KITCHENS TURN BACK THE CLOCK HOMEY AND RETRO ARE WAY IN FOR REMODELERS.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Staff Writer

The kitchen door is open and everybody's there, not only cooking but socializing and dining at the kitchen table like they did before TV - or TV dinners.

``I've been looking inside people's kitchens - professionally - since 1995, and it's clear that they're becoming the most important room in the house in terms of where people want to spend their time and money,'' says Joan Kohn, host of HGTV's ``Kitchen Design'' show and the author of the soon-to-be-published book ``It's Your Kitchen'' (Bulfinch Press; $30).

``Nothing is more important than a table in the kitchen,'' Kohn continues. ``Remember, the kitchen table is an island ... and whether it's round or square, it will become the standard meeting place.''

National Kitchen & Bath Association spokesman Rick Beckham agrees, describing the kitchen as ``the hub of the house,'' and according to the NKBA's latest survey, the room is getting bigger and better-dressed.

In its 2002 survey of 400 kitchen designers, 400 dealers, 400 retailers and 400 manufacturers conducted by Sovereign Marketing Research, the NKBA learned that of those planning a new kitchen, the most-requested shape was a large room with a large island area in the middle, closely followed by the ``great room'' look that was typical of old farmhouse kitchens that had a dining area, pantry, laundry area and extra utility sink and opened into the parlor.

Beckham describes the kitchen of 2003 as one with furniture-quality cabinetry with a light oak stain to match polyurethane-coated flooring that provides the beauty of wood with easy-wipe capabilities. The second most-requested kitchen is one with white painted cabinets with crown molding and cottage-style leaded glass doors that display retro dinnerware and teapots with lower cabinets designed for spices, knives, cookie sheets, soup pots and also wine.

For the dream kitchen with enough space for coffee klatches, the NKBA says the average American is spending $36,200 with the help of a home improvement store. And if there's a certified kitchen designer involved, the project's cost is closer to $45,000 (and more in Los Angeles).

``There's a whole different attitude toward the home. First, people are not moving as often as they used to, so they're investing in their home - and they're cooking more, so they want bigger rooms, even if that means converting living rooms into kitchens,'' says kitchen designer and space planner Cynthia Bennett of South Pasadena.

Getting the look

Reports from last month's New York International Gift Market, the country's top trade show for housewares, say the home's new hub will be retrofitted with things from more innocent days and decades.

``Rooster themes, checkered red or black floors and blue-and-white plates reminiscent of Delftware are all on the cutting edge again, and I think it's because it's homey. But it's also part of a trend to making post- World War II homes look original,'' says Encino interior designer Jean Frey, who recently gave some San Fernando Valley homes a retro facelift.

``I recently bought a '50s house that needed a new kitchen, but after I saw that it had the original enamel sink and counter, I decided to take it back to its original state and added the red checkerboard floor,'' says Kris Goddard, a Sunland real-estate agent. She adds that since she sells houses for a living, she's noticed that it's mostly the younger crowd who didn't grow up in the '50s who want the old-fashioned kitchens. Or a home with the potential to have one. The reason, she says, is the colors are bright and accent themes are upbeat.

Kitchen expert Bennett agrees. She says designers are using more bright colors in the kitchen, such as red and blue, but adds that green is still very popular.

The newest countertop is granite, but it's now made with a dull finish, which makes it more user-friendly, as well as in a variety of colors. Colorful ceramic tile, a classic countertop choice among vintage fans, is expensive and high maintenance, so designers are more apt to save it for the back splash.

Since we obviously want to be anywhere but the here-and-now, designers like Frey and Bennett also are getting requests for soft mossy greens and earthy tiles that reflect the country lifestyle of Italy, France or Spain. With this look, there's more emphasis on nature and natural items, but there's still that big old table and stove.

