74 stylish kitchen ideas from the world’s best interior designers
Designing a kitchen can seem a daunting task; there’s so much to consider and so many moving parts to get right. Plus, as the hardest working room in the house, and one of the most permanent and expensive to decorate, getting your kitchen design right first time is really worth doing. So what are the most important things to consider when designing a kitchen?
Start by working out how you use the kitchen, where you cook, when you cook, if you have space for a kitchen table and how often you shop to sort out how much storage you need and what layout to have. It’s also the most important way to work out where your kitchen lights will go. Think about how often you might want to entertain in the kitchen – including whether you want it set up to do so at all; you may prefer to chivvy guests into a dining or living room and keep the kitchen to yourself as a space where you can cook with more room to breathe.
What are the six types of kitchen layout?
Of course, few kitchens are the same, but there are six kitchen layouts that nearly all will fall into. A single wall kitchen is when the units run down just one side, while a galley kitchen is a narrow, long space with cabinets and units on either length of the kitchen. An L-shaped kitchen is just that, providing two sides of work surface, while an U-shaped kitchen adds a third length to it. An island kitchen can be any of the above (except for a galley) with that all-important island in the middle, often used as a place for the cooker so that the space is more sociable. Finally, a peninsula kitchen incorporates an island of sorts, but one that juts out from a length of units and is attached to those.
Our columnist Rita Konig says number one is the kitchen’s layout. “Think hard about how you will move around it. I make sure that the dishwasher and kitchen bin are on either side of the kitchen sink. I like the cutlery drawer to be away from the main action (the stove and the sink) and ideally close to the dining area, so it is easy to access for laying the kitchen table without anyone getting in the way of the cook or the person washing up.
“I also like separating the hob and the oven. My hob is on a stand-alone counter with shelving underneath for the saucepans. I prefer to give an island a different treatment to the rest of the kitchen to save having acres of the same surface – mine is painted a different colour and has stainless-steel kitchen worktops instead of Corian. You might also choose to have a kitchen island higher than your counters to make using it more comfortable.”
Jane Taylor, on the other hand, emphasises the personality of the kitchen. “It is a sense of place and personality that I aim for when designing someone else’s kitchen. I often start the conversation in terms of how a client might like their kitchen to feel, rather than look. I’m very keen on hanging art in kitchens and cookbooks on display warm up a room. They are comforting, a record of one’s life – the restaurants you love, the holidays you enjoyed.” She also considers that the kitchen should be at the heart of the house, in contrast to more old-fashioned domestic set-ups. “In older houses, the kitchen tended to be in the basement, often miles away from rooms thought of as more important. I usually suggest they are moved into the middle of the general living space, so as to be part of the flow of the house.”
How much is a new kitchen?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions about kitchen design, and one of the hardest to answer, as so much is dependent on size and spec. At the very affordable end of the spectrum, a small IKEA kitchen installed by your builder can easily come in at under £10,000. High street merchants like Magnet and Wickes are somewhat more expensive, especially if you use their installation services. Once you start looking at bespoke kitchens, you may be able to do it affordably with a local joiner, but many bespoke companies have a lower spending limit of around £25,000, and this can obviously go much higher for a large kitchen. If you're after a more affordable renovation, it's perfectly possible to spruce things up by replacing your kitchen cabinet doors, painting your kitchen cupboards, or installing new kitchen tiles and a new worktop.
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Below is an endlessly useful gallery, updated every week by our editors with fresh inspiration and pictures of favourite kitchen ideas from the House & Garden archive, designs executed by some of the world's most revered decorators and taste-makers. If you can't find what you're looking for here take a look at our other features on small kitchens, modern kitchens and find case studies and even shoppable kitchens designed from scratch on our kitchen hub page.
Kitchen Ideas
Owen Gale1/86The kitchen is Alix Reynis' favourite room in her Parisian house. The cement floor has been sealed with varnish. The small table and chairs were given to Alix by her grandparents, whose style she credits for forming her own. A large Medici urn which Alix found in a brocante in the north of France.
