"If you overbuild the cabinets, I think it makes it seem claustrophobic. I think open shelves or glass doors on the uppers and lowers really help a space look better."

"The kitchen is really kind of like the living room for me. That's why I opened my own kitchen up to the living room; I did a bar area with bar stools. It never fails: I always try to force people into the living room, but they are always sitting around this bar area in the kitchen."

Always consider the size of your space. "Don't put a 48-inch range in a small kitchen."