The luxury kitchen has become central to contemporary living, and whether for resale value or simple comfort, their value cannot be understated. Georgio Home has seen a growing number of clients choose to renovate their kitchens rather than sell. But what key features specifically do discerning consumers in New York's northern suburbs look for?

According to interior designers Jillian and Patricia Georgio, it's all about glamor: creating cohesive space where form follows function.

We can’t deny our love for honed Carrara and Calacatta marble. Their classic white and grey veining exudes a confident elegance, but it takes work to keep it looking good, and we're seeing a push from clients who don't want the upkeep. Our solution: white neolith, a material that looks like marble but wears like porcelain. The compact surface is heat/fire resistant and does not scratch or stain. As an additional plus, it is priced similarly to a quartz so your pocket will thank you in the long term.

Layout is also key. Today's consumer wants an open floor plan where the kitchen flows through the breakfast nook and into the family room, but there's more to it than that. The layout of cabinetry is something that can't be downplayed, and can be entirely customized to suit how you use your kitchen. Is it natural to throw your garbage/recyclables to the left of your sink, or the right? How deep do your drawers need to be to hold all your pots and pans? Do you want that dishwasher closer to the sink to avoid spilling? Answering these kinds of questions leads to the best results.

Subtle nuance plays an important role in refining the kitchen's overall aesthetic. Today, the key feature we're seeing is mixed metal, and their textures can help tie the rest of the kitchen together. Backsplashes are something that were invented for the very practical purpose of protecting walls while cooking, but they're now playing a bigger role from a decorative standpoint. Backsplashes can pick up hints of hoods, appliances and fixtures, bringing them out to make a bold statement.

Last but not least is lighting, and lately we're seeing it applied to kitchens in three different "layers." The first is pendant lighting over the center island, which invites a warm, ambient light lower into the room and is great for highlighting a statement detail into the space. The next level is recessed lighting on the ceiling, illuminating the room more fully without glare. Last, and arguably the most important, is cabinetry lighting. There's possibly nothing that brightens a kitchen more than cabinetry that's properly lit.

To see the full featured kitchen designs by Patricia Georgio Designs, please see below (clickable into gallery of pictures for each kitchen) or visit www.patriciageorgiodesigns.com.

Chelsea Georgio is an agent with Houlihan Lawrence's Rye brokerage and works with her family's business, Georgio Home, a luxury design build firm which includes a thriving interior design and cabinetry business. Their showroom at 43 Theodore Fremd Avenue, Rye is open to the public.