23 Beautiful and Inspiring Kitchen Renovations

Singer-songwriter (and serial renovator) Holly Williams preserved her farmhouse kitchen’s original layout opting only to reconfigure the placement of the refrigerator and cooktop. She coated the walls and trim a crisp white (Delicate White by Porter Paints) and installed ceramic subway tile for added texture. For a slight bit of contrast, she chose light gray cabinets which she paired with open shelving. An inky black ceiling (Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams) grounds the room, while patterned roman shades add hints of blue without blocking too much natural light. Rather than undertake a pricey floor restoration, Holly opted to paint the hardwoods a barely there shade of pink (Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball).

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Marine blue cabinets topped with walnut countertops, a red cedar ceiling (to lend a feeling of being on a boat), and a pine subfloor salvaged from a ca.-1700s tavern in Maine revived Steve Ballerini and Colin Bohrer's small Cape Cod kitchen. Horizontal plank walls and handcrafted unlacquered brass and rope pendants further the nautical vibe.

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White cabinets and appliances and beige everything else felt builder basic and lacked charm or cooking inspiration.

Maria Carr (@dreamywhiteslifestyle) The airier space feels significantly larger thanks to crisp ceilings with exposed rafters and wide shiplap planked walls, white cabinets newly crafted from scrap wood, and a sea of marble, including Carrara marble countertops (bedrosians.com), handcrafted marble-and-wood shelving, and a marble subway tile backsplash (emser.com). The couple also replaced linoleum floors with a herringbone patterned alternative in black oak, which they were chagrined to find out has a tendency to turn pink when staining. Thanks to a call for help on Instagram, they found a crowd-sourced solution: Woca oil (wocawoodcare.com) French standbys including ironstone breadboards, vintage baskets, copper pots, and an old French sieve that hangs above the range.

Austin-based architect Cindy Black of Hello Kitchen changed this kitchen's floor plan to have the sink in front of the new larger bank of windows and a central island ideal for entertaining. To offset the preserved wood walls, the ceiling and trim were painted a crisp white and the wood countertops swapped for easy-to-maintain quartz from Wilsonart. Special details like the wood vent hood, reclaimed wood on the island front, and striped pendants give the white kitchen both patina and farmhouse personality.

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A tight galley layout with no natural light source made for an unappealing kitchen.

Designer Kate Marker’s merged circa-1920s nostalgic charm with pure circa-2020 sophistication for the update of her kitchen remodel. To open up the small cramped space, she knocked down a wall to open it to the adjoining family room, raised the ceiling, and added rustic whitewashed pine beams. An antique blue-gray island paired with rustic tripod stools juxtaposes the room’s more modern Amish-crafted flat-paneled cabinetry and finishes, but all eyes go immediately to the coral vintage-style Big Chill fridge, which provides the kitchen a punch of happy. Because she loved the existing checkerboard floor, Kate had a specialty painter mimic the stained design onto the newly added wood floorboards.

Over the years, this kitchen (which had only one small window) had lost all of its original farmhouse charm.

DIY homeowner Claire Zinnicker carved out openings in the kitchen by adding antique windows. A new larger row of windows instantly brightened the kitchen and provides views of surrounding landscapes. Two halves of another antique window hang higher on the range wall to allow room for open shelves (which Claire made from salvaged wood) that play up the vintage vibe. Painting the shiplap walls and ceiling white additionally opened up the space. Salvaged finds like the circa-1950s O’Keefe & Merritt enamel stove and Mexican pine island reinforce a layered, acquired-over-time feeling, while large domed pendant lights add modern styling.

RELATED: See more of the amazing renovation of this charming Texas farmhouse.

Giving this kitchen a makeover proved inexpensive, thanks to subway tiles, plenty of white paint, and a few bargain choices such as Ikea cabinets, butcher-block countertops, and farmhouse sink. An antique bakery table, equipped with handy storage baskets, functions as the kitchen island and instantly gives the new kitchen vintage patina.

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The kitchen's vintage Chambers stove remains front and center and actually looks more at home with its now all white surroundings. On a small budget, the homeowners kept the existing cabinet frames, but gave them a modern update by replacing the doors and painting everything Benjamin Moore's Patriotic White. They jettisoned the dated laminate counters and dark backsplash in favor of marble and white subway tiles.