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"Family time in Ruth and Eric Abeshaus&amp;#039; home is at the top of the menu, and the kitchen is where they clock all their activities.  The space in the Lebanon, New Jersey, home opens to the playroom, which makes it rather easy for their daughters, 5-year-old Charlotte and 3-year-old Alex, to drop their toys and pick up big wooden spoons to help make pancakes, egg-white omelets, French toast and blueberry muffins on the griddle of the double-oven range. &amp;quot;I cook easy stuff with fresh ingredients,&amp;quot; says Ruth. &amp;quot;They could be considered gourmet meals, but they are not fancy.&amp;quot;  The transitional style of the kitchen, where traditional and contemporary elements form a beautiful blend, reflects the easy-going lifestyle of the family. &amp;quot;I wanted an open space that was airy and light-infused,&amp;quot; says Ruth. &amp;quot;I also wanted it to be functional for my family and for casual entertaining as well.&amp;quot;  To create the look, kitchen and bath designer Ian Cairl, owner of Platinum Designs in Pluckemin, New Jersey, centered the design for the 476-square-foot space around two open, table-style islands of different sizes. &amp;quot;The kitchen was large, but there wasn&amp;#039;t much wall space because two corridors cut right through it,&amp;quot; he says. &amp;quot;The trick was making it flow.&amp;quot; Traditional-style cabinetry with more-modern hardware reaches to the 10-foot ceiling to provide maximum storage. To give a spacious feeling, three floating, illuminated shelves were placed on the sink wall to display contemporary artwork.  The kitchen looks elegant, but the emphasis is on ease of use. The girls like to eat early, so a warming drawer keeps Eric&amp;#039;s dinner fresh when he works late. For small loads, individual dishwasher drawers augment the main dishwasher. And a pair of refrigerator drawers in the main island makes it easy for Charlotte and Alex to get their own drinks and snacks. &amp;quot;We put gliders on every drawer so the girls don&amp;#039;t get their fingers caught,&amp;quot; Ruth says.  When the Abeshauses entertain, everyone gravitates toward the kitchen, where the small island becomes a dessert table and the large one displays the buffet.  The kitchen, which includes a built-in desk that houses a computer/flat-screen TV combo, was built to work hard every day. But it&amp;#039;s more play than work, Ruth says.  The girls agree. When they aren&amp;#039;t cooking up a storm, they find the kitchen the perfect place to spend some quality time with their parents. &amp;quot;They like to sit on the shelf under the small island,&amp;quot; Ruth says. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s where they hang out.&amp;quot; \u2014Courtesy ofKitchens and Baths magazine "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/room-ideas/a1939/old-world-update-a-56802/>