110 Beautiful Kitchens

November 02, 2010
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Whether you’re planning a complete kitchen overhaul or you're just looking for a few quick and easy updates, these creative kitchens are sure to inspire you.In the South, a beautiful kitchen is almost always the center of one’s home and serves as the heart and soul of the house. Here, we are going to share our favorite kitchen inspiration for those looking for a refresh or starting new. There are many different types of kitchens that grace our pages each month. Some are white kitchens with subway tiles, brass accents, and Carrera marble countertops. Some kitchens are colorful and bold with wooden counter tops, bright blue cabinetry, and polished nickel accents. Others are more modern kitchens with polished chrome and funky light fixtures. Regardless, all of the different kitchens in this curated gallery will inspire you to take a leap and create a stunning kitchen in your own home.
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Glamorized White Kitchen

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

This sleek, all-white space is spiced up with brass accents and vintage pieces.

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Welcoming Coastal Kitchen

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

The designer wanted guests to feel like they could just walk in and hang out in this space. All of the living areas connect, so to avoid cluttering the open floor plan with too many cabinets, almost everything—from flatware to everyday dishes—is well organized and stowed away in drawers. This also makes it easy for guests of all agest to access kitchen essentials.

Glass pendant lights over the bar mimic candles resting in huricane holders, an element typically found on outdoor dining tables.

The woven plastic seats and backs on the barstools by Serena & Lily hold up well against wet bathing suits.

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Classic White Cottage Kitchen

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Decorative touches—like green soapstone counters and tole fronts on the upper cabinets—add color and style to the white kitchen without taking up space. The marble-and-iron table also doubles as an island work surface.

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Blue and White Beach House Kitchen

Credit: Photo: Christopher Shane

Built around a centuries-old oak tree, this Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, kitchen offers a smart and sleek design created by architect Heather Wilson and designer Luann McCants.

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Burst of Citrus

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

A burst of citrus is a surefire way to add energy. A simple design with pops of green brings out the brighter side of this Arkansas kitchen.

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Modern Rancher Kitchen

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Plenty of wood and old pottery keep this sleek kitchen's vibe down-to-earth.

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Rustic Copper Kitchen

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

After a hurricane flooded architect Wayne Good's 110-year-old Chesapeake Bay cottage, he seized the opportunity to design his dream fish camp-style kitchen in just over 150 square feet. The ceiling features repurposed exterior siding that was flipped to expose the richly worn wood.

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Charming Farmhouse Kitchen

Credit: Photo: Helen Norman

Typically used for barn roofing, the kitchen's corrugated material adds authentic farmhouse charm for only about $15 per sheet.

See more of this Cottage Style Home

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Nautical White Kitchen

Credit: Barnes Vanze Architects

Clean white floors complement the cabinetry and island in this kitchen. A minimal number of upper cabinets keeps the space open. In their place, cantilevered antique chestnut shelves, reminiscent of a ship’s deck, add an organic touch. The shelves display plain white dishware against a wall of deep royal blue tile. The stainless steel appliances and large hanging light fixtures over the island call to mind metal boat fittings.

Learn more about the project here.

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Elegant White Kitchen

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

To update this kitchen, the homeowner and decorator Phoebe Howard installed hardwoods to match the rest of the house, swapped the dark black granite and tile for Carrara marble counters and backsplash tiles, changed the cabinet hardware, put in a movable island, and painted just about everything.

See more of this classic Birmingham home.

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Antique-White Kitchen

Creamy antique white on the cabinets pairs with a coffee-bean color on the island in this warm kitchen. The matte finish of the deep brown honed granite countertops perpetuates the aged appearance.

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Cottage Kitchen Style

Credit: Jean Allsopp / Styling:  Lisa Powell Bailey

This homeowner insisted on finding an old piece of furniture for her kitchen island. Something too new would spoil the cottage effect. On the hunt for the perfect antique, she found a weathered white island with a solid wooden top. With two drawers and an open area below, it increases the room's storage. To keep things warm and cozy, the cabinets are painted slate green and topped with a black glaze for an aged look. The black granite countertops feature a honed finish, a process that eliminates the sheen on the surface. Fabrics with a vintage appearance soften the space and contribute to the homey feel of the room.

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Open Kitchen

Credit: Photos by Jean Allsopp

The kitchen opens onto the living area so the chef can join in the fun. Open shelving, plentiful drawer space, and a cabinet over the range provide maximum storage in this efficient design. Paprika red barstools inject a punch of color.

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Seasoned With Style

Credit: Seasoned with Style

This space speaks with a French accent. Exposed ceiling beams, wrought iron, and hand-carved wood accentuate its old-world flair. The designer included many unique features and design ideas that personalize the space. Beautifully adorned with raised carvings, the island houses an under-counter refrigerator, freezer, and warming drawers, as well as abundant storage areas.

