• Make your new kitchen something to take a picture of.Kitchen interior image by Loshkaryov Sergey from Fotolia.com
  
  A new kitchen is the place to expand the limits of old concepts of this room as simply a place to house a sink, range and refrigerator. The modern day kitchen can intrude into the realm of interior design artwork courtesy of technological advances in equipment and a nearly endless supply of décor considerations that allow you to make a mark on your kitchen concept, whether it be strictly traditional or avant-garde.
  
  

Countertops, Walls and Flooring Materials

• The look of a new kitchen can test the boundaries of luxury textures. You can showcase not just limestone countertops, but matching walls and floors. If you don't like limestone or the idea of one look for all parts of the room, consider slate tiles on the wall and terrazo countertops to go with ceramic tile flooring. Really test the limits of the imagination by going with concrete countertops that can be made to simulate everything from antique wood to marble.
  
  

Conversational Cooking

• Invest in an island cooking unit with a gas stovetop and situate it in your kitchen so that you can look out into the living room while you cook. If you are a social chef instead of one who likes to be separated from your guests while you work your magic, this set-up is a convenient and effective way to bring the living and kitchen together for conversation.
  
  

Vaulted Ceiling and Stained Glass

• If your new kitchen is going to be set within confined space, you can create the illusion that it is bigger by putting in a vaulted ceiling. The raised height of the ceiling instantly creates illusion that can be enhanced with the addition of an arched window over the sink. To further underscore this design choice, choose a stained glass design for the top half of the window.
  
  

Natural Lighting

• Take full advantage of natural lighting in a kitchen by choosing materials and décor that exploits the science of light. Design a large window that the sun can shine fully through and place mirrored glass on the opposite wall. You can get ventilation pipes that are covered in metal and a zinc-covered floor to fully manipulate the power of reflection. Add some texture to otherwise stark white walls to further refine your kitchen's ability to eschew artificial lighting completely during the daylight hours.
  
  

Hidden Spaces

• A new kitchen is the perfect way to design for effect. Ask your contractor to look into ways to design cabinets so that they can hide small appliances. Inquire about the potential for building your counter space so that your toaster could actually slide into the wall and disappear from view when not in use. If you can't convince your builder to create something as elaborate as that, you can just settle for a false backsplash that opens to reveal about a half-foot of hidden storage space where you can hide some of your smaller kitchen gadgets.