The existing kitchen was an unfunctional galley style kitchen. In order to maximize storage and add a finished look to the new kitchen, we added two lazy susan cabinets in each of the back corners and a large bank of drawers to anchor the back wall. We also added an upper cabinet to the right of the offset window for added storage and balance to the space.

This view shows the play of the different wood tones throughout the space. The different woods keep the eye moving and draw you into the inviting space. We love the classic Cherner counter stools. The nostalgic pendants create some fun and add sculptural interest. All track lighting was replaced and expanded by cutting through beams to create good task lighting for all kitchen surfaces.

Photo Credit: Pawel Dmytrow
Photo of a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional kitchen in Atlanta with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, with island and white benchtop.

Photo of a large transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Nashville with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Design ideas for a small contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, white benchtop, an undermount sink and grey cabinets.

This is an example of a transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

In the kitchen we exposed the previously hidden original brick walls by eliminating the upper storage and swapping with chunky shelves that wrap the brick. Additional lighting onto the texture of the exposed brick brings the architecture back into the space and provides a nice contrast to the sleek slab doors. We created placement for dish storage by adding a wall of shallow drawers underneath with peg organizers. We extended the island to provide additional seating and more space for baking.

This custom support kitchen is a gem. The scalloping at the top of the cabinets was patterned directly from the cottage on the property to compliment the windows that were used as the upper cabinet doors. The original pine finish shown on the front was actually inside of the cottage but when you open them they are blue, since the exterior of the cottage was white and blue. The blue and white tile coordinates with the antique hand painted dishware collected by the home owner. Butcher block countertops, a cast iron undermount sink, a bridge faucet and dutch door painted in Showstopper Red to match the front door helps complement this space.

This large l-shaped kitchen warms up the house with its light tan cabinets and dark gray quartz counters. The black hardware and pendant lights dress it up and create a modern farmhouse vibe with the white shiplap paneling, and natural wood open shelving.

Tennille Joy Interiors Custom Laundry with herringbone tiled splashback and shaker style cabinets.
Photo of a large transitional single-wall kitchen in Melbourne with a drop-in sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, matchstick tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Photo Credit: Dennis Jourdan
Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula, multi-coloured floor and grey benchtop.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, no island, grey floor and white benchtop.

The existing U-shaped kitchen was tucked away in a small corner while the dining table was swimming in a room much too large for its size. The client’s needs and the architecture of the home made it apparent that the perfect design solution for the home was to swap the spaces. The homeowners entertain frequently and wanted the new layout to accommodate a lot of counter seating, a bar/buffet for serving hors d’oeuvres, an island with prep sink, and all new appliances. They had a strong preference that the hood be a focal point and wanted to go beyond a typical white color scheme even though they wanted white cabinets. While moving the kitchen to the dining space gave us a generous amount of real estate to work with, two of the exterior walls are occupied with full-height glass creating a challenge how best to fulfill their wish list. We used one available wall for the needed tall appliances, taking advantage of its height to create the hood as a focal point. We opted for both a peninsula and island instead of one large island in order to maximize the seating requirements and create a barrier when entertaining so guests do not flow directly into the work area of the kitchen. This also made it possible to add a second sink as requested. Lastly, the peninsula sets up a well-defined path to the new dining room without feeling like you are walking through the kitchen. We used the remaining fourth wall for the bar/buffet. Black cabinetry adds strong contrast in several areas of the new kitchen. Wire mesh wall cabinet doors at the bar and gold accents on the hardware, light fixtures, faucets and furniture add further drama to the concept. The focal point is definitely the black hood, looking both dramatic and cohesive at the same time.

