100 Kitchen Design Ideas That'll Make You Want to Redo Yours
So many deliciously chic solutions.
As the most-used room in the house, your kitchen handles everything from breakfast to late-night snacks, and it always seems to be the place people congregate during parties. However, if it's on the dated side or you simply don't love the finishes, you're probably not enjoying the time you spend in there as much as you could. That's where we come in. Kitchens are kind of our thing, so we've gathered the best kitchen ideas from designers to help you imagine and plan your perfect space.
Great kitchen design ideas combine style and functionality. After all, there's not much of a point to having beautiful things if they don't make your life easier. If you want more of a restaurant-at-home feeling, consider banquette seating. Michelin-star worthy home cooks will want focus on great appliances and prep space, including a kitchen island.
Since most people renovate this space about once a decade, creating a timeless kitchen you'll love for years to come is of the utmost importance. So whether you're renovating or simply looking for some inspiration to make yours more efficient, you'll find what you need in these kitchen design ideas. From country casual to sleek and modern—and literally everything in between–we've got every design style covered. We didn't forget any details either: Gorgeous countertops, unique backsplashes, and statement lighting—they're all here. And if you're looking for kitchen layout advice, keep scrolling. You'll find an expert breakdown of the best kitchen layouts and shapes at the end.
Disguise Your Appliances
The refrigerators in House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home kitchen, designed by Laura McCroskey and Leann Lynn of McCroskey Interiors, were cleverly disguised as cabinetry with painted front panels and oversized hardware, including the undercounter units seen here. Paneled appliances are a great way to combine form and function—you'll never have to worry about fingerprints smudging your stainless steel fridge again.
Build in Additional Storage
Colleen Dowd Saglimbeni of CDS interiors knew every square inch counted in this floating home in Sausalito, California. This dining nook set off of the kitchen features sneaky storage in the form of drawers underneath the banquette. They hold entertaining must-haves like extra napkins and serving pieces without crowding the already full cabinetry.
Add a Library Ladder
The best way to utilize space in a kitchen is to extend the cabinetry all the way up to the ceiling. Reaching the stuff you store up there when you finally need it, however, can be a pain. Take a note from designer Reena Ravi's studio kitchen, and put in a library ladder. The brass rail curves around the outside of the cabinetry, so this one can roll out of the way when it's not in use.
Display Sentimental Pieces
To mirror an original recessed niche on the opposite wall of her kitchen (inspired by "Ralph Lauren in the 1990s"), Jaqui Seerman put in a second one over the sink. High-use glassware and recipe books now get prime real estate out in the open.
Skirt Your Cabinets
Embrace the cottagecore aesthetic and skip lower cabinet doors in favor of ruffled fabric skirts, as Meta Coleman did in this California kitchen. Skirts eliminate loud slams and broken hinges, but it's important to note that they are harder than doors to childproof.
Designate Zones
The 2023 House Beautiful Whole Home kitchen has an open-concept layout, so Laura McCroskey and Leann Lynn of McCroskey Interiors divided it into smaller zones to make it as functional as possible. A marble table off to one side allows for an easy family-style buffet setup, while the central area has the range and prep space. Even the sink is divided into two sections.
Build in a Home Bar
Joe Lucas didn't take every opportunity to add a nautical reference in his sister's beach house, but he did reach for the classic materials used in boat interiors— teak and holly wood—for the custom bar at the end closest to the family room. It's a nice zone in the open kitchen that still feels like a cohesive part of the design.
Choose an Simple Backsplash
The kitchen in fashion designer (and Grey Gardens owner) Liz Lange's New York City home isn't large, but she wanted it to feel as bright and airy as possible. "Rather than going prewar in its aesthetic, we gutted it and went very clean and modern," she says. She coated the hardware-free cabinetry in reflective white lacquer and used white plaster paint on the backsplash, which looks unfussy and isn't too precious.
Personalize IKEA Cabinets
Cameron Schwabenton gave this kitchen a surge of energy with fun vintage pieces (those chairs!) and brass accents. The glossy dark blue cabinets are actually from IKEA—she just customized them with brass hardware.
Sneak in Storage
Lauren Lothrop Caron of Studio Laloc packed as much storage as possible into this kitchen by fitting floating shelving into the corner next to the range hood. A thin ledge for spices is topped by a wider one for bigger tools. Their natural wood finish work with the warm brass accents and Roman shades to make this space feel inviting.
Draw the Eye Up
Mallory Kaye modernized this ranch house's kitchen while letting the original architecture shine. The custom adobe-style plaster range hood calls attention to the vaulted ceiling and skylight, which stretches along the room's width and brightens everything.
Go With a Lively Color
Garrow Kedigian chose Soft Chinchilla by Benjamin Moore to give the kitchen cabinets in this Upper East Side apartment a light, cheerful energy. "I always like my kitchens to feel like rooms and not utilitarian spaces, so I always encourage my clients to paint their kitchens with a lively color," Kedigian says.
Embrace Patterns
In this kitchen by Cate Dunning, glossy tiles in a herringbone pattern contrast with the matte greige painted cabinets and the dark stone counters. Marrying both, the floor tiles are a custom mosaic design reminiscent of an old-school Parisian bistro.
Embrace the Place
In Elizabeth Hay's 16th-century thatch-roofed cottage, cabinets painted in charming Invisible Green by Edward Bulmer are offset by walls, beams, and ceiling in White Lead by Little Greene. A floral arrangement by Rambling Rose enhances the English countryside aesthetic."Being a quintessential Devon cottage, it was already full of charm but quite neutral in terms of color," she says.
Use Every Inch of Space
The great big picture windows in her Minnesota kitchen required Wit & Delight founder Kate Arends to sacrifice wall space, which ended up being worth it for the natural light and forest views. To make up for the lack of wall space, Arends optimized the lower cabinets by making them extra deep and hung pots and pans from the dropdown ceiling. A countertop lazy Susan corrals condiments.
Extend a Table Off the Island
The kitchen is one of the primary gathering spaces in this Brooklyn townhouse by Eneia White, so the designer wanted it to be as comfortable as it is stylish. The cabinets are painted in a soothing light blue, and the island extension serves as an extra dining table.
Hang Fruit From the Ceiling
To play up the home's period features, Francesca Grace gave the interiors a cosmetic refresh with wallpaper, vintage items, light fixtures, and accessories. We love how fun the hanging fruit basket is—plus, it helps keep the countertops clear.
Grow Flowers by a Window
In this Winnetka, Illinois, kitchen by Alexandra Kaehler, pots of fresh flowers growing near the window ensure a sunny mood. They suit the casual, easygoing color palette: classic blue-and-white with a subtle gray twist.
Stick to the Room's Roots
This 1970s home on Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills was originally designed by local Japanese-American architect Ikuyo Tagawa. Interior design firm BHDM added modern updates while maintaining its original character.
Stock a Bar Cart
Jasmine Lam keeps the kitchen of her London pied-à-terre stocked with water for guests. Fresh greenery on the bar cart brings the pale sage green cabinets and forest motif Roman shades to life.
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