Photo of a large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with an integrated sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, beige floor, beige benchtop and exposed beam.

The kitchen pantry is a camouflaged, surprising feature and fun topic of discussion. Its entry is created using doors fabricated from the cabinets.
Inspiration for a large modern u-shaped kitchen pantry in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor and white benchtop.

Design ideas for a large contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Adelaide with flat-panel cabinets, glass sheet splashback, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, an undermount sink, black cabinets, grey splashback, beige floor and white benchtop.

This is an example of a large mediterranean l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, limestone floors, multiple islands, beige floor and beige benchtop.

The owners of this kitchen had spent the money to upgrade the finishes in their kitchen upon building the home 12 years ago, but after living in the space for several years they realized how nonfunctional the layout really was. The (then) two preschool aged children had grown into busy, hungry teenagers with many friends who also liked to hang out at the house. So the family needed a more functional kitchen with better traffic flow, space for daily activities revolving around the kitchen at different times of day, and a kitchen that could accommodate cooking for and serving large groups. Furthermore, the dark, traditional finishes no longer reflected the homeowners’ style. They requested a brighter, more relaxed, coastal style that reflected their love of the seaside cities they like to visit. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped with a narrow island in the middle. The island created narrow aisles that bottle-necked at the dishwasher, refrigerator, and cooktop areas. There was a pass-through from the foyer into the kitchen, but the owners never liked that the pass-through was also located so close to the powder room. The awkward proximity was unappealing and made guests feel uncomfortable. The kitchen’s storage was made up of lots of narrow cabinets, apothecary drawers, clipped corner units, and very few drawers. It lacked useful storage for the larger items the family used on a daily basis. And the kitchen’s only pantry was small closet that had only builder-grade, narrow shelving with no illumination to be able to see the contents inside. Overall, the kitchen’s lighting plan was poorly executed. Only six recessed cans illuminated the entire kitchen and nook areas. The under cabinet lighting was not evenly distributed either. In fact, the builder had mis-placed the under cabinet lighting around the decorative pilasters which made for choppy, dark cubbies. Further, the builder didn’t include any lighting over the sink or the bar area, which meant whoever was doing the dishes was always in their own shadow. That, coupled with the steep overhang of the game room above made the bar area feel like a dim, cavernous space that wasn’t inviting or task oriented. The kitchen looked out into the main living space, but the raised bar and a narrow wall (which held the only large cabinet in the kitchen) created more of a barrier than a relationship to the living room or breakfast nook. In fact, one couldn’t even see the breakfast nook from the cooktop or sink areas due to its orientation. The raised bar top was too narrow to comfortably sit to either dine at or chat from due to the lack of knee space. The the homeowners confided that the kitchen felt more like a dark, dirty prison than place where the family, or their guests, wanted to gather and commune. The clients' needs and desires were: ➢ to create a kitchen that would be a space the family loved to be in; to relate to the adjacent spaces all around, and to have better flow for entertaining large groups ➢ to remove the walls between the breakfast nook and living area and to be able to utilize the natural light from the windows in both those areas ➢ to incorporate a functional chopping block for prepping fresh food for home cooked meals, an island with a large sink and drain board, 2 pull out trash cans, and seating for at least the 2 teens to eat or do homework ➢ to design a kitchen and breakfast nook with an airy, coastal, relaxed vibe that blended with the rest of the house's coastal theme ➢ to integrate a layered lighting plan which would include ample general illumination, specific task lighting, decorative lighting, and lots of illuminated storage ➢ to design a kitchen with not only more storage for all the husband’s kitchen gadgets and collection of oils and spices, but smart storage, including a coffee/breakfast bar and a place to store and conceal the toaster oven and microwave ➢ to find a way to utilize the large open space between the kitchen, pantry area, and breakfast nook Twelve Stones Designs achieved the owner's goals by: ➢ removing the walls between the kitchen and living room to allow the natural light to filter in from the adjacent rooms and to create a connection between the kitchen, nook, and living spaces for a sense of unity and communion ➢ removing the existing pantry and designing 3 large pantry style cabinets with LED tape lights and rollout drawers to house lots of kitchen appliances, gadgets, and tons of groceries. We also took the cabinets all the way up to the 9’ ceiling for additional storage for seasonal items and bulk storage. ➢ designing 2 islands - 1 with a gorgeous black walnut chopping block that houses a drawer for chopping and carving knives and a custom double pull out trash unit for point of use utilization - and 1 that houses the dishwasher, a large Blanco Gourmet sink with integrated drain board, woven baskets for fresh root vegetables and kitchen towels, plenty of drawer storage for kitchen items, and bar seating for up to 4 diners. ➢ closing off the space between the kitchen and the powder room to create a beautiful new private alcove for the powder room as well as adding some decorative storage. This also gave us space to include more tall storage near the new range for precision placement of the husband’s extensive oil and spice collection as well as a location for a combo-steam oven the wife