Baths and kitchens. These two rooms play vital roles in every home and are frequently the big-ticket areas for renovations and resale. Oftentimes, folks get passionate about one or the other and, if asked to choose, tend to fall into one of two camps.

I am unapologetically a kitchen person. It is the heart of my home, the center of creativity, conversation, experimentation and accomplishment. I love to cook, and if cost was no object, I would design myself a kitchen that anticipated and answered my every need—and occupied significant real estate. I have always dreamed of having an island so massive that I would never have to worry about knocking something off the edge with my elbow. (Don’t get me started on the decadence of having multiple islands. We see them in many homes, and invariably, I am filled with envy.) I geek out on ingeniously functioning drawers, alphabetized spice racks, multiple ovens and—dare to dream—a glass-door refrigerator for my obsessive-compulsive need to show off my organizational prowess.

Let us not give short shrift to bath devotees, who have their own steamy visions dancing in their heads. A perfectly appointed, spa-like getaway—the ultimate pampering escape—is their sweet spot. Heated floors and towel racks, saunas, faucets that respond to verbal command, aromatherapy, the list is endless. While soaking in a hot bath is not an indulgence that feeds my needs, I am the first to admit that freestanding tubs are pretty spectacular.

Kitchens or baths. Must we choose one or the other? Of course not. Whatever you prefer, the glory is in the details. We hope that these pages provide enough inspiration to get you dreaming—and creating—your own happy place.

John Roark
Editor in Chief