Adding character doesn't have to break the bank. We worked with the client to create a rustic cabinet finish which is just as artsy as he is. This client has great taste and he found cool stools and commissioned a bench made by an artist to blend in with the rest of the house. The artist also installed plumbing pipe as a footrail. The eclectic nature of the furnishings really compliments the custom cabinetry. We really like the juxtaposition of industrial and rustic elements we used for this client. The modern lines of the glass and stainless hood and the white laminate cabinetry are clean and minimal while the textural island and uppers above the sink create a rustic look. All in all- a unique look for this art-filled home. Photo by Jim Tschetter

Chris Veith
Inspiration for a transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen remodel in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Photography by Laura Moss
Eat-in kitchen - coastal l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in New York with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, paneled appliances, granite countertops and an island

Inspiration for a transitional dark wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Atlanta with beaded inset cabinets, gray cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

We really opened up and reorganized this kitchen to give the clients a more modern update and increased functionality and storage. The backsplash is a main focal point and the color palette is very sleek while being warm and inviting. Cabinetry: Ultracraft Destiny, Avon door in Arctic White on the perimeter and Mineral Grey on the island and bar shelving Hardware: Hamilton-Bowes Ventoux Pull in satin brass Counters: Aurea Stone Divine, 3cm quartz Sinks: Blanco Silgranit in white, Precis super single bowl with Performa single in bar Faucets: California Faucets Poetto series in satin brass, pull down and pull-down prep faucet in bar, matching cold water dispenser, air switch, and air gap Pot filler: Newport Brass East Linear in satin brass Backsplash tile: Marble Systems Mod-Glam collection Blocks mosaic in glacier honed - snow white polished - brass accents behind range and hood, using 3x6 snow white as field tile in a brick lay Appliances: Wolf dual fuel 48" range w/ griddle, 30" microwave drawer, 24" coffee system w/ trim; Best Cologne series 48" hood; GE Monogram wine chiller; Hoshizaki stainless ice maker; Bosch benchmark series dishwasher

Cabinet pulls, cedar beams, beams, cedar trim, rustic kitchen, glass pendants, emtek hardware, glass pendants, gray cabinets, island sink, marble backsplash, marble counter, paneled refrigerator, quartz counter, quartz backsplash, rustic cedar, wood hood, wood tile floor, castlevetro woodland tile, under counter oven, wood tile floor, stone backsplash

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   One of my favorite things to work on is older homes with a bit of history because I find it an interesting challenge to marry the historical architectural features of a home with modern design elements that work well for my client’s current lifestyle. This home was particularly fun because it was the second kitchen we had done for this family and was quite a departure from the style of the first kitchen. The before shot of the kitchen shows a view from the family room. See the dropped ceiling? We were curious, was this just part of the design or was the dropped ceiling there to hide mechanicals? Well we soon found out that it was mostly decorative (yay!), and with the exception of a little bit of work to some plumbing from an upstairs bathroom and rerouting of the ventilation system within the original floor joists, we were in the clear, phew! The shot of the completed kitchen from roughly the same vantage point shows how much taller the ceilings are. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the space. Dark and gloomy turned fresh and light! Another serious consideration was what do we do with the skinny transom window above the refrigerator. After much back and forth, we decided to eliminate it and do some open shelving instead. This ended up being one of the nicest areas in the room. I am calling it the “fun zone” because it houses all the barware, wine cubbies and a bar fridge — the perfect little buffet spot for entertaining. It is flanked on either side by pull out pantries that I’m sure will get a ton of use. Since the neighboring room has literally three walls of almost full height windows, the kitchen gets plenty of light. The gold shelving brackets, large pendant fixtures over the island and the tile mural behind the range all pay subtle homage to the home’s prairie style architecture and bring a bit of sparkle to the room. Even though the room is quite large, the work triangle is very tight with the large Subzero fridge, sink and range all nearby for easy maneuvering during meal prep. There is seating for four at the island, and work aisles are generous. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: LOMA Studios For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

The owner said "any color but white" for her farmhouse kitchen country kitchen. Earthy and elemental materials are selected for the home that reference the barn without directly mimicking it. Wooden members found inside the barn and from other barns bridge ceilings and are used in floors along with rustic slate adding to a sense of simplicity to the farmhouse design.