wanted for baking and cooking healthy meals. The project is enhanced functionally by: ➢ incorporated USB and standard receptacles for the kids’ laptops and phone charging in the large island ➢ designing the small island to include additional open shelving for items used on a daily basis such as a variety of bowls, plates, and colanders. This set up also works well for the husband who prefers to “plate” his dinners in restaurant-style fashion before presenting them to the table. ➢ the integration of specific storage units, such as double stacked cutlery drawers, a custom spice pull-out, a Kuerig coffee and tea pod drawer, and custom double stacked utensil drawers ➢ moving the refrigerator to the old oven location - this eliminated the bottle neck as well as created a better relationship to the eating table. It also utilizes the floor space between the pantry, nook, and kitchen ➢ creating a banquet style breakfast nook - this banquette seating not only doubles the amount of seating for large gatherings but it better utilizes the odd space between the kitchen and the previous nook area. It also helps to create a distinct pathway from the mudroom room through the pantry area, kitchen, nook, and living room. ➢ the coffee/breakfast bar area which includes the perfect location for the concealed microwave and toaster oven, convenient storage for the coffee pods and tea accoutrements. Roll-out drawers below also house the smoothie maker, hot water kettle, and a plethora of smoothie-making ingredients such as protein powders, smoothie additives, etc. Furthermore, the drawers below the Keurig house measuring utensil, cutlery, baking supplies and tupperware storage. ➢ incorporating lots of wide drawers and pullouts to accommodate large cookware. ➢ utilizing as much vertical space as possible by building storage to the ceiling which accommodates the family’s abundant amount of serving platters, baking sheets, bakeware, casserole dishes, and additional cutting boards. The project is enhanced aesthetically by: ➢ new 5-piece Versailles pattern porcelain tile that now seamlessly joins the entire down stairs area together creating a bright, cohesiveness feeling instead of choppy separated spaces - it also adds a coastal feeling ➢ designing a cabinet to conceal the microwave and toaster oven ➢ the coastal influenced light fixtures over the nook table and island ➢ the sandy colors of the Langdon Cambria countertops. The swirling pattern and sparkling quartz pieces remind the homeowner of black-and-tan sandy beaches ➢ the striped banquet seating whose creamy white background and blue-green stripes were the inspiration for the cabinet and wall colors. ➢ All the interior doors were painted black to coordinate with the blacks and grays in the backsplash tile and countertop. This also adds a hint of tailored formality to an otherwise casual space. ➢ the use of WAC's Oculux small aperture LED units for the overhead lighting complimented with Diode LED strips for task lighting under the cabinets and inside the pantry and glass wall cabinets. All of the lighting applications are on separate dimmer switches. Innovative uses of materials or construction methods by Realty Restoration LLC: ➢ Each 1-1/2” x 3” block of reclaimed end-grain black walnut that makes up the center island chopping block was hand milled and built in the shop. It was designed to look substantial and proportional to the surrounding elements, executed by creating the 4 inch tall top with a solid wood chamfered edge band. ➢ The metal doors on either side of the vent hood were also custom designed for this project and built in the Realty Restoration LLC shop. They are made 1x2, 11-gauge mild steel with ribbed glass. Weighing 60 lbs a piece, heavy duty cabinet hinges were added to support the weight of the door and keep them from sagging. ➢ Under-cabinet receptacles were added along the range wall in order to have a clean, uninterrupted backsplash. Design obstacles to overcome: ➢ Because we were removing the demising walls between the kitchen and living room, we had to find a way to plumb and vent the new island. We did this by tunneling through the slab (the slab had post tension cables which prevented us from just trenching) to run a new wet vent through a nearby structural wall. We pulled the existing hot and cold lines between upper floor joists and ran them down the structural wall as well and up through a conduit in the tunnel. ➢ Since we were converting from wall overs to a gas range it allowed us to utilize the 220 feed for the wall ovens to provide a new sub panel for all the new kitchen circuits ➢ Due to framing deficiencies inherited from the original build there was a 1-1/2” differential in the floor-to-ceiling height over a 20 foot span; by utilizing the process of cutting and furring coupled with the crown moulding details on the cabinet elevations we were able to mask the problem and provide seamless transitions between the cabinet components. Evidence of superior craftsmanship: ➢ uniquely designed, one-of-a-kind metal “X” end panels on the large island. The end panels were custom made in the Realty Restoration LLC shop and fitted to the exact dimensions of the island. The welding seams are completely indistinguishable - the posts look like they are cut from a single sheet of metal ➢ square metal posts on the small island were also custom made and designed to compliment and carry through the metal element s throughout the kitchen ➢ the beautiful, oversized end panels on the pantry cabinets which give the breakfast nook a tailored look ➢ integrating a large format 5 piece Versailles tile pattern to seamlessly flow from the existing spaces into the new kitchen space ➢ By constructing a custom cabinet that jogged around a corner we could not remodel (housing the entry way coat closet) we were able to camouflage the adjacent wall offset within the upper and lower cabinets. By designing around the existing jog in the structural walls we accomplished a few things: we were able to find the space to house, and hide, the microwave and toaster oven yet still have a clean cohesive appearance from the kitchen side. Additionally, the owners were able to keep their much needed coat closet and we didn’t have to increase the budget with unnecessary structural work.