Mark Anthony Fox2/86The kitchen in a Regency era London pied-à-terre was designed by Veere Grenney Associates. Slabs of Belgian Fossil granite have been used as work surfaces and as an elegant backdrop and shelves. The floor is antique limestone by Artorius Faber and the stools by the Danish designer Ernst Kuhn (1890-1948), recovered in Verandah by Veere Grenney Collection while the Kick hanging lights are from Jamb.
Martin Morrell3/86The compact galley-style kitchen in a 19th-century barn in the Cotswolds is accessed by openings from the dining area.
Anson Smart4/86Amid the sumptuously layered palette of the kitchen of a former workman's cottage in Sydney, two classic white Flos Diabolo pendant lights by Achille Castiglioni provide a crisp, refreshing accent.
Chris Horwood5/86On the floor oak finger parquet flooring, adds an authentic organic contrast to the other manmade materials in the kitchen of James Shaw's Shoreditch house.
Mark Anthony Fox6/86In the kitchen of this Hackney maisonette, the yellow is again Farrow & Ball's ‘Babouche.' The wooden cabinet is from Sweet Interiors on Chatsworth road. Most of the accessories are from HAY.
MICHAEL SINCLAIR7/86Plain English cabinetry and panelling in ‘Army Camp’ green is balanced by Papers and Paints’ ‘Pure White’ on the walls and Parachilna’s ‘Aballs’ pendants over the island in the kitchen of a house in Hampstead Heath.
Matt Clayton8/86The kitchen in Cath Beckett's London house forms one corner of the open plan sitting area.
Salva Lopez9/86With existing chequerboard tiles, pale painted units and marble worktops, the kitchen in this Art Nouveau flat overlooking Barcelona has a charming rustic feel. The straw bag is used for shopping at local markets.
ALEXANDER JAMES10/86Mosaic Factory floor tiles provide a distinctive backdrop for oak units in the kitchen of a Chelsea townhouse designed by Studio Peake. The island has patinated brass sides and a Verde Guatemala marble worktop, which plays well with Giovanna Ticciati stools.
Michael Sinclair11/86Cherner stools in walnut partner the island in this RIBA-award-winning Georgian farmhouse beautifully restored for modern life. The wooden bull – a representation of the Hindu god Shiva’s vahana or vehicle – is from India.
Mark Anthony Fox12/86In the house of a filmmaker-turned-hemp-grower in the Cambridgeshire countryside, the kitchen combines rustic country touches with more modern elements. The splashes of soft yellow, along with the high ceilings makes the kitchen a bright, airy space.
Art: Henri De Waroquier © 2023 ADAGP, Paris/ ARS, New York13/86To make the small kitchen in her small Parisian flat feel more spacious and bright, fashion designer Morgane Sézalory enlisted the help of an artisan to make a custom mirrored wall, complete with carved frames and cleverly designed ledges where she displays her various collections. The stacked ceramic coffee cups are from Les Composantes, the Braque exhibition poster is vintage, the painting is by Henry de Waroquier, and the stove is Lacanche.
Mark Fox14/86A portrait by Chica Seal dominates the far wall beyond the refectory table with its hand-painted decoration by Rosie Tatham in the open-plan kitchen and dining area in Katie Glaister's London house. The oak and bronze island is a bespoke design by K&H Design, and its worktop is by Pyrolave, made from Volvic lava which is enamelled to provide a wonderful reflection. The pendant lights were handmade in London by Michael Ruh.
Mark Fox15/86In another part of the kitchen in the same London house, the pantry doors feature a reeded design with antique brass trim. Another reeded cabinet above the worktop houses the extractor and provides storage for roasting dishes and chopping boards.
Joachim Wichmann16/86Arabescato marble from Fontanili Marble UK is plated on the alcove wall and counter tops in the kitchen of this Victorian terrace designed by Pernille Lind.
