This charming Lyon Park house was built in 1925, when the typical kitchen was small, modest and closed-off from the rest of the home. For a family that loves to cook and bake, the cramped, outdated and dysfunctional kitchen was a source of constant frustration. Our new design expanded the kitchen into an adjacent sunroom, opening it up to the rest of the home and creating a spacious, light and updated kitchen that now serves as the heart of the home. We more than doubled the amount of countertop space and added much needed pantry storage as well as a dedicated coffee nook. The bold blue herringbone backsplash, honed black granite, white shaker cabinets and substantial matte black pulls complement the rustic modern style of the adjoining living space.

Located on a partially wooded lot in Elburn, Illinois, this home needed an eye-catching interior redo to match the unique period exterior. The residence was originally designed by Bow House, a company that reproduces the look of 300-year old bow roof Cape-Cod style homes. Since typical kitchens in old Cape Cod-style homes tend to run a bit small- or as some would like to say, cozy – this kitchen was in need of plenty of efficient storage to house a modern day family of three. Advance Design Studio, Ltd. was able to evaluate the kitchen’s adjacent spaces and determine that there were several walls that could be relocated to allow for more usable space in the kitchen. The refrigerator was moved to the newly excavated space and incorporated into a handsome dinette, an intimate banquette, and a new coffee bar area. This allowed for more countertop and prep space in the primary area of the kitchen. It now became possible to incorporate a ball and claw foot tub and a larger vanity in the elegant new full bath that was once just an adjacent guest powder room. Reclaimed vintage Chicago brick paver flooring was carefully installed in a herringbone pattern to give the space a truly unique touch and feel. And to top off this revamped redo, a handsome custom green-toned island with a distressed black walnut counter top graces the center of the room, the perfect final touch in this charming little kitchen.

The original kitchen, although generous in size, was out of touch with our clients personal style. When a plumbing mishap caused significant damage to the space, the homeowners seized the opportunity to create the culinary workspace of their dreams. At the top of their wish list was a well designed kitchen, both aesthetically and functionally. State of the art appliances were selected based on the client's functional requirements and the optimal layout was tailored to family dinners and occasional entertaining. At the heart of the existing kitchen was a large and highly utilized island, keeping this was a high priority. An unused audio cabinet with outdated components was removed to create a much needed dry bar. The large refrigerator, and beverage fridge drawers were concealed behind custom made cabinetry panels and were positioned adjacent to the family seating area for easy access. Attributes such as spice storage, silver dividers and a tall pantry storage ensured everything had its place. Sherwin Williams, indigo batik (as seen on the island) was carried through the home allowing a visual connection throughout the home while the bright white perimeter cabinets created lightness and dramatic contrast. Brass hardware and decorative lighting gave the space a hint of understated glamour while pulling the warm tones found in the lattice of veining in the cambria quartz countertop. It is hard not to notice, however, the dramatic impact of the large ceramic, three dimensional, hexagon tiles that highlight the range wall. Companion subway tiles created continuity throughout the expansive kitchen, adorning the backsplash through the rest of the space.

Residing in Philadelphia, it only seemed natural for a blue and white color scheme. The combination of Satin White and Colonial Blue creates instant drama in this refaced kitchen. Cambria countertop in Weybourne, include a waterfall side on the peninsula that elevate the design. An elegant backslash in a taupe ceramic adds a subtle backdrop. Photography: Christian Giannelli www.christiangiannelli.com/

To create a unique kitchen, we take inspiration from the personality of our clients; it’s a collaborative effort to develop the exact look and feel that best suits their lifestyles. The challenge of this kitchen was to re-build the existing kitchen and adjoining full bath, creating a much better flow with plenty of storage for this active family (as they often entertain seaside). The two-toned cabinetry in both white and laguna blue reflected a true beach-feel adorned with a terrific choice of starfish and shell shaped hardware to draw attention to this creative and beautifully transformed seaside kitchen. We remind our clients that in order to be unique, do something unique! And this is nicely demonstrated in both the layout, color scheme and backsplash design details. Our client selected several hand painted decorative ocean creatures for the backsplash, drawing from colors in the room, and this created a truly unique conversation piece! A glint of sparkle from the white quartz countertops brings you closer to the beach in this impressive oceanfront home. From flooring to ceiling, we created a picture perfect beautiful beach house kitchen that is not only functional but provides a relaxed and inviting feel for these seaside owners.

