A sweet walnut roll-out shelf that brings the coffee station into easy reach.
Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized traditional single-wall medium tone wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen idea in Bridgeport with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Nearly two decades ago now, Susan and her husband put a letter in the mailbox of this eastside home: "If you have any interest in selling, please reach out." But really, who would give up a Flansburgh House? Fast forward to 2020, when the house went on the market! By then it was clear that three children and a busy home design studio couldn't be crammed into this efficient footprint. But what's second best to moving into your dream home? Being asked to redesign the functional core for the family that was. In this classic Flansburgh layout, all the rooms align tidily in a square around a central hall and open air atrium. As such, all the spaces are both connected to one another and also private; and all allow for visual access to the outdoors in two directions—toward the atrium and toward the exterior. All except, in this case, the utilitarian galley kitchen. That space, oft-relegated to second class in midcentury architecture, got the shaft, with narrow doorways on two ends and no good visual access to the atrium or the outside. Who spends time in the kitchen anyway? As is often the case with even the very best midcentury architecture, the kitchen at the Flansburgh House needed to be modernized; appliances and cabinetry have come a long way since 1970, but our culture has evolved too, becoming more casual and open in ways we at SYH believe are here to stay. People (gasp!) do spend time—lots of time!—in their kitchens! Nonetheless, our goal was to make this kitchen look as if it had been designed this way by Earl Flansburgh himself. The house came to us full of bold, bright color. We edited out some of it (along with the walls it was on) but kept and built upon the stunning red, orange and yellow closet doors in the family room adjacent to the kitchen. That pop was balanced by a few colorful midcentury pieces that our clients already owned, and the stunning light and verdant green coming in from both the atrium and the perimeter of the house, not to mention the many skylights. Thus, the rest of the space just needed to quiet down and be a beautiful, if neutral, foil. White terrazzo tile grounds custom plywood and black cabinetry, offset by a half wall that offers both camouflage for the cooking mess and also storage below, hidden behind seamless oak tambour. Contractor: Rusty Peterson Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Sarah Shields

Photo Credit: Nat Rea
Beach style l-shaped open concept kitchen photo in Providence with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and subway tile backsplash

Blending contemporary and historic styles requires innovative design and a well-balanced aesthetic. That was the challenge we faced in creating a modern kitchen for this historic home in Lynnfield, MA. The final design retained the classically beautiful spatial and structural elements of the home while introducing a sleek sophistication. We mixed the two design palettes carefully. For instance, juxtaposing the warm, distressed wood of an original door with the smooth, brightness of non-paneled, maple cabinetry. A cork floor and accent cabinets of white metal add texture while a seated, step-down peninsula and built in bookcase create an open transition from the kitchen proper to an inviting dining space. This is truly a space where the past and present can coexist harmoniously. Photo Credit: Eric Roth

Nearly two decades ago now, Susan and her husband put a letter in the mailbox of this eastside home: "If you have any interest in selling, please reach out." But really, who would give up a Flansburgh House? Fast forward to 2020, when the house went on the market! By then it was clear that three children and a busy home design studio couldn't be crammed into this efficient footprint. But what's second best to moving into your dream home? Being asked to redesign the functional core for the family that was. In this classic Flansburgh layout, all the rooms align tidily in a square around a central hall and open air atrium. As such, all the spaces are both connected to one another and also private; and all allow for visual access to the outdoors in two directions—toward the atrium and toward the exterior. All except, in this case, the utilitarian galley kitchen. That space, oft-relegated to second class in midcentury architecture, got the shaft, with narrow doorways on two ends and no good visual access to the atrium or the outside. Who spends time in the kitchen anyway? As is often the case with even the very best midcentury architecture, the kitchen at the Flansburgh House needed to be modernized; appliances and cabinetry have come a long way since 1970, but our culture has evolved too, becoming more casual and open in ways we at SYH believe are here to stay. People (gasp!) do spend time—lots of time!—in their kitchens! Nonetheless, our goal was to make this kitchen look as if it had been designed this way by Earl Flansburgh himself. The house came to us full of bold, bright color. We edited out some of it (along with the walls it was on) but kept and built upon the stunning red, orange and yellow closet doors in the family room adjacent to the kitchen. That pop was balanced by a few colorful midcentury pieces that our clients already owned, and the stunning light and verdant green coming in from both the atrium and the perimeter of the house, not to mention the many skylights. Thus, the rest of the space just needed to quiet down and be a beautiful, if neutral, foil. White terrazzo tile grounds custom plywood and black cabinetry, offset by a half wall that offers both camouflage for the cooking mess and also storage below, hidden behind seamless oak tambour. Contractor: Rusty Peterson Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Sarah Shields