Daniel Schäfer17/86The kitchen floor in this French country manor is tiled in reclaimed 18th century tomettes, but the wall tiles are modern and from Topps Tiles in the UK, chosen for their colours which are typical of the region. The door next to the sink leads into the back garden.
Rupert Peace18/86In the kitchen of this Notting Hill house, owner Alice Crawley has chosen a lovely, feminine scheme of pink and green.
Michael Sinclair19/86Designed by Patrick Williams of Berdoulat, this room in a sprawling English country manor provides easily accessible storage as well as housing the fridge – let's call it a half kitchen. The half-glazed doors in Papers and Paints’ ‘H2106’ in a gloss finish lead into the kitchen, where the walls are lined in white ‘Harmony Field’ tiles from Francis Ceramics. The lantern below the skylight once hung in the stables at Buckingham Palace.
Christopher Horwood20/86This ‘Brasserie’ design kitchen in the 18th-century Wolterton Hall was originally conceived by Peter Sheppard for Smallbone, and was named the joint winner of the 2020 Historic Houses Kitchen Award.
Paul Massey21/86In the kitchen of Marie-Louis Sjögren's historic house on the Stockholm archipelago, an antique Swedish bockbord table from Svenska Rum in Stockholm stands on a vintage Swedish rug in the kitchen, which was designed by Marie-Louise and made from Öland limestone.
Mark Fox22/86In his Art Deco flat in Hackney, Alfred Bramsen designed and painted the kitchen cabinets himself, inspired by the colourful doorknobs from Nina Nørgaard. The kettle and toaster are from Hay and the black pot and yellow coffee pot are from Labour & Wait.
Paul Massey23/86In the kitchen of an earl's 19th-century country house, ‘Real Shaker’ cabinets from DeVol, painted in ‘Clerkenwell Blue’, and a terrazzotopped island in ‘Printer’s Black’ pick up on the colours in Christabel Blackburn’s painting Hay Barn. The ‘Hector Bibendum’ pendant lights are by Original BTC.
Jake Curtis24/86In the kitchen of interior designer Thea Speake's light and airy basement flat in London, the units are painted in a strong charcoal colour to mirror the Crittal doors that lead out onto the garden.
Owen Gale25/86The kitchen in a jewellery designer's playful Victorian house is a kaleidoscopic room that best shows the Spanish influences in the house. “It’s the room we knew we’d spend most time in,” says Sandra, “so we spent the longest making sure we got the design right”. This involved staying up until 2am the night before the tiles were put up to ensure the pattern was correct for the mix of green, yellow and pale pink zellige tiles. The cabinet doors are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Calke Green’, Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Geisha’ and ‘Rowan Berry’ from Sanderson, while the walls are an archive Farrow & Ball paint called ‘Orangery’.
Simon Bergström26/86The kitchen was the biggest project when Sebastian first moved into his tiny flat in Stockholm. “I often say that it is a working kitchen - every tool or whatever I need to use is just a one step away and I love that.”
James McDonald27/86The kitchen in a Kensington house by Kate Guinness, designed and made in collaboration with 202 Design, opens into the conservatory. Walls in ‘Plaster V’ contrast with cabinets in ‘Kigali’, both shades from Paint & Paper Library. The rug is from Tate & Darby.
Christopher Horwood28/86The kitchen in a former tannery-turned-stylish flat near London Bridge is painted in a bespoke shade of olive green. The pared-back panelling was designed to blend in with the industrial setting of the apartment.
Sarah Griggs29/86At a Chelsea house by Studio Duggan, the kitchen is at once calm and characterful. Zellige tiles on the chimney breast dazzle in the light-filled space. A mirror from Balineum adds a touch of fresh colour.
