HGTV's 2024 Smart Home is a high-end midcentury modernist haven valued at a whopping $795,825. Designer Tiffany Brooks meticulously thought out every aspect, with stunning results. On the open-concept first floor, a kitchen island was built to create an inviting space that erases the boundary between the kitchen and dining room, with a kitchen sink, dishwasher, countertop work area, hidden smart plugs and lower cabinetry on one side. The dining room back of the island doubles as the back of a custom banquet seat with under-bench storage. The banquet provides seating on one side of a casual dining table and dining chairs on the other side.
This island and banquette combination trend is appealing not only because it looks good, but because it makes the kitchen a multifunctional space for cooking, socializing, and eating. With storage space underneath the banquette seating, you also avoid the more traditional bar stool dilemma of having to move your chair to access the island storage. Unlike bar stools, low banquette seating is more comfortable for people of all ages. This combination allows for true open-concept living, blending the kitchen and dining space together to feel airy and spacious, yet cozy and welcoming. “This is the most attention-grabbing renovation in the house,” the HGTV host says of the kitchen. “What was an old, closed-off part of the house is now gorgeous, sophisticated, and eye-catching.”