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This client was referred to us from a past client. They are a busy 2-career household with young children and enjoy entertaining friends and family in their home. They have a beautiful open concept home but unfortunately the kitchen was not fitting for the rest of the home. They were not quite sure what to do with the space. We talked about trying to refresh it or do more of a minor remodel, but in the end they decided a full gut would get them to where they wanted to be. One problem was there was no place for guests to hang out other than the large and awkward banquette area. The brick wall and tiled hood area were feeling a bit dated and tired. The space was just not functional for their lifestyle. There was no prep space near the cooktop and no landing area for items coming out of the ovens or refrigerator, plus a big dead zone in the center of the room. Banquettes, like the one they previously had in the space, are great for small spaces, but when they get really large like this one, it makes getting in and out of the seating area awkward and uncomfortable. Plus, there was room for a large table, so we eliminated the awkward built in. We started by removing the faux brick wall between the kitchen and back entry. We relocated the entry to the garage over a couple feet in order to get every last inch out of the new kitchen. We also made the decision to close up the primary window that faced the pretty ho hum brick wall of the neighbor’s house. There was plenty of light coming in from the seating area, so we just didn’t feel the window was adding much to the room. Construction went smoothy. There was a bit of rework with electrical, flooring and HVAC, but in the end, we think it was well worth it. The clients really wanted a sleek contemporary look, and we originally had planned for a full height slab backsplash, but due to it’s size, it was a budget buster. Instead, we got creative and settled on large format porcelain tiles that have a similar feel but were a fraction of the cost. We made sure the wall was plumb and level so that the fit and finish would mimic that of slab material. The final space was quite a change. A large prep sink sits directly across from the new pro-style range with plenty additional prep space on the large island. The refrigerator and ovens now have miles of landing space, and a nice tight work triangle makes cooking a breeze. Since we wanted a more contemporary feel, not many wall cabinets were included. Instead, we outfitted some of the drawers for dish storage with a peg system. Two large pantries flanking the refrigerator hold baking supplies and small appliances. Large drawers by the cooktop hold pots and pans, and an appliance garage tucked away to the left of the range hides away miscellaneous items. The large island also houses a microwave drawer and tons of storage, most of which is drawers offering maximum convenience. The island now seats 5-6 people comfortably along with the new table in the seating area which can seat up to 8. Entertaining will be a breeze in this space. With such a clean backdrop, we knew we would need some drama with the lighting, so we chose two sets of staggered pendants, which we adjusted for the right visual balance above the island. We also included a small coffee station to the right of the main kitchen, which helps keep the coffee clutter out of the kitchen proper. Two tones of complimentary gray are featured in this kitchen. The perimeter is a light gray that reads almost white. The island is a gray stain that adds some depth and interest with the visible wood texture. The countertops are clean white quartz, and the hardware, barstools and light fixtures add warm brass tones. I see lots of cooking and entertaining with family and friends in the near future in this bright and airy new space. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Location: Nantucket, MA, USA A gorgeous New England beach compound which features a tranquil, sophisticated kitchen. The blue backsplash is the perfect backdrop to a sunny breakfast at the island or a glamorous dinner party in the paneled banquet. The cabinets are accented with hand-made European hardware that enhances the bespoke nature of the kitchen. The children's bathroom has a fun penny tile on the floor juxtaposed against the over-sized subway wall tile. The master bath features crystal fixtures and fittings imported from France. threshold interiors loves working with our clients to produce the perfect blend of relaxation and sophistication in your beach home! Photographed by: Michael Partenio

The existing kitchen was completely remodeled to create a compact chef's kitchen. The client is a true chef, who teaches cooking classes, and we were able to get a professional grade kitchen in an 11x7 footprint! The new island creates adequate prep space. The bookcases on the front add a ton of storage and interesting display in an otherwise useless walkway. The South wall is the exposed brick original to the 1900's home. To compliment the brick, we chose a warm nutmeg stain in cherry cabinets. The countertops are a durable quartz that look like marble but are sturdy enough for this work horse kitchen. The retro pendants are oversized to add a lot of interest in this small space. Complete Kitchen remodel to create a Chef's kitchen Open shelving for storage and display Gray subway tile Pendant lights

Example of a classic u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen design in Portland Maine with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an island and marble backsplash

The owner said "any color but white" for her farmhouse kitchen country kitchen. Earthy and elemental materials are selected for the home that reference the barn without directly mimicking it. Wooden members found inside the barn and from other barns bridge ceilings and are used in floors along with rustic slate adding to a sense of simplicity to the farmhouse design.

The Transitional kitchen has 10' ceilings and features oversized wall cabinets that extend to the ceiling. Other features include a corner built-in pantry and unique WalkerZanger tile backsplash display.

The kitchen is splendid with knotty alder custom cabinets, handmade peeled bark legs were crafted to support the chiseled edge granite. A hammered copper farm sink compliments the custom copper range hood while the slate backsplash adds color. Barstools from Old Hickory, also with peeled bark frames are upholstered in a casual red and gold fabric back with brown leather seats. A vintage Persian runner is between the range and sink to effortlessly blend all the colors together. Designed by Melodie Durham of Durham Designs & Consulting, LLC. Photo by Livengood Photographs [www.livengoodphotographs.com/design].

Michael J. Lee
Mid-sized transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen photo in Boston with an undermount sink, marble countertops, white backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, shaker cabinets and white cabinets

Stone: Chalkdust - TundraBrick TundraBrick is a classically-shaped profile with all the surface character you could want. Slightly squared edges are chiseled and worn as if they’d braved the elements for decades. TundraBrick is roughly 2.5″ high and 7.875″ long. Get a Sample of Chalkdust: http://www.eldoradostone.com/products/tundrabrick/chalk-dust/

Our craftsmen removed an existing wall, doubling the depth of this kitchen. The doorway from kitchen to foyer and the doorway from kitchen to family room were widened and new headers were installed. Now, the remodeled area allowed for TWO islands and more cabinetry. Plug-molds, hidden under the island and under the wall cabinets, maintained a clean look eliminating receptacles. The finishing touch was the brick pattern subway backsplash tile and the accent tile in the niche above the range. The new Red Oak flooring was our final detail.

The custom height single ovens were placed side by side to allow for easy use and the large island provided plenty of work space. The combination of clean sleek lines with a variety of finishes and textures keeps this “beach house cottage look” current and comfortable.