Michael Sinclair30/86A kitchen in a Cotswolds home restored by Catherine Chichester: cupboards drawn up by the artist John Simpson are teamed with an island designed with architect Stef Claes and topped with ‘Radianz’ quartz from Granite Planet. A wall unit from Vinterior displays ceramics by Robin Walden. The tumbled limestone floor is from Beswick Stone.
Christopher Horwood31/86At this thatched country cottage, the new kitchen features Les Olivades curtains in their ‘Marquis de Nogaret’ pattern. The tiles are Douglas Watson Studio and the light is Pooky. The bar stools, which pull together every colour in the room, are Décors Barbares ‘Rimski Red’.
Owen Gale32/86The home of photographer Laura Muthesius and her wife, stylist Nora Eisermann, a former schoolhouse. The kitchen was designed using many elements from deVOL, including their ‘Real Shaker’ cabinet range and ‘Crackle’ metro tiles. A Bertazzoni cooker has pride of place. The space has an oak parquet floor from Floors of Stone.
Paul Massey33/86The deVOL kitchen at this London townhouse designed by Howark Design has been painted in the summery shade of Farrow and Ball’s ‘Babouche’. The citrus tones are also picked up in the splashback tiles by Balineum. The globe lights are by Bespoke Lights.
Dean Hearne34/86At Nicola Mardas's house in Deal, the kitchen was designed by the architectural studio Camu & Morrison, and Nicola chose the colours. The cabinets are painted in Little Greene's ‘Woodland’, while the walls are in Farrow & Ball's ‘Middleton Pink’.
Line Klein35/86With its red door and well harmonised curation of objects, the entrance and kitchen to Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer's Copenhagen flat offer a warm welcome: House of Finn Juhl chairs; Knoll Saarinen Tulip table; silver pendant light by Flos; handcrafted tap by TONI; glazed lava stone top, ‘Under My Skin’ wall paint and flooring by File Under Pop.
Mark Anthony Fox36/86At Charlotte Boundy's Victorian London terrace, The British Standard kitchen is painted in two tones – Edward Bulmer’s ‘Brunswick Green’ and ‘Lilac Pink’, which is one of Charlotte’s favourite pinks.
Paul Massey37/86With an extraordinary, enigmatic gothic exterior to live up to, the interior of this north London house required special treatment. The owners called in visionary design studio Maddux Creative, the winners of our 2022 Interior Designer of the Year award. In the kitchen, a rug taken from a larger piece of William Morris carpet picks up on the DeVol cabinets in a custom blue.
Paul Massey38/86With her lampshade-making business starting to take over her west London family home, Rosi de Ruig moved operations to a nearby studio and took the chance to give the Victorian house a vibrant new look. Rosi bought the kitchen cabinets from Ikea and had new fronts made for them, adding brass handles from Peter Jones. Vibrant ‘Parrots Plume’ gloss from Dulux on the cupboards and island, and the door to the newly created larder, sets off the crocheted ‘Simple Shade 03’ pendant in lava from Naomi Paul above the island. The ‘Flora’ metal wall lamps are from Maisons du Monde.
Christoper Horwood39/86Pale blue and brown are a highly covetable colour combination in Lucy Williams' London house. The bespoke kitchen was made by Browson Design and is painted in Paper and Paints Sky Blue with Beata Heuman hardware. The large brass handles were found by Lucy at Ardingly Market, whilst the brown marble countertops were sourced from Lapicida. Over head, Fritz Fryer pendants hang and plaster lights by Alexandra Robinson line the back wall.
Alexander James40/86This showstopper of a kitchen belongs to an equally spectacular house, a former Victorian civic building transformed into a family home by interior designer John McCall. A soft terracotta wash on the walls by decorative paint artist Hughie Turner brings out the specially mixed green and dark red on the cabinets. Above the oak table, which was made by I & JL Brown, is an oak-leaf chandelier from Richard Taylor Designs. The dining chairs are covered in Bennison Fabrics’ ‘Frondage’ and the Edwardian wingback chair is upholstered in Claremont’s ‘Kilim Stripe’ fabric.
