50 Best Kitchen Ideas for a Beautiful Space That Looks as Good as It Cooks
Feast your eyes on these hardworking and high style spaces.
The kitchen really is the heart of the home, and that's never been more true than this year, when residential cook spaces have become at-home restaurants, homework hangouts, and even home offices, as several top designers set up workspaces in their own kitchens. Kitchen design has evolved quite a bit recently, perhaps accelerated by the pandemic. With more people spending so much more time at home as well as the trend towards more multigenerational living, the appeal of the "open floor plan" is dwindling.
What does that mean for the next phase of kitchen design? Well, for starters, it means defining cook spaces that do connect to living spaces through design elements, like a change in ceiling height or a different kitchen paint color, often deeper or brighter, on cabinetry. And it means rethinking the kitchen island. Of course, no matter how kitchen design adapts, a gleaming white kitchen will never go out of style.
Regardless of your style, whether warm and rustic or sleek and modern, functionality is key in a kitchen. If you're cooking up a renovation of your own kitchen or just dreaming about one, you'll find plenty of inspiration here with our 50 best kitchens. Let the planning begin!
Paint It Black
In this Montana kitchen designed by Palmer Weiss, cabinetry finished in a rich black with blue undertones (Provincial Store Fixtures) and a custom bronze hood designed with straps and rivets lends a western sensibility. Silicon bronze brushed pulls, Rocky Mountain Hardware. Dual fuel range, Wolf
Go Small and Tall
Architect Peter Block designed this intimate galley kitchen on Brays Island, South Carolina, with windows that appear to soar higher than the ceiling, and then bypassed conventional upper cabinetry to avoid making the small kitchen feel “boxed in.” Range, Bertazzoni. Sink fixtures in unlacquered brass, Waterworks. Millwork, rift-cut white oak. Interior design, Beth Webb
Marry Modern with Rustic
Ceiling-height wall tiles in alternating dimensions (Waterworks), reclaimed brick flooring, and oak countertops anchor this California kitchen designed by Ken Fulk in beautiful rusticity.
Add a Midas Touch
At this Hamptons beach house, designer Alex Papachristidis stuck to a palette of ivory, white, silver, and gold. In the kitchen, Soane Britain’s polished brass-trimmed yacht table lends ship-shape style under a brass leaf Tommaso Barbi chandelier (circa 1970).
Infuse Old-World Patina
In this Santa Barbara kitchen designed by Mark D. Sikes, creamy white cabinetry (White Tie, Farrow & Ball), elegant marble counters, matte white pendant lights, blue tile, and oil-rubbed bronze hardware (Rejuvenation) lend a warm, aged appearance. Sink and fixtures, Rohl
Bring the Outdoors in
This Lake Toxaway, NC, kitchen designed by Platt Architecture and designer Cliff Fong features a soothing palette that reflects the mountain lake landscape. A custom-green island is fitted with Juno limestone counters, which also forms the backsplash; natural wood-hued cabinetry features detailing inspired by the work of George Nakashima.
Warm Up White with Wood
Wood accents, like the dark stained beams and the interlocking white oak tile from Jamie Beckwith, add just a hint of rustic warmth to this serene white kitchen in a Naples, Florida, retreat designed by Celerie Kemble.
Define the Space with Dark Cabinetry
In her Mountain Brook, Alabama, home, designer Caroline Gidiere painted her cabinetry an inky shade (Off-Black by Farrow & Ball) to give the kitchen, which is connected to a den, a little definition and make the large space feel cozier. A stainless steel countertop ensures a kinship between the island and the appliances, hood, and satin nickel hardware.
Install a Statement Hood
The kitchen in this Newport, California, home designed by Peter Dunham is more nuanced than might appear at first glance, thanks to different textures that evoke a variety of style references. For example, while the brass trimmed-hood leans a little industrial, the rush-backed counter stools (from Hollywood at Home) and the sage-hued clay tiles (from Mission Tile West) air more on the refined rustic end of the spectrum.
