The New Must-Haves

American families spend more time in the kitchen and bathroom than in the bedroom or living room, so it's no wonder they want kitchens and baths to be as luxurious as possible. So, what are today's most popular products for the most-used rooms in the house?

In the kitchen, homeowners want elements that were formerly found only in gourmet and commercial kitchens. And despite the slowing housing market, builders say that affluent buyers — and even lower-end buyers — still want to be offered these features, even if they have to pay for them as upgrades.

While granite and stainless-steel appliances used to be the hottest luxury items, wine and beverage refrigerators, warming drawers, and upgraded appliances now rank as "most-wanted," says John Holland, principal of Weymouth, Mass.-based Holland Development, which builds high-end residential communities. Unlike the coffee bars and built-in espresso machines that appealed to only a few homeowners, commercial-grade appliances are trendy and functional, experts say. "We're seeing people choose refrigerators and stoves that range from $5,000 to $7,000 each," he notes.

This kitchen — gracing a just-completed home in Boston’s Holland Development neighborhood — illustrates the trend toward higher-end appliances is still strong.

For example, Holland's newest residential project in Boston — four-story townhouses selling for more than $2.5 million — features Sub-Zero refrigerators, Viking Professional Series stainless-steel cook tops and wall ovens, and built-in wine refrigerators.

In the bathroom, homeowners are bypassing heated toilets in favor of heated floors and towel racks, large spa showers with multiple body sprays and steam, and oversized tubs that mimic natural environments. "The absolute bathroom luxury item is warm tile floors," Holland says. "The heated floors replace the old heat lamps of the 1970s." Floor heat is usually supplied by hydronic coils, which cost about $3,000. Electric warming mats are also available for installation under tile; their installed cost is less than hydronic, but they cost more to operate.

Large, spacious showers measuring at least five-feet square are another must-have for the luxury-seeking homeowner. Multiple body sprays and steam add a minimum of $2,000 to the overall bathroom expense, Holland says.

Perhaps the most luxurious item of all is an integrated home-control touch panel. Although these can be installed in any room, they are most popular in kitchens and bathrooms, says Ben Parks, COO of Benolli Smart Systems, a newly established company that designs and manufactures these high-tech products.

Each touch panel is hooked directly to the Internet and controls the home's appliances, allowing residents to watch TV, check their e-mail, and even control and monitor household appliances. "If you have a home of 3,000 square feet or more, this system offers a lot of convenience," he points out.

For example, a homeowner can see how much longer the washing machine’s current load will be just by looking at the touch panel; there's no need to walk to the laundry room. Or a homeowner can access the integrated system from work, for example, and turn off the oven or turn on the air conditioning.

The touch panel, which is usually installed in the front of a cabinet, is made of real glass, stainless steel or gold, so it fits any architecture or interior style. The Benolli system starts at $5,000, Parks says. The upper end of the price scale "really depends on the level of control an owner wants," he notes, adding that the company has installed the touch-panel system in several luxury condo developments in New York.