Michael Sinclair41/86The original checkerboard terracotta floor at textile designer Natasha James' Yorkshire house is absolutely beautiful, and said to have been inspired by Monet’s kitchen at Giverny. Plain English cabinets and preparation table in ‘Pale Powder’ and ‘Hague Blue’, both Farrow & Ball, set it off perfectly . The blind in Natasha’s ‘Pushkar’ linen for Tasha Textiles is complemented by a trio of Scottish spongeware plates on the wall. On the mantelshelf, Claudia Rankin plates are displayed with Katrin Moye cups. A watercolour of apples by Emma Tennant hangs below them.
Michael Sinclair42/86Pandora Taylor designed the table in her kitchen herself, surrounding it with vintage chairs. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's Palma Gray. An artwork by Thierry Genay hangs on the chimneybreast above the cooker, framed in Perspex to avoid damage.
Chris Horwood43/86Sophie Warburton, founder of Host Home, kept the existing kitchen in her London house, repainting the units from a pillar box red to the calm green of Benjamin Moore's ‘Guacamole’. The tiles are zellige tiles in a colourway called ‘Pastel Sand’. A pop of colour comes from part of Sophie's glassware and ceramics collection, with all the glasses from Host and mugs from Mud Australia.
Paul Massey44/86When designing the kitchen for novelist Andrew O'Hagan, Jane Ormsby Gore opted for floorboards painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Rectory Red’ with a neutral tone on the cabinets above.
Simon Brown45/86A chequerboard floor in ‘Tora Blue’ and ‘Mallory’ limestone tiles from Artisans of Devizes is softened by the light pink of Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ on the painted units of the kitchen in Samantha Todhunter's house, including a wall of panelled cupboards designed by Samantha, inspired by old dressers.
Lauryn Ishak46/86A strong colour scheme of terracotta, blue and white runs through the kitchen of a Singapore flat designed by Elizabeth Hay. The wall lights are from Schoolhouse in New York; the enamelware is from Bornn and Falcon.
Maree Homer47/86A 19th-century former whaler’s cottage in North Sydney has been transformed by Australian interior designer Lisa Burdus into a vibrant, comfortable home with a nod to classic English country style. The pink paint from the sitting room continues on the panelling and wall cupboards in the kitchen, part of the same open-plan space, while an island painted in Dulux’s ‘Green Gables’ offers a striking contrast. Emac and Lawton’s ‘Chelsea’ table lamp is paired with a pleated green silk shade from Samarkand Design.
Paul Massey48/86We love the cane-fronted units in Octavia Dickinson's London house, designed by Octavia herself and made by Alfred Newall at The London Workshop. The units are painted in Little Greene’s ‘Stone-Mid-Warm’.
Owen Gale49/86Interior designer Angelica Squire's Victorian terraced house in London is a youthful, exuberant space that combines smart artworks and fabrics with clever vintage finds and joyful colours. The walls in the kitchen are painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Setting Plaster', and the cabinets in 'Preference Red'. The blinds are in Guy Goodfellow's 'Pomegranate Print' fabric, while cafe blinds on the bottom half of the windows allow for privacy while still letting in the light.
Lucas Allen50/86In this 17th-century house by Rose Uniacke, the rustic wooden table is complemented by rush-seated oak chairs designed by the Arts and Crafts furniture maker William Birch. Copper pans are suspended from a metal oval hanging rack overhead. Above the sink to the right of the Aga, a previously enclosed window has been restored.
Alexander James51/86For Sarah Peake of Studio Peake, her first ever solo project was an opportunity to test out her ingenuity by transforming a tiny Georgian cottage in London without stripping it out entirely. Sarah and her clients decided to restore the original cabinetry in the kitchen, mixing a Dulux paint for the units,but installed a new Carrara marble worktop and a stone floor from Artisans of Devizes.
