Caroline Harper Knapp transformed a well-loved ranch home in Houston into a modern, festive family retreat. One of the biggest game changers in the remodel was opening the kitchen to the family room to create a more entertaining-friendly layout. Cabinets painted Benjamin Moore’s Alabaster, OC-129, unlacquered brass hardware, and Circa Lighting jar pendants set the scene.

• This one is ideal for cutting fresh flowers, soaking large pots, and even for using as an out-of-sight drop spot for dirty dishes when you have a house full of guests.
• The dark gray cabinet color is the star of the show in this stunning modern kitchen.
• The island features a built-in wine rack on the right side along with storage underneath, and a tall and narrow pantry provides lots of space for food.
• The cabinets in this wood-filled kitchen by Vidal Design Collective match the home’s living room furniture, creating easy flow between the spaces.
• To achieve this look, consider integrating materials such as stainless steel, exposed brick, and reclaimed wood.

Layered in wood from floor to ceiling, this kitchen would convert even the most ardent city slicker into a lover of all things handmade and hewn. Most of the wood for the kitchen cabinetry, as well as other built-ins in the house, was fashioned from salvaged, old-growth heart pine. The source for this sought-after material came about when the homeowner dismantled a nearby collapsing farmhouse.

Natural textures

So if your cabinets or counters are ugly as sin, create visual interest with your floors. While we don’t have a single complaint about this breezy Ibiza kitchen designed by Studio Muñoz (take a look at that terrace!), the sea-blue tiled floors are a simple yet effective style statement. Even if a renovation might not be in the cards for you, a colorful kitchen rug will do the trick.

• A bold color selection makes a huge difference in the final look and feel of your kitchen design.
• Embrace the cottagecore aesthetic and skip lower cabinet doors in favor of ruffled fabric skirts, as Meta Coleman did in this California kitchen.
• This will add visual interest to your kitchen while keeping things neutral and lasting.
• Give your walk-in pantry a dark treatment for a moody space that makes storage an elegant affair.
• Could a counterintuitive layout—like placing your dining room next to your kitchen, rather than across from it—make your space feel more functional?