Modern Farmhouse kitchen with shaker style cabinet doors and black drawer pull hardware. White Oak floating shelves with LED underlighting over beautiful, Cambria Quartz countertops. The subway tiles were custom made and have what appears to be a texture from a distance, but is actually a herringbone pattern in-lay in the glaze. Wolf brand gas range and oven, and a Wolf steam oven on the left. Rustic black wall scones and large pendant lights over the kitchen island. Brizo satin brass faucet with Kohler undermount rinse sink. Photo by Molly Rose Photography

Image by Peter Rymwid Architectural Photography
Large contemporary kitchen in New York with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, panelled appliances, cement tiles, multiple islands, grey floor and grey benchtop.

An angled view of the kitchen looking towards the river features the two island and the partial waterfall detail at the sink.
Large transitional single-wall open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor and white benchtop.

Photo credit: Kevin Scott. Custom windows, doors, and hardware designed and furnished by Thermally Broken Steel USA. Other sources: Custom cooking suite by Morrone. Cooking range by Molteni. Sink fittings by Dornbracht. Western Hemlock walls and ceiling, Oak floors by reSAWN TIMBER Co.

Design ideas for a large single-wall open plan kitchen in Cleveland with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, multiple islands, white benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

Now more than ever, kitchens are the heart of our homes. This renovation couldn’t be a more perfect example. It has it all - room to gather, prepare a great meal, and an overall warmth and character that make it a favorite place in the home. Traditional details and materials, including walnut islands, a beamed ceiling, paneled cabinets, and handcrafted tile, creates a style that will stand the test of time.

Inspiration for a large country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a double-bowl sink, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, pink splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, multiple islands, white floor, pink benchtop and wood.

Open kitchen with two islands, green cabinets, iron ore island, floating iron shelving, white oak vent hood, double oven, brass hardware.
This is an example of a large country kitchen in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, multiple islands, brown floor and white benchtop.

The main island stayed in its original shape with minor arranging of appliances and adding drawers. The second island was enlarge slightly to accommodate a better selection of appliances as we added a second dish washer drawer and ice maker. Again we used better storage solutions when replacing the old cabinetry.

Large u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and vaulted.

Inspiration for a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands and white benchtop.

This stunning home is a combination of the best of traditional styling with clean and modern design, creating a look that will be as fresh tomorrow as it is today. Traditional white painted cabinetry in the kitchen, combined with the slab backsplash, a simpler door style and crown moldings with straight lines add a sleek, non-fussy style. An architectural hood with polished brass accents and stainless steel appliances dress up this painted kitchen for upscale, contemporary appeal. The kitchen islands offers a notable color contrast with their rich, dark, gray finish. The stunning bar area is the entertaining hub of the home. The second bar allows the homeowners an area for their guests to hang out and keeps them out of the main work zone. The family room used to be shut off from the kitchen. Opening up the wall between the two rooms allows for the function of modern living. The room was full of built ins that were removed to give the clean esthetic the homeowners wanted. It was a joy to redesign the fireplace to give it the contemporary feel they longed for. Their used to be a large angled wall in the kitchen (the wall the double oven and refrigerator are on) by straightening that out, the homeowners gained better function in the kitchen as well as allowing for the first floor laundry to now double as a much needed mudroom room as well.

This beautiful French Provincial home is set on 10 acres, nestled perfectly in the oak trees. The original home was built in 1974 and had two large additions added; a great room in 1990 and a main floor master suite in 2001. This was my dream project: a full gut renovation of the entire 4,300 square foot home! I contracted the project myself, and we finished the interior remodel in just six months. The exterior received complete attention as well. The 1970s mottled brown brick went white to completely transform the look from dated to classic French. Inside, walls were removed and doorways widened to create an open floor plan that functions so well for everyday living as well as entertaining. The white walls and white trim make everything new, fresh and bright. It is so rewarding to see something old transformed into something new, more beautiful and more functional.

Opus White Quartzite by Allure Natural Stone fabricated by Ashcraft Marble & Granite
Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Dallas with white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, multiple islands and white benchtop.