"We've never been able to keep our guests out of the kitchen, nor would we want to. After all, it's where the action is, where the food and drink flow, and where the conversation is the best," write Martin and Richard Edic in their new book Kitchens That Work. Who doesn't long for a kitchen comfortable enough to linger in and efficient enough to make meal preparation a breeze? But how to turn that longing into reality' We think the first step is to define the look you want your kitchen to have. That's the fun part, anyway. To help you define your style and give you some ideas, we've assembled three kitchens with very different personalities: Warm Contemporary, Updated Colonial, and Traditional French Country. We hope one of them will give you a starting point for your own kitchen transformation.

• Warm Contemporary: This kitchen proves modern can be warm and welcoming.
• Updated Colonial: A country kitchen stripped of kitsch for a modern, fresh look.
• Traditional French Country: Decorating secrets to capturing true old world style.