PHOTO BY PETER RYMWID

This Franklin Lakes kitchen, designed by Antonella Romano for a client, incorporates many features that she plans to use in her own new kitchen: off-white, traditional cabinets; a backsplash of subway tiles with a tone-on-tone mural over the stove; an island with a Quartzite counter and a double-ogee edge; and wood-look, porcelain-tile floors.

Isn’t it strange how we always want something different from what we had growing up?

Our family home in Lodi had a very large, off-white-and-gray kitchen. When I got married, I wanted a dark kitchen because it was different from what I was used to.

In the last few years, though, the trend has been to light-colored kitchens. While our existing kitchen is very warm and homey, its cherry cabinets and green granite were getting too dark for me, and I missed the light and airy space I grew up with as a young girl.

Now that I am older, I also appreciate a natural light source. Kathy Case, my parents’ kitchen designer, was ahead of her time, centering skylights over the island and creating so much storage that Mom didn’t know what to do with it.

So I have started planning my dream kitchen!

After working on clients’ homes all week, I look forward to unwinding on weekends. Like my mother, I spend much of my at-home time in our kitchen with an adjoining family room. I like to hang out there with my husband and my little girl, cooking together and trying out new recipes. Our daughter has taken on the family hobby and wants to take part in everything we do, from making ravioli to mixing up ingredients for her favorite dessert, carrot cake.

I especially love to prepare a large breakfast with omelets and pancakes, fruit and other goodies, even if it’s just the three of us. On any given Sunday at 11, you will be guaranteed a gourmet breakfast at my house! This is a different tradition from what I grew up with in Lodi. Every Sunday, I woke up to the smell of the garlic and onions my mother was simmering in olive oil for our lunch. She always made her own sauce and meatballs. Lunch would be served at 1:30, depending on when Dad got back from his traditional food run to the nearby Corrado’s market. He would buy fruit in a bushel or carton, because we loved all kinds of fruit.

Cooking together is a big part of today’s lifestyle, especially with organic eating becoming so ingrained in our lives. Kitchens today are very versatile, with one or two islands, built-in espresso machines, large-screen TVs and even the occasional pizza oven. Being in the design industry, I find everyone these days expects to be "wowed." I prefer a simple, refined elegance that is practical as well as beautiful — I like a kitchen that can be cooked in!

It is much harder for me to choose materials for myself, though, than for my clients, mainly because there are so many different looks and styles today.

For me, it’s important to have a backsplash that is easy to clean, so I don’t have to worry about stains from my homemade tomato sauce. In my new kitchen, I want a handmade stoneware tile. I also like the look of handmade subways with a twist — an accent liner that works its way to a beautiful mural, tone-on-tone with no color.

These backsplashes can be worked into many styles, from a contemporary kitchen that is otherwise unadorned, to a traditional space reminiscent of an 18th-century farmhouse, to the transitional style that is pretty but still simple.

I especially don’t want to be worried about whether my kitchen floor will stain if I drop something on it or scratch if our German Shepherd runs over it. For my floor, I am going to use a large-plank, dark-wood porcelain that looks and feels like the real thing. I have chosen an 8-by-36-inch plank that will look great with my off-white cabinets and dark wood island. Most people spend a good portion of their budgets on the kitchen floor, especially if they use real wood. The new porcelain tiles out today create a true wood look and keep you on budget!

I cook with a lot of olive oil and cannot be bothered worrying if I’ll stain my countertops, so I chose Dolce Vita Quartzite. It has the look of Old-World elegance, especially in a leathered finish. I love a built-up island with a 2 1/2-inch, double-ogee edge. It creates a centerpiece for the room, with lots of space for stools and storage. This is where my little girl is going to sit and color while mommy prepares meals. I am not worried about markers on the stone tops, because I know just how to clean them. Trends always change with time, so we want to make sure our money is well spent and the result will have a timeless feel. Remember that your kitchen style says a lot about you and sets a backdrop for your family and friends to celebrate life, love and food. Enjoy your holidays and give thanks for all the good things you have in your life!

Antonella Romano is the owner of Antonella Romano Tile & Stone, Wyckoff, www.antonellaromano.com.