1Disguise Your Appliances
KEVIN MIYAZAKI 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.
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2Build in Additional Storage
JONATHAN MITCHELL 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.
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3Add a Library Ladder
Miranda Estes 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.
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4Display Sentimental Pieces
Jess Isaac 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.
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5Skirt Your Cabinets
Chaunte Vaughn 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.
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6Designate Zones
KEVIN MIYAZAKI 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.
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7Build in a Home Bar
Karyn Millet 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.
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8Choose an Simple Backsplash
Liz Lange 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.
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9Personalize IKEA Cabinets
Annie Schlechter 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.
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10Sneak in Storage
Lauren Caron 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.
11Draw the Eye Up
Trevor Tondro 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.
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12Go With a Lively Color
Trevor Parker 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.
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13Embrace Patterns
Emily J Followill 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.
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14Embrace the Place
Jonathan Bond Photography 15Use Every Inch of Space
Kate Arends 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.
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16Extend a Table Off the Island
Nick Glimenakis 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.
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17Hang Fruit From the Ceiling
Francesca Grace 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.
18Grow Flowers by a Window
Alexa Kaehler 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.
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19Stick to the Room's Roots
Tim Williams 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.
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20Stock a Bar Cart
Jasmine Lam 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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