Modern kitchens are meeting spaces for households and multi-functionality is key, an estate agent has said.Mary Lamey, writing for the Suburban, said openness and interactivity make up current kitchen design trends as they allow the use of such spaces in a number of different ways. She said central islands may now feature a cooking unit in addition to a cooker elsewhere in the kitchen, while breakfast bars and marble-surfaced baking areas are also popular. The author added that there is a current trend for large preparation sinks suggesting styles such as the Range ARX754 (1200) from Franke sinks, which has a total width of 1,200mm and one-and-a-half bowls plus a drainer may be fashionable. Ms Lamey went on to say that, according to a survey carried out by US trade group the National Kitchen Bath Association, over half of people questioned wanted a traditional kitchen, with practical design in mind. For this kind of style, try a Belfast VBK771 from the Franke sinks range in easy-to-clean white ceramic.