The 10 Most Popular Kitchens of the Week From 2018
Features like cozy eat-in spaces, baking stations and a pizza oven inspired many kitchen renovation plans
The 10 most popular kitchens featured in our Kitchen of the Week series in 2018 had well-planned baking stations, deep cabinet drawers, freestanding freezers and even a secret pantry door. Smart storage solutions and eat-in spaces were also popular with Houzz readers, and there was some movement away from all-white color palettes to blue and white, black and white, and gray and white color schemes. Here’s a countdown of the top 10 kitchen stories of 2018.
9. A Baker’s Dream in Blue and White
This Maryland family loves to bake together, but their existing kitchen didn’t give them enough room to roll out dough.
Interior designer Kirsten Kaplan incorporated a baking station, on the right, with marble countertops, an alcove for a standing mixer, an adjacent pantry for ingredients and deep drawers for muffin tins, cookie sheets, cake pans, cooling racks and other supplies. Deep blue cabinetry, antiqued mirror panels and brass hardware make the area even more inviting.
Learn more about this blue and white kitchen
Find a kitchen designer near you
This Maryland family loves to bake together, but their existing kitchen didn’t give them enough room to roll out dough.
Interior designer Kirsten Kaplan incorporated a baking station, on the right, with marble countertops, an alcove for a standing mixer, an adjacent pantry for ingredients and deep drawers for muffin tins, cookie sheets, cake pans, cooling racks and other supplies. Deep blue cabinetry, antiqued mirror panels and brass hardware make the area even more inviting.
Learn more about this blue and white kitchen
Find a kitchen designer near you
8. White Cabinets With a Big Island, Please!
While planning their new home, this Chicago couple learned they had a fourth baby on the way (and have since welcomed a fifth), so they needed to rework the kitchen design to fit their growing family.
Designers Amy Storm and Jane Kostelyk helped them incorporate a 44-square-foot island and a cozy eat-in area, both sized to fit the whole family.
A panel-front, full-size freezer, hexagonal marble backsplash and touches like the wood floor and beadboard ceiling that lend a sense of age had many Houzz readers taking notes.
Learn more about this white kitchen
While planning their new home, this Chicago couple learned they had a fourth baby on the way (and have since welcomed a fifth), so they needed to rework the kitchen design to fit their growing family.
Designers Amy Storm and Jane Kostelyk helped them incorporate a 44-square-foot island and a cozy eat-in area, both sized to fit the whole family.
A panel-front, full-size freezer, hexagonal marble backsplash and touches like the wood floor and beadboard ceiling that lend a sense of age had many Houzz readers taking notes.
Learn more about this white kitchen
7. Lightening Up While Saving What Works In an Open Floor Plan
This open-plan kitchen in Cumming, Georgia, had some great features but its existing dark wood cabinetry, lackluster backsplash and lack of lighting made it feel dreary.
Designer Kat Nelson replaced the perimeter countertops, island legs, backsplash, vent hood and cabinet hardware. She then painted the cabinets and added new lighting to transform the kitchen into a bright and welcoming space.
Learn more about this kitchen
Find the right vent hood for your kitchen
This open-plan kitchen in Cumming, Georgia, had some great features but its existing dark wood cabinetry, lackluster backsplash and lack of lighting made it feel dreary.
Designer Kat Nelson replaced the perimeter countertops, island legs, backsplash, vent hood and cabinet hardware. She then painted the cabinets and added new lighting to transform the kitchen into a bright and welcoming space.
Learn more about this kitchen
Find the right vent hood for your kitchen
6. Gray Cabinets, Mixed Metals and Italian Love
Designer Orsi Panos helped this Toronto couple craft a kitchen that suited the way they liked to cook and hang out, and honored the Georgian architecture of the home.
While the color palette of white and soft grays is quiet, a dynamic mix of metals and finishes gives the room depth. A favorite feature for many Houzz users was a coffee station with its walnut and brass shelving, inspired by the couple’s travels to Italy.
Learn more about this gray kitchen
Designer Orsi Panos helped this Toronto couple craft a kitchen that suited the way they liked to cook and hang out, and honored the Georgian architecture of the home.
While the color palette of white and soft grays is quiet, a dynamic mix of metals and finishes gives the room depth. A favorite feature for many Houzz users was a coffee station with its walnut and brass shelving, inspired by the couple’s travels to Italy.
Learn more about this gray kitchen
5. Modern Farmhouse Style Uncorked
Interior designer Hannah Hacker helped this Oregon couple open their floor plan by removing a clunky pantry and an awkward angled peninsula. Open shelves for favorite collectibles, the deep blue, white and wood palette, modern farmhouse style and insulated wine cabinet with roll-out shelving were all hits with Houzz users.
