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" Remember when the only thing people did in the kitchen was cook? Neither do we. Good thing the room&amp;#039;s layout has evolved as radically as its function. Case in point: the rapid rise of the communications center\u2014a built-in desk or counter where bills are paid, messages posted, homework done, Web pages browsed, and more. There are a variety of ways to include a household hub in your kitchen, as these four examples show.  tucked in It looks like a piece of furniture, but this communications center, designed by Alexander Santana of Hansen Architects in Savannah, Georgia, is actually built into a niche between two windows. The unit is made from the same alder wood used throughout the Tuscan-inspired kitchen. At 30 inches deep, its desktop fits a monitor, and a bracketed shelf holds even oversized cookbooks. The center&amp;#039;s proximity to the island lets the homeowners refer quickly to recipes during food prep. A halogen fixture under the shelf supplements the table lamp.   end run She&amp;#039;s not there now, but you can just picture this household&amp;#039;s grade-schooler seated at this desk, enjoying snack time in front of her favorite afternoon show. Designed by Susan Davis of SD Atelier Architecture in Saratoga, New York, the surface drops down about a foot from the surrounding countertop. That gives the nook its own identity, though the cherry and ash paneling matches it to the kitchen cabinetry. A trim ladder-back chair with a rush seat is perfectly scaled to the space, and with the television turned off (rules are rules), it&amp;#039;s conducive to doing homework as well.   under cover This bracketed desktop might have become just another storage cabinet. But Venice, California\u2013based architect Lise Claiborne Matthews claimed it as &amp;quot;the family plunking spot.&amp;quot; Computer-ready, the space fields both e-mail and snail mail. The homeowners can also run wiring to the cabinet overhead and use it as a charging station for cell phones, PDAs, and other high-tech portables.   middle seat Wedged between a built-in hutch and a bank of appliances, this kitchen work zone, designed by Vincent Jacquard in Beverly Hills, California, is the picture of versatility. When an extra serving surface is needed\u2014during a party, say\u2014the upholstered armchair and lamp can be moved to another room. In full work mode, however, the counter is ideal for scratching out a grocery list or paying the bills because it offers ample elbow room and abundant drawer space for pens, pads, envelopes, and more. Should tasks turn tedious, let your gaze meander to the interior window above the counter, which looks in on an adjoining living area. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/room-ideas/a926/desk-jobs-17404/>