Design ideas for a large midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with light wood cabinets, with island, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and beige benchtop.

The large farmhouse sink makes cleanup a breeze - if you can take your eyes off of the view. Roger Wade photo.
Mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

This is by far everybody’s favorite space. The kitchen is definitely the heart of the home where the dinner is getting ready, the homework is done, and in the family room the whole family can relax in front of the fireplace, while watching TV, listening to music, or playing video games. Whites with warm walnuts, light marble, and splashes of color are the key features in this modern family headquarters. The kitchen was meticulously designed to accommodate storage for numerous kitchen gadgets, cookware, and dinnerware that the family owned. Behind these simple and clean contemporary kitchen cabinet doors, there are multiple ergonomic and functional features that make this kitchen a modern chef’s dream

Photo: Blaine Jonathan
Design ideas for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Miami with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey benchtop, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Crazy about hexagons. This is a perfect blend of a classic yet contemporary kitchen.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped separate kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white splashback, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, porcelain splashback, black appliances, porcelain floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and grey benchtop.

The kitchen features a dramatic island with seating for 6+ people.
Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, grey splashback and beige floor.

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Photography: Eric Roth Photo

FRENCH + TYE
This is an example of a scandinavian kitchen in London with light wood cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, blue floor, flat-panel cabinets, white splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Contemporary galley kitchen in London with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Builder - Westmark Construction; Photography - Lance Sullivan of Concept Photo
Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Vancouver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Inspiration for a modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, panelled appliances, with island and white benchtop.

This is an example of a country eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, medium hardwood floors and white benchtop.

Beautiful new construction, this kitchen is designed for entertaining. Notice the center island between the cooking wall and the cabinets with hardwood flooring.

The contemporary style of slab doors plays nicely with rustic vertical woodgrains in this Rockville, MD kitchen refaced by Kitchen Saver. There was structural repair done on some existing cabinets and new cabinets were added. 2 stiles were removed and laminate was also applied to the interior for a lovely open shelf. Four roll out shelves were added to improve the kitchen’s ease of use. See more at https://www.kitchensaver.com/kitchen/rockville-md/

Photo of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Inspiration for a mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Photo of a mid-sized industrial single-wall eat-in kitchen in Moscow with marble floors, multi-coloured floor, flat-panel cabinets, white splashback, black appliances, with island, black benchtop and light wood cabinets.