Jim Westphalen
Example of a small trendy single-wall concrete floor and gray floor open concept kitchen design in Burlington with a single-bowl sink, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, shaker cabinets, solid surface countertops and black countertops

Large transitional single-wall dark wood floor kitchen photo in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, solid surface countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances

We decided on a retro look for our new kitchen with lots of display shelving, happy colors, laminate counters (no cracking!), a chubby old stove, period details and “linoleum” flooring.

Arched brick ceiling with a custom made light fixture. The owners found the parts for this light fixture over the island and had a local artist create this one of a kind fixture. The table with the seating is made from an old bowling alley lane. The pin placement marks can still be seen on the table top. The table is free standing so it can be moved off the island if desired. A reclaimed scupper box is the transition piece from the range hood to the duct work with red accent paint. Peter Nilson Photography

Empire Contracting Inc 707.884.9789 Photos By: Sea Ranch Images www.searanchimages.com 707.653.6866
1950s kitchen photo in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances

Interior design by Kati Curtis Design http://www.katicurtisdesign.com/ Photography by Marco Ricca http://www.marcoriccastudio.com

Emily Followill
Kitchen - transitional dark wood floor kitchen idea in Atlanta with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and an island

Limited Edition Photographs https://www.etsy.com/shop/AndrewShermanFineArt Andrew Sherman

Island color was custom. Countertops are Princess White Quartzite. Light fixtures over island are from Rejuvenation (exact type has been discontinued) Photos by Holly Lepere

1st Place, National Design Award Winning Kitchen. Remodeling in Warwick, NY. From a dark, un-inspiring kitchen (see before photos), to a bright, white, custom kitchen. Dark wood floors, white carrera marble counters, solid wood island-table and much more. Photos - Ken Lauben

Open concept kitchen - large traditional u-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen idea in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Douglas Hill Luxe Family Home | Santa Monica
Example of a classic kitchen design in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and shaker cabinets

Island color is custom. Photos by Holly Lepere
Eat-in kitchen - large coastal l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and marble countertops

Although the home is in its 100th year, the owners wanted to create an updated urban style reflective of their downtown location. The new styling, while sleek and contemporary, kept a traditional feel with a paneled door styling, crystal chandeliers and an updated glass version of subway tile. We were also able to create an open kitchen with a 3’8 ½” x 7’ 5 ½” island centered on a gourmet Wolf cooking area. Perimeter Cabinets: Brand: Omega Door Style: Metro Species & Finish: Maple, Magnolia Island & Upper Cabinets: Brand: Omega Door Style: Metro Species & Finish: Maple, Magnolia Perimeter Countertops: Quartz, Metro Concerto w/ a 2" Mitered Edge Detail Cabinet Door Glass: Starphire Low Iron Glass Island Countertops: Caesarstone Quartz, 5141 Frosty Carina w/ a 2" thick mitered edge details Pot Filler: Waterstone 3200 Contemporary Wall Mounted Pot Filler in Polished Chrome Kitchen Sink: Signature Hardware 314144 27" Hazelton Stainless Steel Retrofit Farmhouse Sink Kitchen Faucet: Julien Wave 306001 Single Lever Kitchen Sink Faucet in Polished Chrome Mosaic Feature Tile: Ann Sacks, 2x2 Random Blend; Sandblasted, vibrated & brushed aluminum Kate Benjamin Photography