One day the overhead light in my kitchen made a loud cracking noise. Immediately thereafter, chunks of black plastic and a shower of black dust rained down on the kitchen table. Until then, I had not thought much about the kitchen lighting, except to note that it was sufficient for my needs. Was it still?

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As the American home has grown in size, so has the American kitchen. According to the American Institute of Architects, current home designs feature not just more square footage but also bigger pantries, higher-end appliances, better access to other family space in the home, island work areas and desks or computer stations.

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At the cooking class, one of the attendees mentioned that our dinner would be a special treat for he and his fiancee, given that their kitchen was in mid-remodel. Said kitchen - a 10 foot x 10 foot room that included only a range, a refrigerator and a sink with integrated drainboards - had never been updated. There were no cabinets or countertops. While the couple looked forward to new stainless steel appliances and granite counters, at present they had an empty room.

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