We used an open floor plan for the kitchen and dining, with both being part of the great room together with the living room. For this contemporary gray kitchen and dining, we used flush cabinet surfaces to achieve a minimalist and modern look. The backsplash is made with beautiful 3” x 16” light gray tiles that perfectly unite the white wall cabinets and the darker gray base cabinets. This monochromatic color scheme is also evident on the white dining table and countertops, and the gray and white chairs. We opted for an extra large kitchen island that provides an additional surface for food preparation and having quick meals. The modern island pendant lights serve as the functional centerpiece of the kitchen and dining area.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Oklahoma City with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Luxuriously dark cabinetry, light worktops and walls with a spacious feel - this is a cool take on a classical kitchen design. Custom made for a couple with a keen eye for design, who work hard, know how to relax and absolutely adore their pups. Their kitchen renovation was part of a whole house restoration. With busy careers and two pups the brief highlighted two main aims. Firstly, to create space to enjoy the kitchen, for cooking and relaxing. Secondly, to provide customised storage so that everything has a place to help keep the space tidy. The main kitchen area is where the culinary magic happens with space to unwind. The home bar for gin and wine lovers, includes wine racks, antique mirror, glazed shelves for the gin collection and two fridge drawers for wine and mixers. Designed with pocket doors it can be left open to admire the beautiful bottles, or closed – maybe for Dry January?! It’s positioned cleverly next to their outdoor ‘lounge’ area complete with comfortable chairs and an outside rug. The larder cupboard has spice / oil racks, baskets and boxes at the bottom for treats. There are electrical points inside so the coffee machine is plugged in here and ready to serve that morning espresso. Being able to keep the kitchen tidy was important so we created a ‘home for everything’ using drawers within drawers, an Oak baking tray divider, pan drawers with lid holders and integrated chopping board and tray spaces. The ovens, warming drawer, induction hob and downdraft extractor are positioned together with the plenty of prep worktop space. The cooking section is aligned with the washing area including Fisher and Paykel dishwasher drawers, beautifully glossy white ceramic sink and boiling water tap. With a slim Oak shelf above for displaying favourite things. The Island serves as a breakfast bar as well as a sweet spot for a casual supper. There is a Zebrano wood knife block inset into the Island worktop so that their Global knife collection is on hand for food prep by the hob and oven. The table and chairs are painted in the same colour as the cabinets and upholstered in black and white, with bench seating by the window including drawers for dog toys conveniently by the doors to the garden. The second part of the design is the walk-in butler’s style pantry. This area was designed to keep the kitchen ‘clutter’ out of the main area. And it is a brilliant area to stack all the dirty dishes when entertaining as it’s completely out of sight. The cabinetry is an a classic ‘u’ shape and houses the fridge, freezer, cupboards for large appliances, oversized dishes and one for the mop and bucket. The tall cupboards with bi-fold doors are for food storage, and you can see from the photos that everything is beautifully kept – rice, pasta, popcorn, quinoa all in lovely named jars. It’s an organisers dream come true. There is also a sink for washing vegetables and oodles of prep surface. Colour pallet The cabinetry is hand painted in Farrow and Ball ‘Off-Black’. Dark and inky, it just lures you right in, timeless and deeply refined. With the cabinetry being grand in proportion too, with detailed cornicing it creates a really bold statement in this space. It can be daunting to go for a dark shade of black, blue or green, but you can see the drama of the cabinets is perfectly matched with plenty of natural light, the white walls and warm Oak floor tiles. The white patterned Domus ‘Biscuit’ tiles bring texture and playfulness. The worktop, Caesarstone Ocean Foam, is a white quartz with speckles of grey crystals. In a classic polished finish it lets the rest of the room do the ‘singing’ while providing a clean light reflecting practical surface for preparing and enjoying food and drinks. The floor tiles bring the warmth. No two tiles have the same pattern so they really do look like wood, but are better suited to the pups as they don’t scratch and are non-slip. Lighting Design The slim black framed windows with doors onto the garden flood the kitchen with natural light and warmth during the day. But atmospheric lighting into the evening was important too, so we incorporated custom lighting in the glass cabinet, gin cabinet and pantry. “It is so well integrated and was a really important thing for me, along with all the smart lighting in the room, and Mike did a great job with it all.” It was such a pleasure to make this kitchen. They wanted to work with a local company and we feel so lucky they picked us.

Transitional Hidden Butler's Pantry Paul Dyer Photography
This is an example of a transitional galley separate kitchen in San Francisco with glass-front cabinets, medium hardwood floors, no island, white benchtop, turquoise cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, matchstick tile splashback and brown floor.

This Butler's Pantry Cabinet & Door was made to look like the adjacent Pantry!
Photo of a large transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.