This home was built in 1904 in the historic district of Ladd’s Addition, Portland’s oldest planned residential development. Right Arm Construction remodeled the kitchen, entryway/pantry, powder bath and main bath. Also included was structural work in the basement and upgrading the plumbing and electrical. Finishes include: Countertops for all vanities- Pental Quartz, Color: Altea Kitchen cabinetry: Custom: inlay, shaker style. Trim: CVG Fir Custom shelving in Kitchen-Fir with custom fabricated steel brackets Bath Vanities: Custom: CVG Fir Tile: United Tile Powder Bath Floor: hex tile from Oregon Tile & Marble Light Fixtures for Kitchen & Powder Room: Rejuvenation Light Fixtures Bathroom: Schoolhouse Electric Flooring: White Oak

A PLACE TO GATHER Location: Eagan, MN, USA This family of five wanted an inviting space to gather with family and friends. Mom, the primary cook, wanted a large island with more organized storage – everything in its place – and a crisp white kitchen with the character of an older home. Challenges: Design an island that could accommodate this family of five for casual weeknight dinners. Create more usable storage within the existing kitchen footprint. Design a better transition between the upper cabinets on the 8-foot sink wall and the adjoining 9-foot cooktop wall. Make room for more counter space around the cooktop. It was poorly lit, cluttered with small appliances and confined by the tall oven cabinet. Solutions: A large island, that seats 5 comfortably, replaced the small island and kitchen table. This allowed for more storage including cookbook shelves, a heavy-duty roll out shelf for the mixer, a 2-bin recycling center and a bread drawer. Tall pantries with decorative grilles were placed between the kitchen and family room. These created ample storage and helped define each room, making each one feel larger, yet more intimate. A space intentionally separates the upper cabinets on the sink wall from those on the cooktop wall. This created symmetry on the sink wall and made room for an appliance garage, which keeps the countertops uncluttered. Moving the double ovens to the former pantry location made way for more usable counter space around the cooktop and a dramatic focal point with the hood, cabinets and marble backsplash. Special Features: Custom designed corbels and island legs lend character. Gilt open lanterns, antiqued nickel grilles on the pantries, and the soft linen shade at the kitchen sink add personality and charm. The unique bronze hardware with a living finish creates the patina of an older home. A walnut island countertop adds the warmth and feel of a kitchen table. This homeowner truly understood the idea of living with the patina of marble. Her grandmother’s marble-topped antique table inspired the Carrara countertops. The result is a highly organized kitchen with a light, open feel that invites you to stay a while. Liz Schupanitz Designs Photographed by: Andrea Rugg

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

Zarrillo's Handcrafted Custom Cabinets, electric flip up door over sink. refrigerator and recycle center. Best Kitchen Award, multi level island,
Huge elegant l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in New York with an undermount sink, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, beige walls, an island, multicolored backsplash and stone tile backsplash