Michael Sinclair52/86Having previously been divided into flats, this 19th-century house in Hampstead has had a sense of harmony restored by Maria Speake of Retrouvius, with creative use of reclaimed materials and eclectic vintage pieces. Here, as throughout the house, the original features have been preserved, including the plaster cornices and limed-pine floorboards.
Alexander James53/86The white kitchen of this Georgian townhouse in Ludlow has been decorated with a soft colour palette and elegant furnishings, creating a fresh country scheme. Large cabinets line the width of the space, complemented by a classic white Aga and blue tiling.
Paul Massey54/86Maria Speake of Retrouvius salvaged this Victorian shelving from the Patent Office and has used it to house glassware and cookery books here in a client's Chiltern farmhouse. This proves than canny storage doesn't necessarily have to be made-to-measure to be fit for purpose. This double-sided unit is perfect with glassware as it does not block the light. In this kitchen, the stylishly utilitarian scheme is finished with an eclectic mix of light fittings and a large butler sink.
55/86In this London flat designed by Max Rollitt, there is an antique shelf above the kitchen sink. This holds a collection of pottery and glassware. The rich red cabinetry below is topped with pale carrera marble.
Yuki Sugiura56/86The designer Matilda Goad has spent the last two years turning a typical London house in to an imaginative, stylish home packed with clever and unexpected ideas. In the kitchen, the cupboard doors, painted in ‘Sage Green’ from Little Greene, are fitted with a mix of vintage brass handles, some from an old ship. The wall surrounding the cooker is picked out in red and white checkerboard tiles - ‘simply buy the cheapest tiles you can and alternate the colours’ - a homage to the Moroccan and southern European kitchens that were also the influence for the ‘raw plaster’ walls (‘actually a wonderful lime wash paint from a company by Bauwerk’).
Sharyn Cairns57/86In the warm, orange kitchen of Ben Pentreath's Georgian Parsonage the Aga dates back to the Sixties. Ben added the wooden floor, painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Hardwick White', and found the glazed wall cupboard in a junk shop. The kitchen floor needed replacing when he moved in. 'As there was a patch of old stone flagging, I had hoped there would be more beneath the linoleum,' Ben says. 'Of course, there wasn't, so we simply glued wooden boards on top of the existing floor and painted them dove grey'.
Paul Massey58/86The marble wall tiles in decorator Irene Gunter's kitchen were laid in a herringbone pattern to match the parquet floor. A line of base units runs the full length of the kitchen. Irene’s decorator applied nine coats of blue paint to the cupboard doors by hand. The tiled extractor hood is finished with wooden beading in the same colour as the cabinets and a brass trim. The latter ties in with the taps and handles.
Richard Powers59/86There is ample marble worktop space in the kitchen of this stone beauty in the Luberon. The owners felt the pièce de résistance should be the kitchen, which also houses the dining table and opens up onto the garden. Katie Fontana of Plain English oversaw the project and nothing was left to chance. 'We built every cupboard knowing what would be going in it,' explains the owner.
Michael Sinclair60/86The designer Jane Gowers discovered her London house by chance, but its restoration and decoration have been the result of good judgement and a sympathetic approach. The kitchen's traditional cream units were made by Woodstock Furniture, with doors giving access to the garden terrace.
Davide Lovatti61/86Designed by Tara Craig with Marcus Ayshford Sanford of Archidrum, the interior designer's own kitchen is painted in a bespoke apricot shade by Paints and Papers. The worktops are crafted from Bianco Carrara marble. Copper accents in the appliances, utensils and finishes complement the colour scheme.
Simon Upton62/86Shunning our throwaway culture, interior designer Patrick Williams, of Berdoulat Design used salvaged finds and traditional techniques to imaginatively restore his Victorian flat in east London; the plaster walls in the kitchen are sealed with beeswax to make them water resistant. A lover of good design, Patrick even decants his washing-up liquid into an old-fashioned Fairy bottle.
