Who: Strato
What We Noticed: Here's one more EuroCucina peek that I saved for Wine Week: A standalone wine "room" by luxury Italian kitchen designer Strato. This beautiful hunk of wood is a modern, luxurious way to store a lot of wine. Not terribly practical (no built-in climate control, for instance, and it would take up a lot of space!) but wouldn't it be nice to see it all filled up with wine bottles? More

Who: Marchi Group
What We Noticed: Most of the kitchen design at EuroCucina fell into one of two buckets: Sleek and minimalist, or over-the-top rococo luxury. So this showroom from Italian Marchi Group felt very different. These kitchens are like fantasy ideals of American and British kitchens, with casual details like chalkboard walls, faux-industrial pendants, and zinc tabletops. This showroom was absolutely packed with crowds every time I walked by! More

Who: MK, Italian kitchen design
What We Noticed: I don't think of myself as a minimalist, but this hood and sleek wood island with integrated cooktop literally stopped me in my tracks at EuroCucina. In context it felt serene and quiet, unfussy and very functional. The white almost blends in to the ceiling, and the woods keeps it feeling warm. Nothing here is trying too hard.
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Who: Marmo Arredo
What We Noticed: There are plenty of high-end, fantasy-kitchen items at EuroCucina, and this was my favorite: An entire island by Italian marble fabricators Marmo Arredo, carved out of one solid piece of statuary marble. It is paired up with some manmade black countertop material for a dramatic black/white contrast. Impressive, and the very epitome of a luxury item. More photos below... More

Who: Hacker and Azule
What We Noticed: This red kitchen was one of the last things I saw at EuroCucina, and it stopped me in my tracks. It had modern lines, but was softened by the raised relief pattern on the drawers. And those tiles on the back wall — wow! I discovered they are from a cement (encaustic) tile company in the Netherlands. The kitchen is part of a new line from Hacker called 'Identity,' designed by Claudia Klein Zeggelink. Hard to express how beautiful this whole scene was in person. More photos below... More

You don't have to wait until Valentine's Day to surprise your sweetie with breakfast in bed, but maybe this sexy Battista tray from Italian design studio Mr. Less and Mrs. More will inspire you to make it a weekly indulgence. More

Question: what has the power to singlehandedly transform the look of your kitchen? Answer: Dramatic wallpaper, particularly if it's gorgeous and colorful botanical wallpaper by Josef Frank. More photos below:

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A few things we know for sure: European butter is more expensive than other store-bought butters. It also tastes incredible on a baguette and often has a deep yellow color and can be crumbly and dense. But do any of these things actually mean anything when you're baking? More

Holiday parties are in full swing and New Years Eve (gasp) isn't all that far away. So it's time to break out the champagne! But wait: does that mean it's also time to shell out the big bucks? More

Dishwashers are not among the most expensive of kitchen appliances (refrigerators seem to qualify for that honor) but they can still get very pricey, especially when you are looking at the high-end brands. Here's a look at some of the more expensive dishwasher brands, and we'd like to know: Do you think they are worth it? More