In this 1905 Tudor home, the intent of this design was to take advantage of the classic architecture of the home and incorporate modern conveniences. Located in the Joseph Berry Subdivision in Detroit, this stellar home presented several design challenges. The most difficult challenge to overcome was the 11” slope from one end of the kitchen to the other, caused by 110 years of settling. All new floor joists were installed and the floor by the side door was then recessed down one step. This created a cozy nook when you first enter the kitchen. A tiered ceiling with strategically planned cabinetry heights and crown molding concealed the slope of the walls at the ceiling level. The second challenge in this historic home was the awkward foot print of the kitchen. It’s likely that this kitchen had a butler’s pantry originally. However it was remodeled sometime in the 70’s and all original character was erased. Clever pantry storage was added to an awkward corner creating a space that mimicked the essence of a butler’s pantry, while providing storage desired in kitchens today. Keeping the large footprint of the kitchen presented obstacles with the working triangle; the distance from the sink to the cooktop is several feet. The solution was installation of a pot filler over the cooktop that added convenience and elegance (not sure about this word). Not everything in this project was a challenge; the discovery of a brick chimney hiding behind plaster was a welcome surprise and brought character back honoring the historic charm of this beautiful home. Kitchen Designer: Rebekah Tull of Whiski Kitchen Design Studio Remodeling Contractor: Renaissance Restorations, Inc. Counter Top Fabricator: Lakeside Solid Surfaces - Cambria Cabinetry: Legacy Crafted Cabinets Photographer: Shermin Photography Lighting: Rejuvenation Tile: TileBar.com

MA Peterson www.mapeterson.com A bright and airy galley kitchen, offering easy pass-through for the family.
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless galley dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen remodel in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white backsplash, white cabinets, granite countertops, subway tile backsplash and no island

Jim Brady Architectural Photography
Inspiration for a country galley dark wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Diego with medium tone wood cabinets, a farmhouse sink and shaker cabinets

Large open kitchen with built ins to create a vintage beach style. The kitchen contains built in appliances including two refrigerators, freezer, and wine cooler.

Angle Eye Photography
Example of a classic u-shaped travertine floor and multicolored floor eat-in kitchen design in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and recessed-panel cabinets

Antique elements blend seamlessly with modern conveniences in this extraordinary kitchen. Beautifully patinated custom stains and decorative paint treatments are used as finishes throughout, and the floor is constructed from reclaimed antique terra cotta pavers. Tuscan Villa-inspired home in Nashville | Architect: Brian O’Keefe Architect, P.C. | Interior Designer: Mary Spalding | Photographer: Alan Clark

This vibrant, Craftsman-style kitchen features an island with a built-in microwave, Quartz countertops, and a custom subway tile backsplash.
Inspiration for a large craftsman light wood floor enclosed kitchen remodel in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, quartz countertops, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, gray countertops and white backsplash

A new contemporary kitchen for a family that loves to cook. The owners ' European preferences lead to the selection of the German made cabinets by Bulthaup. The crisp cabinet styling and sophisticated engineering allowed for a clean, minimal style. White cabinets and backsplash defined the walls. Darker cabinets and appliances defined areas of focus. Folding exterior doors enabled the entire corner to open to the deck and rear yard. Remote controlled screens lower from the ceiling to create a screened breakfast area. DLux Images

Bill & Joan's Kitchen is a step out of the ordinary. Their two tone kitchen is separate from base to walls. While, I was at their beautiful home in Milford, MI, I forgot to photograph their matching fireplace and their powder room, but I hope the kitchen pictures will display the style enough

Designed by Kasey Blake of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Salem, VA in collaboration with Jeff Jennings of L.F. Jennings Inc., this small transitional style kitchen with an open feel features Ultracraft Cabinetry in two door styles and finishes. The perimeter kitchen cabinets are the Kitty Hawk door style in Argent Oak with a Textured Melamine finish, complemented by island cabinets featuring the Shaker door style in the Balboa Mist finish. Kitchen countertops are marble in the color Ocean Storm and the tile backsplash is NY2LA 3-3/4"x12" Brentwood Beige. For Kasey, it was exciting working with the clients to help their vision come to life. “We combined the kitchen and dining room to make a spacious kitchen that functions much better for them and has significantly more countertop space.” “My favorite thing about the kitchen is that it has opened up!” said the client. “Working with Kasey was awesome. I had a good idea of what I wanted and some sales reps kept trying to push their idea on me. Kasey actually listened and implemented my instructions the way I intended!” Photos courtesy of Sowder Group LLC.