Ngoc Minh Ngo63/86Open shelving and industrial tiling lend a thoroughly American feel to the kitchen of Jos and Annabel White's Manhattan home. The fittings were inspired by the decoration in their friends' New York restaurant The Fat Radish.
Paul Massey64/86A dresser by Plain English, painted in the company’s ‘Army Camp’ green, holds a sink from Howe paired with brass taps from Barber Wilsons & Co in the kitchen-cum-dining room of Rita Konig's farmhouse. Rita’s collection of antique glassware is displayed on the top shelf.
Paul Massey65/86In this space by Ben Pentreath, a Lovell Purbeck Capstone floor offers a muted contrast with bespoke Bulthaup cabinets topped with quartzite. Traditional witjes tiles from Delft Tiles create a backdrop for a basket by Jenny Crisp and an Indonesian tray, which hang from a brass rail.
Owen Gale66/86In her Somerset kitchen, Pearl Lowe worked with the bespoke cabinet company deVOL; together they designed the long island that looks out onto the rolling Somerset hills and the glass-fronted cabinets fitted either side of the chimney breast.
Michael Sinclair67/86This restored Georgian house in Somerset was an irresistible challenge for its owners, who put together a team including architect Ptolemy Dean for the painstaking restoration, which won a Georgian Group award in 2015. The tiles behind the Aga in the country kitchen, which are from Ann Sacks, make the alcove a lovely focus in the bright room. Tom Dixon pendant lights hang above the island, which stores wine, books and tableware.
Davide Lovatti68/86Known for their restoration of historic buildings in Scotland, conservation architects Nick Groves-Raines and Kristin Hannesdottir relished the challenge of saving Lamb's House in Leith, where they now live and work.The wooden kitchen with original beams is decorated in the traditional country style.
Simon Brown69/86You'd never guess that garden designer Butter Wakefield's home once had a kitchen 'so poky, you could barely open the oven.'
The kitchen is far from poky now, helped partly by the addition of an elegant conservatory 10 years ago. 'It is essential to have the garden as much inside as possible,' says Butter, hence the large sash window and the stable door.
'We couldn't afford to hang cupboards in the kitchen, so we covered the walls in black-framed prints and paintings. They are pieces that I've collected over the years - some are very good but others are virtually postcards,' Butter says. It is a clever trick that, teamed with the tongue-and-groove panelling, gives the space a cottage feel.
Rachel Whiting70/86'I haven't used wall cupboards because I didn't want the kitchen to read like a traditional kitchen or look too boxy,' explains Beata Heuman, the interior desginer behind this vibrant home in London. The colour palette, which includes a Swedish green marble worktop and a bespoke copper cooker hood and island by Premier Building & Design, complements the garden beyond. It will acquire a greenish patina over time.
Paul Massey71/86This Arts & Crafts house was given a new lease of life by Ben Pentreath. Ben designed the cabinets, which were made by Symm and painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Hague Blue’.
Paul Massey72/86The traditional country kitchen at the Nyetimber manor house has an Aga and complementing units on either side, with the owners' collection of copper pans hanging along the length of the wall. The table was custom-made and is paired with chairs and a bench bought in Petworth by the owners. The effect, although welcoming and cosy, is minimal and fresh.
Andrew Montgomery73/86Resisting the idea of moving or expanding into the basement, the owners of this London house gave architect Maria Speake the go-ahead to make some structural changes to give their family and business the space needed. The Plain English kitchen, with its cream Aga, was installed 12 years ago. Maria had it repainted in an Emery & Cie green to refresh the room.
Simon Brown74/86This jaunty kitchen decorating idea comes from Joanna Wood in a Cotswold house she worked on. Antique leaf plates are displayed on the tall chimneybreast above the Aga. The ‘Vertigo’ pendant light was designed by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture.
Paul Massey75/86The designer Guy Goodfellow installed these beautiful partitioned oak shelves in the kitchen of this house in Dartmoor. Inspired by the potter Lucie Rie's studio, they are the perfect place to display the owners collection of English slipware ceramics.
