With the holiday season in full swing, many people are finding themselves spending more time in the kitchen. Whether you hate to cook or love it, it can be more enjoyable when done in the kitchen of your dreams, complete with state-of-the-art appliances and custom-made marble topped islands.

Some homeowners really are that lucky, and local designers offer a glimpse into a few homes where the owners will be celebrating the season with newly remodeled kitchens.

In Fairfax Station, an active family who enjoys entertaining will have an elegant space which includes state-of-the-art appliances that can stand up to their heavy-duty holiday cooking needs.

Designer Jacquelin Lluy of Nicely Done Kitchens and Baths in Springfield, created the chic, but family-friendly space that includes a large porcelain farm sink and a white marble-topped island in the center of the kitchen. She accented the stark white marble with deep gray cabinetry to warm the room. The family’s cooking needs will be met with a Wolf 36-inch range, a microwave and convection oven, and a Sub Zero refrigerator.

At the heart of this kitchen is a mantle hood with concealed spice cabinets and drawers below to house pots and pans. Then, to give the kitchen a polished look, Lluy added details like large chrome cabinetry pulls, detailed crown molding and delicate tile work.

"This is an amazing luxury kitchen," Lluy. "We achieved the elegant yet family-oriented kitchen they were looking for."

Lluy also integrated custom doors, which conceal an opening for an expansive pantry. Adjacent to the pantry is a beverage center with a wine refrigerator and coffee bar for entertaining.

In Potomac, designer Carole Lindenberg of Potomac Designs turned a photograph into reality for one family. "The client showed me picture of a kitchen she liked, but when I looked at it, I knew we would have to do an addition to accomplish it, so we added a six-foot addition," said Lindenberg. "I designed the space and we called in an engineer to put in the details."

The kitchen and butler’s pantry feature white custom cabinets by Prevo Custom Cabinetry. "The color of the cabinets is called snow and the counter tops are Brown Lapiz Granite," said Lindenberg. "The island, bar and the banquette are espresso stain with an Alaska white granite top. The table was also made at Prevo according to my specifications."

"The kitchen’s backsplash is white, beveled porcelain installed in a subway pattern," said Lindenberg,

A Bethesda kitchen was transformed from a tiny, dimly-lit space into a larger, light-filled expanse that includes custom designed and built cabinetry, quartz countertops and glass backsplash.

"This kitchen was designed for a couple that wanted a clean and modern gathering space for their young family," said Richard Rossi, an architect at Rill Architects in Potomac. "The existing kitchen and dining room, both small and dark, were combined to create the main workspace of the new kitchen. We increased the footprint of the existing house by adding a new glass-walled dining area."

To create additional storage space, Rossi and his team added toe kick drawers in the cabinetry, while a fully integrated refrigerator with flanking pull out pantries creates a divider between the kitchen, dining and living rooms.