Making it sizzle 

Although new kitchens are wired to accommodate modern appliances such as microwaves, computers, fax machines and plasma-screen televisions, the stove and fridge look like grandma's. Heck, they may even be grandma's, as there are a number of businesses that cater to the retro crowd. In addition to retail stores, shoppers can order from the Old Appliance Club Web site (www.theoldapplianceclub.com) or refer to the manufacturers' addresses in the back of Elle Decor Portfolio's new book, ``Kitchens'' (Filipacchi; $14.95).

One might think that a reproduction would be cheaper than a restored original, but that's not the case.

Panorama City homeowners Dennis and Janie Baker recently remodeled their 1947 house and wanted a new stove with old-fashioned charm, but the $3,000 price put them into sticker shock. They happily settled for a fully restored model priced at under $1,000 that has a big center griddle for making pancakes.

Want a shiny red and chrome-trimmed refrigerator to match your '50s diner-themed table and chairs? A Canadian company called Elmira Stove Works makes retro-style General Electric refrigerators to order. It takes six to eight weeks to deliver them, says company spokeswoman Carolyn Schill, who adds that floor models can be seen at appliance stores across the country, including Warehouse Discount Center in Agoura Hills. Matching new stoves should be ready for distribution by 2004, Schill says.

``Rewired or reproduction, the retro range is an evolution from the huge commercial (and statusy) stoves such as Viking that have a warm, country feeling,'' says Bennett.

And just in case you really don't cook that much, many of the new refrigerators have pull-out drawers for party platters, while stoves are featuring pizza-size warming drawers.

What's cookin' in the kitchen

--Light wood or white cabinets

--Hardwood or '40s flooring

--Rooster, fruit and garden themes

--Decorative drawer pulls

--Home office equipment

--Retro-inspired appliances

--Granite counters

--Conversation areas

--Melamine dishes

- Barbara De Witt

Suggested servings

To help you get that new old-fashioned look in the kitchen, we rounded up a few ideas, from plates to appliances. Think about curves and colors from the '40s and '50s and even the early '60s, but if you're unsure, just put on your apron and study reruns of ``I Love Lucy,'' ``The Donna Reed Show'' and ``Happy Days.''

CAPTION(S):

11 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) On the cover: Kris Goddard's home, built in the '50s, featured the original enamel sink and grooved counters, so she couldn't resist giving it a ``Happy Days'' theme with a checkerboard floor and chrome table.

(2 -- 3 -- color) To complete her kitchen theme, Goddard added a retro range, above, by O'Keefe and Merritt. Stoves and refrigerators from the early '50s have become so popular that they are being rewired as well as reproduced with modern features. Chrome is cool again, whether it's on a faucet such as this one in Goddard's Sunland kitchen, inset, or vintage-inspired toasters and mixers.

(4 -- color) Encino designer Jean Frey enlarged and designed this San Fernando Valley kitchen to include a country-style dining table and Windsor chairs. She gave the room a blue leaf theme carried out in the tile and drawer pulls that complements the blue-and-white granite countertops.

(5 -- color) The Pearman family's kitchen in Encino reflects the trend to larger kitchens with a place for family and friends to gather while the host cooks. Notice how computers and crown molding are both at home.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(6 -- color) This rooster weather vane indicates a retro trend in kitchens, $20 at Bloomingdale's, Fashion Square mall, Sherman Oaks.

(7 -- color) A retro red KitchenAid mixer, $249, could stir up memories of homemade cakes. This and all products courtesy of Bloomingdale's at Fashion Square mall in Sherman Oaks.

(8 -- color) A serving plate by Philippe Deshoulers, $89, recalls California's agricultural history.

(9 -- color) Shiny chrome and curves add to the '50s appeal of a toaster oven by DeLonghi, $199.

(10 -- color) Splashes of color are the big news in appliances such as this Waring blender, $129.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

(11) The trend to country kitchens was predicted at the Assistance League of Southern California's Design House 2002, with retro-inspired Maytag washer and dryer and vintage garden theme by Kevin Corn Design.

Box:

(1) What's cookin' in the kitchen (see text)

(2) Suggested servings (see text)