Learn more about this modern farmhouse-inspired kitchen
Interior designer Hannah Hacker helped this Oregon couple open their floor plan by removing a clunky pantry and an awkward angled peninsula. Open shelves for favorite collectibles, the deep blue, white and wood palette, modern farmhouse style and insulated wine cabinet with roll-out shelving were all hits with Houzz users.
Learn more about this modern farmhouse-inspired kitchen
4. A Sophisticated Take on 1920s Cottage Style
In remodeling her own kitchen, designer Alessia Loffredo married modern conveniences with the spirit of her family’s 1920s house in Illinois.
The English cottage style of the home called for tongue-and-groove paneling, Shaker-style cabinets with latches and simple knobs, period-inspired sconces, casement windows and classic millwork matching that found in elsewhere in the house.
A high marble slab backsplash, walk-in pantry and concrete and wood sconces had Houzz users saving many photos from the story to their own ideabooks.
Learn more about this kitchen
In remodeling her own kitchen, designer Alessia Loffredo married modern conveniences with the spirit of her family’s 1920s house in Illinois.
The English cottage style of the home called for tongue-and-groove paneling, Shaker-style cabinets with latches and simple knobs, period-inspired sconces, casement windows and classic millwork matching that found in elsewhere in the house.
A high marble slab backsplash, walk-in pantry and concrete and wood sconces had Houzz users saving many photos from the story to their own ideabooks.
Learn more about this kitchen
3. A Pizza Oven, a Secret Door and 2 Cooks
With help from Design-Builder Tinsa Schweitzer this couple got the kitchen they’d been dreaming of for years. A new U-shaped island with plenty of storage now gives plenty of room to roll out dough and spread out tins. There’s also a new combination gas- and wood-burning pizza oven. Plus, click the link below to get the scoop on the kitchen’s super-cool secret door.
Learn more about this kitchen
Find a kitchen remodeler in your area
With help from Design-Builder Tinsa Schweitzer this couple got the kitchen they’d been dreaming of for years. A new U-shaped island with plenty of storage now gives plenty of room to roll out dough and spread out tins. There’s also a new combination gas- and wood-burning pizza oven. Plus, click the link below to get the scoop on the kitchen’s super-cool secret door.
Learn more about this kitchen
Find a kitchen remodeler in your area
2. Modern Improvements That Befit a 1926 Home
It took 10 years of filing away ideas in binders and in Houzz ideabooks before interior designer Sarah Robertson got around to renovating her own kitchen. But that was plenty of time to come up with great ideas.
The antique home in Mamaroneck, New York was built in 1926, and she decided to move the new kitchen into the most light-filled spot. A walnut-topped open island and bar area, a backsplash composed of long slim marble tiles and smartly outfitted cabinet drawers are among the standout features.
Learn more about this designer’s kitchen
It took 10 years of filing away ideas in binders and in Houzz ideabooks before interior designer Sarah Robertson got around to renovating her own kitchen. But that was plenty of time to come up with great ideas.
The antique home in Mamaroneck, New York was built in 1926, and she decided to move the new kitchen into the most light-filled spot. A walnut-topped open island and bar area, a backsplash composed of long slim marble tiles and smartly outfitted cabinet drawers are among the standout features.
Learn more about this designer’s kitchen
1. Oyster Is the New White
For those who are ready to skew just a little bit off the all-white kitchen look, consider oyster.
Beautiful backyard garden views inspired the palette of an oyster base with pops of celeries and greens in different textures and patterns in this kitchen by interior designer Justine Sterling and the architects at Royal Barry Wills.
A large communal island and a beautiful eat-in area with a built-in window seat round out this popular kitchen.
Your turn: Which kitchen is your favorite? Please share in the Comments below.
Learn more about this kitchen
More on Houzz
Will These 9 Paint Colors Dominate Homes in 2019?
The Top 10 Kitchen Photos of 2018
Find a pro near you
Shop for kitchen products
For those who are ready to skew just a little bit off the all-white kitchen look, consider oyster.
Beautiful backyard garden views inspired the palette of an oyster base with pops of celeries and greens in different textures and patterns in this kitchen by interior designer Justine Sterling and the architects at Royal Barry Wills.
A large communal island and a beautiful eat-in area with a built-in window seat round out this popular kitchen.
Your turn: Which kitchen is your favorite? Please share in the Comments below.
Learn more about this kitchen
More on Houzz
Will These 9 Paint Colors Dominate Homes in 2019?
The Top 10 Kitchen Photos of 2018
Find a pro near you
Shop for kitchen products
This 1909 cottage in Seattle had plenty of charm, but its existing chopped-up kitchen was lacking in function. Designer Heidi Caillier reconfigured the layout to incorporate an easy flow, a new island, new windows and an extensive wall of pantry cabinets.
Exposing existing brick, matching up the flooring to the original fir, adding beadboard to the ceiling and choosing Shaker-style cabinetry blended the modern conveniences with the home’s original style.
Learn more about this kitchen
Shop for brass pendant lights