A hood by Gaggenau hangs above the gleaming Caesarstone island, where dessert is served. Cerused-oak cabinetry lines a Rockwell Group–designedManhattan penthouse’s kitchen, which is contrasted strikingly by unique marble. The wall ovens, range, and hood are all by Wolf, and the backsplash is made of nickel tile. AnUpper East Side duplex’s simple kitchen sparkles with white Corian cabinetry and counters—a combo that will never go out of style. Architect Steven Harris and designer Lucien Rees Roberts created the clean-lined space. This London kitchen was designed by Bryan O’Sullivan for homeowner Marie Coulson.

Not only does it make it easy to take stake of your pieces, but it’s also convenient for grabbing and going when needed. Consider keeping the design similar to your main kitchen or allow this to be a space where you have some fun with color, pattern, and pizzazz. If seamless entertaining is your goal, a pantry that’s designed to be a prep area and also stow a mess in a flash is ideal.

Natural Materials

It creates flow while being just as functional as a rectangular island. If you want to camouflage a microwave, sneak it into your kitchen island’s design. Between that backsplash and thosebar stools, the microwave will be the last thing you see—and that’s on purpose. This PURE Design kitchen makes a solid case for adding slim, colorful tiles for an attention-getting dose of fun. For another way to define “spaces” in an open layout, look to ground level. Open-concept spaces invite a lot of movement between “zones,” so pay close attention to the width of paths and sightlines in each space.