Alexander James76/86An ultra-modern kitchen in an Edwardian villa extensively renovated by William Smalley. The custom 10-metre long brushed steel worktop is made by Ottima.
Andrew Montgomery77/86This rustic kitchen from House & Garden's August 2017 issue by House & Garden's Ruth Sleightholme mixes the wicker designs of Atelier Vime with French textiles, antiques, twentieth-century pieces and rustic Provençal pottery, within the atmospheric setting of their eighteenth-century hôtel particulier.
Paul Massey78/86White Kitchen, Glass-Fronted Cabinets | Kitchen Design Ideas
The kitchen of this minimal Manhattan house designed by Rita Konig is by Patti Seidman of Mullman Seidman Architects. Glass-fronted cabinets reveal a display of glassware and the neutral palette fits with the rest of the modern home.
Paul Massey79/86Industrial-Style Kitchen | Kitchen Design Ideas
Alastair Hendy was initially reluctant to view the Grade II listed 16th-century property. From the beginning, however, the house took a grip on Alastair and, although much had been obliterated, the bones of the house were all original and he was able to see its potential. He bought the house, not realising that it would be the start of a five-year restoration project. After taking a crash course in 16th century building practices, salvaging materials and engaging local craftsmen, Alastair returned it to glory. A large professional oven presides over one wall of this kitchen. Elsewhere, cupboards and shelving house a vast collection of china and pottery.
Paul Massey80/86Farrow & Ball's ‘Setting Plaster’ was used on the walls in the kitchen of this 18th-century house in Bath. Vintage wall lights from Felix Lighting Specialists are positioned above the Plain English kitchen units, which are painted in Pure & Original ‘Summerset Mauve’; the island is in ‘Post Modern Mauve’. Pendant light shades salvaged from a factory in Hungary hang over the island. They are sold by Skinflint, which finds, restores and repairs mid-century industrial and decorative lighting from all over Europe. The ‘Eastern Bloc Factory Shade’ measures 51 x 31cm diameter and costs £330.
Simon Brown81/86In the kitchen of this former artist's studio, there is a wall of cupboards centred by dresser shelving. Pendant lights from Hector Finch hang above the kitchen table.
Paul Massey82/86Vermont pine was used for the cabinets in restauranteur Keith McNally's kitchen, for its rich warmth and depth. All were made in New York and shipped over; as were the reconditioned tiles, most of which are over 100 years old and come from demolished or refurbished factories. The ceiling was finished by a craftsman he always works with in the States, who carefully applied imperfect plaster; creating a texture that allowed a glaze of raw sienna and yellow ochre to collect in the grooves, which gives the walls an aged finish. French cafe chairs from Maison Gatti add colour, while copper worktops are chic but practical.
Lucas Allen83/86John Beavan made the bright blue kitchen units in Edward Bulmer's Herefordshire house to the Bulmers' design.
Lucas Allen84/86In this kitchen area, traditional and contemporary pieces work together and a mix of chairs around the dining table create an informal look. Carrara-marble-topped units are painted in 'Hague Blue' by Farrow & Ball, while a mustard blind from Susan Deliss brings warmth to the space. Open-plan living is made cosy with warm touches in this mews house in London owned by designer Caroline Riddell.
85/86Without any drastic aesthetic change - the old Delft tiles above the sink survived - this Oxfordshire cottage kitchen just works and looks better thanks to Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler managing director Emma Burns. Emma brought in joiner Chris Bell to create units an inch shallower than the existing ones - a tweak that makes a huge difference to the sense of the space. Elm was chosen for the worktops and the units are painted in 'Farrow's Cream' by Farrow & Ball.
Simon Brown86/86Charles Hurst, who often works with designer Caroline Holdaway, built this kitchen in Robin Muir's house. The island unit is painted in a matt green similar to 'Greengage' by Designers Guild, while the worktop is in English oak.
