As the focal point of the modern home, the kitchen is the latest place where architects and designers are being challenged to innovate with form and function

Perhaps the plethora of cooking shows on TV is partly responsible for the kitchen becoming the new focal point in the home. No longer is it the place where women are metaphorically chained; today it's the habitat of testosterone-driven superchef Gordon Ramsay or domestic goddess Nigella Lawson. And if our kitchens are now a hotbed of culinary creation, they have to look the part too, not only in design, but also with all the gadgets, bells and whistles that will at least suggest you're a Ferrán Adrià in the making, even if your carrot foam never amounts to much.

"We've always viewed the kitchen as the entertainment centre of the home. However, in recent years the kitchen has come to be regarded as a primary living space," says Fu-Tung Cheng, a designer who skilfully utilizes concrete in his bespoke kitchens. "Today, more events revolve around the kitchen than ever before. Accordingly, in most households the kitchen has emerged as the epicentre of the home."

Cheng's clients want his concrete countertops not only because of their aesthetic appeal, but also because of the practical function they offer. Don't be dissuaded by thoughts of Brutalist architecture. Concrete, it seems, is pretty versatile; it can be given a high polish, coloured, and combined with more standard materials such as wood, glass, stainless steel, and tiling. The results are surprisingly different. In one of Cheng's creations, a moss-tinted concrete countertop with precious stone and fossil inlays is paired with warm bamboo flooring that perfectly complements a family home. In another, a 'denim blue' concrete worktop combined with stainless steel creates a more urban cooking space in a mezzanine loft.

When it comes to creating a well-planned space, it's not only about the practical wash, prep, cook and dine areas, there's also lifestyle, entertaining habits and family size to consider. "The goal is to balance contemporary with warm, innovative with emotional," concludes Cheng.

US-based Wm Ohs is another bespoke kitchen company whose handcrafted cabinetry tends towards the traditional. There are four fundamental elements whatever the design: the hearth (traditionally, the soul of the kitchen), the table island (a stand-alone workspace with units), the pantry (for storage), and the decorative hatch (linking the kitchen to other rooms).

Bob Cilli, President of Wm Ohs, has also seen a trend in homeowners considering their kitchen to be the most important room in the house. "Because of this we are seeing customers spending more money and becoming much more involved in all areas of the kitchen design process."

That involvement has heralded a demand for greener products too. "Wm Ohs has launched an environmentally friendly cabinetry line," Cilli adds. "We have been working for years with suppliers that provide the leading woods and other materials appropriate for our kitchens and are committed to stewardship and sustainable forestry programmes." - Lara Nicol