiling racks of audio and video equipment, processors and controllers. For the owners of this high-rise apartment, however, it was a sacrifice they were willing to make. “As the central spot of the apartment, it really was the best place for the gear,” says Scott Jordan of Electronics Design Group (EDG) in Piscataway, N.J. “From this hub we were able to route wiring easily to every… View this story
Kitchen • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Most of our time is spent in the kitchen—and the owners of this space are no exception, even though they have a serious hi-end audio system in the nearby living room. They definitely wanted some audio/video enjoyment in the kitchen and dining area, but they also wanted to keep a clean look and a focus on the scenic views powered by the floor-to-ceiling windows. The original plan was to place the TV on the wall near the kitchen counter, but it would not have been… View this story
Kitchen • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes • Slideshows

According to Amana, I’m patient and relaxed, good with children and stupid people and at untying knots. I also seek to minimize conflict by remaining non-committal about everything except putting mayo on French fries. Wait. There’s more. Others are attracted to my seemingly genuine interest in their lives, not realizing that I’ve mastered the art of sleeping with my eyes open. I’ve got to admit, for an appliance manufacturer, Amana’s got me pegged. How did this maker of refrigerators, dishwashers and stoves gain such a… View this story
Kitchen • Refrigerators • Product News

Are you a bit nervous about keeping a laptop computer in the kitchen? Has your cell phone ever done a nose dive into the sink? Are cookbooks too cumbersome? For years, home systems manufacturers have touted the ability of their touchscreens to scour the web for recipes. The feature works, but these products are usually pretty pricey and are mainly intended for other purposes—like controlling the lights, A/V equipment and motorized shades. In short, not the kind of technology that’s well suited for the kitchen… View this story
Kitchen • Gadgets • Enhancements • Product News

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting, refrigeration and cooking are responsible for more than 41 percent of a home’s energy consumption. Whirlpool believes that’s too much, and has developed a new line of appliances designed to be as much as 290 percent more efficient than previous models. Included in the Eco Kitchen line, which was unveiled this week at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas, are a Resource Saver refrigerator, Resource Saver dishwasher and Energy Save range. With energy use equivalent to… View this story
Appliances • Refrigerators • Kitchen • Green Technology • Product News

The electronic trappings alone stand out—a basement home theater, a pop-up plasma in the bedroom, a TV over the fireplace, multiroom audio, climate and lighting control systems, and more. However, this stylish Lincoln Park–area Chicago home isn’t merely about fancy audio/video and automation. They’re big brush strokes in an overall green picture that’s been carefully crafted by everyone from the builder to the interior designer to the electronics systems contractor. Because it was constructed as a spec home without an owner waiting in the wings,… View this story
Kitchen • Green Technology • Home Control • Cool Homes • Slideshows