Before + After

15 Spectacular Before and After Kitchen Makeovers

See how these dated spaces were transformed into dream kitchens

A kitchen renovation is one of the biggest investments a homeowner can make, but a successful transformation can do wonders for a home—and it’s value. Whether your kitchen just needs a light refresh or a full gut renovation, the best place to start is with some inspiration. We’ve gathered incredible remodels from the pages of AD that showcase kitchens in a wide variety of styles and sizes, from Meg Ryan’s industrial-chic New York loft to a sleek and contemporary Aspen kitchen to a small, minimalist galley. Discover how top architects and interior designers such as Nate Berkus, Victoria Hagan, Peter Pennoyer, and Michael S. Smith made over these dated rooms to create dream kitchens for their clients (and themselves), complete with high-end appliances, luxe surfaces, and plenty of room for cooking and everyday dining. Click through these amazing before and afters to find inspiration for your next kitchen renovation.

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    BEFORE

    The New York City kitchen of Meg Ryan.

  • Photo: William Abranowicz
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    AFTER

    Ryan enlisted designer Monique Gibson and architect Joel Barkley to help her renovate the loft. Industrial lights from a salvage shop in Maine illuminate the kitchen’s dining area, which boasts cabinets by Fine Woodwork. Grapefruit fills a porcelain bowl by Valérie Hermans on a plank-top table by Get Back.

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    BEFORE

    The Aspen, Colorado, kitchen of philanthropists Amy and John Phelan.

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    AFTER

    The couple called on Stonefox Architects to renovate and decorate the entire home. Sleek ebonized-oak cabinetry, matching flooring, and black granite counters lend a moody elegance to the revamped kitchen, which is also outfitted with a Wolf range, a Sub-Zero freezer and refrigerators, and BDDW stools.

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    BEFORE

    Nora and André Jordan’s Washington, D.C., kitchen.

  • Photo: Pieter Estersohn
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    AFTER

    Solís Betancourt & Sherrill renovated and decorated the apartment, including the kitchen, which features cabinetry, a sink, and sink fittings by Bulthaup and a hood and appliances by Gaggenau. The backsplash is glass, and the island is clad in Caesarstone.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen of a 1920s mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

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    AFTER

    Architect David Easton revived the dilapidated estate, which was designed by Addison Mizner. In the kitchen, an Ann-Morris ceiling fixture hangs above the island; tile from Solar Antique Tiles distinguishes the backsplash, and the barstools are from TK Collections.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen of designer Nate Berkus’s former Manhattan home.

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    AFTER

    Berkus painted the existing kitchen cabinetry a high-gloss black by Farrow & Ball and added crown molding and brass pulls; the subway-tile backsplash, Electrolux dishwasher, and marble-top island are new.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen of executives Melisse Shaban and Jane Elizabeth Phillips’s North Carolina home.

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    AFTER

    Shaban and Phillips were not fans of the kitchen’s original finishes and details, so architect Russell Groves, who renovated the home, lacquered the cabinetry and the panels of the Sub-Zero refrigerator in glossy white and installed thick Carrara-marble counters with straight edges, as well as industrial-style RH light fixtures and sleek Walker Zabriskie Furniture stools.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen and dining area of a Manhattan apartment.

  • Photo: Scott Frances
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    AFTER

    Architectural designer Peter Napolitano and decorator Thomas Britt transformed the space. The palette and repeated elements, such as the lantern and the mirror, help maintain continuity. The elongated custom-made cabinetry plays off the large windows.

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    BEFORE

    The main kitchen in the Skaneateles, New York, home of recycling entrepreneur Adam Weitsman and his wife, Kim.

  • Photo: Pieter Estersohn
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    AFTER

    The home was renovated by Meyer & Meyer Architecture and Interiors and decorated by McAlpine Booth & Ferrier Interiors. Lanterns by Formations are suspended in the main kitchen, which has cabinetry painted in a Benjamin Moore off-white, a Rohl sink with Lefroy Brooks fittings, and a Gaggenau cooktop and oven.

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    BEFORE

    The third-floor kitchen of the Weitsmans’ home.

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    AFTER

    The third-floor kitchen, dramatically opened up and lightened, features lanterns by Baker, Dessin Fournir stools clad in an Edelman leather, and Waterworks sink fittings; dishes are stowed on an étagère by Lars Bolander.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen of designer J. Randall Powers’s Houston home.

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    AFTER

    Knoll’s Brno chairs surround an antique table in the refreshed kitchen. Powers paneled the ceiling and installed cabinets whose rich gray-green hue gives the space a sense of intimacy. Neolithic Chinese pottery is displayed at the top of the upper cabinets, and the hood, ovens, and range are by Thermador.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen of fashion executive Kenneth Wyse’s Manhattan apartment.

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    AFTER

    Designer Larry Laslo updated the galley kitchen with a black-and-white palette.

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    After

    A Manhattan kitchen.

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    AFTER

    Architect Peter Pennoyer and designer Victoria Hagan transformed this prewar apartment overlooking the East River. The kitchen is outfitted with a Viking range, a hood by Peter Pennoyer, Sub-Zero refrigerator drawers, a Miele dishwasher, and Caesarstone countertops.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen in the Manhattan pied-à-terre of Lisa Cohen, an editor at DuJour magazine, and her husband, James, the chairman of Hudson Media.

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    AFTER

    The apartment, which is located in the iconic Plaza hotel, was renovated by VLArchitects and Susanna Maggard Interiors.The kitchen is equipped with a Viking oven, cooktop, and hood; the Kartell chairs, from Design Within Reach, are cushioned in a Brunschwig & Fils fabric, and the shade is of a Ralph Lauren Home stripe.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen of a hillside home on the Spanish island of Majorca.

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    AFTER

    Designer Michael S. Smith added custom-made Moorish-style tile in the kitchen, where antique oak dining chairs surround an Indian table; the chandelier is by Paul Ferrante, and the globe lights are by Jamb.

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    BEFORE

    The kitchen of a Manhattan penthouse.

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    AFTER

    Architect John Murray and decorator Elissa Cullman brought the duplex back to its former glory. Holophane lights by Ann-Morris are installed in the kitchen, where the John Murray–designed cabinetry is accented with hardware by the Nanz Co.; the wall ovens are by Wolf, the cooktop is by Viking, the pot filler is by Rohl, and the counter stools are by Cliff Young.

    Related: See More Home Remodeling & Renovation ideas

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