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.

The Renewed American Home, a showcase home at the upcoming 2007 International Builders Show in Orlando, is undergoing an extensive renovation, growing from 2,462 square feet to 5,860 square feet in the process. The new kitchen will be 17′7″ x 14′10″, or about 261 square feet. Of course, this does not include the basement wine room, the basement saferoom/pantry (makes sense to keep the non-perishables and a can opener here, I guess), or the kitchenette in the efficiency apartment over the garage.

It’s a perfect example of a trend that many high-end kitchen designers point to: the kitchenification of the home. Not only is the kitchen the heart of the home, it’s now also the hands, feet and kidney. There’s the beverage center in the master suite, the dry bar in the rec room, the grill area near the pool, the butler’s pantry off the dining area–all designed to make sure food and drink are within reach at any given moment.

In much the same way, TVs have gotten larger and larger, and many people have one for the family room, one for the bedroom, a small one in the kitchen, even a TV built into the bathroom mirror or the Jacuzzi tub for those with a little cash to spare. Next up: a cooktop in your bathroom counter?