"Energy-saving refrigerators, it's universally agreed, are a smart idea. But are "smart" refrigerators energy-saving? Finding an answer to that question is a convoluted process, and the result is to no small extent contingent on defining "smart."

As the most energy-hungry element of the kitchen (responsible for up to 20 percent of a typical household's electricity consumption) the refrigerator is the logical target for technological experiments and improvements. As well, its ample surface area - a kind of stainless-steel blank canvas, if you will - presents manufacturers with a highly visible location for the all-important user interface.

Many consumers equate smartness with such electronic entertainments as TVs, music players, digital picture displays and the like, which have been integrated into the fridge. While on track with our seemingly endless love affair with hi-tech gizmos, redundant technologies like these (that's assuming there's a TV, a computer or an iPod somewhere on the premises) can actually be wasteful from an energy-consumption point of view.

At the other end of the spectrum, some in the industry are taking a more pragmatic perspective on the concept by focusing strictly on the appliance's role in the still-evolving Smart Grid. GE's Brillion connected-home technology, in conjunction with its Nucleus controller, coordinates the refrigerator's energy needs with off-peak power rates and will be incorporated into some of its new French door models (shown). When linked up with a nationwide network of electricity providers, it has the potential to offer concrete payback for the consumer in the form of decreased utility costs.

Up to this point, product innovation that targets end-users has been mostly transparent in nature, focusing on processes such as optimizing energy consumption and monitoring the performance of the appliance. But looking ahead, some are aiming to transcend that realm and make the refrigerator itself an active, physical deisgn component. In collaboration with the British supermarket chain Ocado, researchers at the University of Central Lancashire are looking into "nano-articulated technology," where the fridge's shelves are made of millions of tiny individual tiles. These allow the appliance to move its contents around, ensuring that foods nearing their expiration dates are shifted to the front of the shelf. 

So while at present the discussion of smart, energy-saving appliances is a bit murky, a direction is emerging."

MSN Real Estate wrote an article on the 7 kitchen remodel must-haves for all homeowners. This is a great and important read for all. It informs everyone what's important to have for re-sale purposes and even for the homeowners to fully enjoy. These are the popular must-haves in today's market:

"Large Islands: Time was, men at parties would congregate in one room and women in another, says Bill Feinberg, owner of a kitchen and bath remodeling company in Florida. Now, "it's everyone congregating together," says Feinberg. "Kitchens to me are all about socializing." That's why Feinberg likes islands - with seating, importantly. "We're talking islands that are 10 feet long, six feet wide," he says, where people can sit, or a child can do homework, while a parent perhaps prepares a meal. 

Give It Gas: "We put in gas whenever we can put it in 36-inch ranges and wider," say Sue Muenchow, a kitchen designer based in Ohio. Clients in all price ranges are interested in cooking and want high-quality stoves - and the natural-gas lines that serve them, Muenchow says. Such gas stoves can range from $2,000.00 to "the sky's the limit," compared with an average slide-in range that might cost $600 or $700, she says. There's also a trend toward both higher BTUs, so you can sear and stir-fry, and the ability to turn down the heat and cook quite delicately, says designer Barb Friedman: "They want to be able to cook hotter and cooler." Take the Wolf stove that has two rings on a burner and that can melt chocolate without using a double boiler, Friedman says.

Think Contemporary: "Thankfully we're seeing, finally, contemporary coming up," says Sandy Hayes, designer out of Oregen. What's that mean? "Cleaner lines, not so fussy," she explains. "Five or six or eight years ago, I would have found a French country kitchen would be filled with all kinds of moldings and appliques." Today, homeowners generally want kitchens with a sleeker look. What to do if you have an old-school kitchen that matches an old-school home? Even that can be cleaned up by removing some of the extra decoration and moldings, Hayes says.

Green Isn't Fading: "People are really looking for ways to incorporate 'going green' into their daily life - and believe it or not you can make that part of a kitchen remodel, even though remodeling is such a huge expense," says Natalie Howe, designer from Texas. There are lots of ways to roll green into your remodel: Cooking, using magnetic induction cooktops which is 90% efficient at turning energy into heat. Floors made from recyclable materials, like cork. Recycled glass used as a backsplash or in the countertop.

Open Wide: "We're still knocking down walls and opening things up," says designer Muenchow. "The kitchen is definitely the hub of the house," agrees Friedman, so people "want to open the kitchen to other parts of the house." Another reason: "We entertain more casually now. And there are more people more interested in cooking." Opening up the kitchen can be as simple - and as complicated - as removing walls to let the kitchen speak to the other areas of the house. But there are other strategies, too. "We bring the windows down to countertop level," says Muenchow, which brightens the room more. Placing a window and windowsill behind the sink also can open up more space as well as simply create the feeling of more room because the space flows into the glass. Good lighting can give a sense of openness and space, too. "Good lighting design is really, really key" as the room becomes crucial, says Friedman. "It's all about task lighting and ambience lighting."

Appliances: "Appliances are really kind of hot right now," says Howe. "Really consider personalized appliances that are based on your specific cooking needs." Stainless steel hasn't gone out of style, exactly, says designers. But increasingly, as people are interested in making the kitchen just another room in the house, "hiding" the appliances is popular - making the appliances look like cabinets, or tucking them away in drawers, or breaking up the traditional fridge/freezer.

Think 'Efficient": With all this talk about the kitchen becoming more things to everyone - whether social center or homework station - it's becoming more important than ever to make the space work as efficiently as possible, says designers. This will probably be your only kitchen remodel, says Howe, so she advises springing for the extras that will make your kitchen work better. "Cabinets account for half of the product cost of what you will spend in your kitchen," Howe says, so add space-savers such as a pull-out trash can, spice drawers, tray dividers and roll-out shelves. "Future home buyers are going to appreciate that you put that amount of detail into the cabinet design," she says.