Hang Modern Art
In this Paris apartment designed by Raphaël Le Berre and Thomas Vevaud, the kitchen feels more like a gallery space than a cook space. The blown-glass Lustre globes were crafted in the 1950s and purchased at auction from Piasa. The cabinetry is crafted of black melamine wood; the counters are Zimbabwe granite. “Tractor” stools, BassamFellows
Go Classic with an Apron-Front Sink
Today cohost Jenna Bush Hager overhauled the midcentury kitchen in her spirited Long Island cottage to create a sense of openness and ease. The pastel blue cabinetry pops against a fireclay apron-front sink (Rohl) and glazed wall tiles (Waterworks). The cabinetry paint color is Wedgewood Gray by Benjamin Moore.
Design an Island Like a Table
Brushed brass- and-copper station lights (from Ann-Morris) and a walnut island with baluster leg details bring an old-fashioned sensibility to the kitchen in this South Carolina hunting lodge designed by Andrew Howard. Stools, Serena & Lily. Counters, Caesarstone
Mix It Up with Mirrors
Soft, smoky tones lend a high-fashion, sophisticated touch to the alluring kitchen of this 18th-century flat in Paris. The upper cabinets feature mirrored eglomise facings and “almost look like venetian blinds,” notes decorator Jean-Louis Deniot. The lower cabinetry paint color is Midnight Oil by Benjamin Moore.
Double Down on Islands
The kitchen in this Connecticut house designed by Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey is luxe in every sense of the word, from the marble walls and Lacanche range to the oil portraits, brass details, and mohair-upholsted counter stools (by Holly Hunt for Bradlee USA). The double islands make entertaining a breeze: One is outfitted with an ice machine, sink, and beverage drawer, making it easy to stand in as a bar.
Brighten a Small Space with Color
Powder-blue cabinets and a sinuous floral wallcovering by William Morris enliven the quaint kitchen in this Southern 1950s ranch. Designer Mark D. Sikes covered the pair of stools by Hickory Chair in a botanical Carolina Irving fabric. The bistro chairs are from Ballard Designs. The kitchen paint color is Farrow & Ball's Parma Gray.
Build a Banquette
The kitchen in designer Philip Mitchell's Nova Scotia home is a study in character-building contrasts: A rustic hemlock island is paired with lively lilac counter stools; banquette seating is crafted of tufted leather and resilient acrylic fabric (both by Ralph Lauren); and an ikat pendant shade (custom, The Urban Electric Co.) is a brilliant foil for the overhead lighting (bulkhead cage lights, Cape Cod Lanterns).
Go Graphic on the Backsplash
Diamond motifs from the walls to the floor plus sleek gray-blue cabinetry enliven the cooking space of this Utah mountain getaway. Designer Anthony Baratta sought out artist Adam Lowenbein to paint the rustic wooden floors. The custom ladder chairs feature cushions in a Dualoy leather. The backsplash and wall tiles are from Solar Antique Tiles. For a similar paint color, try Benjamin Moore's Soft Jazz in a pearl finish.
Add Character with Antiques
A vintage pine wine-tasting table pairs with Pennsylvania Windsor birdcage chairs in the kitchen of this Vermont home designed by architect Gil Schafer. Festive, fragrant cedar garlands highlight deep green window frames and muntins. Edison-style pendants, Scofield Lighting. Refrigerator, Sub-Zero
Install an Octagonal Island
Designer Meg Braff expanded this Long Island kitchen with a sea of white updates: white cabinetry (painted White by Fine Paints of Europe), a white double range from BlueStar, and thick Danby marble countertops on the octagonal island.
The aqua ceiling (Picture Perfect by Benjamin Moore) plus a blue-patterned wallcovering and matching roman shade from Braff's textile collection visually expand the space by drawing the eye upward. The sink fixtures and hardware are by Waterworks and the pendant light is by Vaughan.
Unify a Kitchen and Keeping Room with Color
Designer Tammy Connor connected the family room and kitchen of this New York City apartment by lacquering the walls in a rich ocean shade. The kitchen stools from Soane Britain are covered in a Jerry Pair fabric. Pendant lighting from Balsamo lights up a Lacanche range. For a similar paint color, try Benjamin Moore’s Slate Teal in a pearl finish.
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