The future looks positive for kitchen-centric brands.

That’s because the kitchen has become the most important room in the house. It’s the new family room, dining room and living room all rolled into one cooking- and entertainment-themed arena.

It is the now the “It” room of the house.

We at Thermador couldn’t be more excited. While it’s tough to take positives out of today’s tough economic times, one key positive is families becoming, well, more family oriented — and more home-focused. American families have cut costs by vacationing close to home, and of course, eating at home more often. This has resulted in a paradigm shift back to the spirit of home cooking an entertaining.

And that’s what we do best — we provide the tools that make home cooking and entertaining an experience.

The stats don’t lie: According to consumer market research group NPD, the average number of restaurant dinners per year has declined in four out of five age groups over the past decade. For the younger age brackets, the majority of the decline occurred between 2006 and 2009, during the recession.

This new cooking-focused mentality positions us nicely for the coming years. Thermador provides not just luxury appliances with beautiful aesthetics — but more importantly, our products are actually geared for the culinary enthusiast who loves to cook and entertain at home.

And with the homebuilding industry slowly righting its ship, consumers are now more inclined to invest in home projects, with kitchen remodels being at the top of the list. Equally important, most (41 percent) opt for a complete kitchen remodel.

So let’s embrace this positive. American families are coming together now more than ever. We at Thermador are doing the same.

—Zach Elkin, Director, Luxury Division, Thermador