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Inviting Space

The mix of warm colors and texture make this kitchen feel comfortable and cozy. The brick walls add architectural character to the space.

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Casual Entertaining

In this casual home, a formal dining area just wouldn't fit. So the kitchen and dining room share one end of the great room. In the kitchen, a large T-shaped island provides a prep area for cooking and a casual dining surface surrounded by stools. The island also houses a dishwasher, sink, wine cooler, and additional storage. To the right of the island, a convenient bar area boasts another sink, room to display glassware, a single-drawer dishwasher, and an icemaker. This separate space allows partygoers to get drinks without crowding the cook.

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Style Meets Function

Credit: Photography: Laurey W. Glenn, Ralph Anderson / Styling: Leigh Anne Montgomery

Nearly wall-to-wall windows on one side of this kitchen provide lots of natural light but posed a challenge for cabinet space. The solution: two pantries with full-extension rollouts for dry goods or dishes, plus a serving area and glass-front upper cabinets. Simple yet elegant features include Shaker-style cabinets and hidden appliances. Beaded board, which appears on the island and behind the serving area, is a unifying element.

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Lots of Light

Because there's a bevy of surrounding windows that also contain a lot of mullions, upper cabinetry would have competed with this look. Tiers of cantilevered shelves get the job done. For stowing away cookware, a central island provides more storage and separates the kitchen from the adjacent dining room and family room.

Take a tour of this kitchen.

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Blue and Gray Kitchen

A large chopping block containing a precut opening is set into the marble countertop under one window. Blue appliances provide the ultimate in cooking convenience, and wooden cabinets feature a gray patina finish and glass-front doors. The marble countertop and backsplash complement these hues. An oversize island, complete with a cooktop and additional storage, encourages casual dining.

Take a tour of this kitchen.

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Built-In Breakfast Room

This room is separated from the family room by a large island. Perfectly proportioned, this is a cook's kitchen with no wasted space. Constructed of rich wood to resemble a table with sufficient overhang on three sides, the island negates the need for a separate breakfast room.

Take a tour of this kitchen.

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Stylish Yet Functional

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

With hidden storage solutions and great ideas galore, this kitchen seems too serene to also be hardworking―but it is.
This space is anchored by three elements―the floor-to-ceiling pantry on the far left, a similar bank of side cabinets that conceals the fridge and freezer, and an island. Another plus: The table nestled into the island can be pulled out easily because of sleek casters on the legs.

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Open Shelving

The thought of open shelves in a kitchen can send a chill down the spine of even the most organized homeowner. But here’s the dish: The secret lies in the mix. It is easy to handle open display when you have enough closed space to hide the not-so-pretty items. The key is to know how much openness you can handle before it gets messy.

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Naturally Light

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn / Leigh Anne Montgomery

High on these homeowners’ list was natural light, which meant windows―and lots of them. Instead of filling the kitchen’s end and side walls with upper cabinetry, the couple installed a series of double-hung windows.

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Tuscan Kitchen

This homeowner made great finish choices, from an aged stucco treatment on the walls to alder wood cabinets and porcelain floors.

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White Hot Kitchen

Credit: Ralph Anderson / Styling Lisa Powell Bailey

Wide pine boards, nailed horizontally and painted white, give character to these kitchen walls. High-gloss white porch paint brightens the wood floor and makes it look like an enclosed porch.

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Cottage Kitchen

Nothing adds vintage, cottage appeal to a space like beaded board. Pair with warm wood, dusty green, and crisp white to complete the look.

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Neutral Highlights

The neutral color palette in this kitchen helps to highlight the detailing in the cabinets, furniture, and light fixtures.

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Grill Access

Credit: Photography Van Chaplin, Charles Walton IV / Styling Buffy Hargett

Filled with every amenity needed for daily cooking, this kitchen also opens to the grilling deck for easy entertaining.

Take a tour of this kitchen.

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Kitchen Restoration

This kitchen, added to the 1852 house in the 1940s, once served as an outdoor hitching station. The homeowners updated the room with whitewashed cabinetry, marble countertops, and a generous island.

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Vintage Kitchen

To achieve vintage charm with modern function, the homeowners chose state-of-the-art components designed, whenever possible, in turn-of-the-century style.

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Country Charm

Credit: Charles Walton IV

Heart-pine flooring salvaged from an old home is repurposed here as countertops. The color of the cabinetry is a take on Williamsburg green, which was wildly popular during the restoration frenzy of the mid-20th century. It was tweaked with a touch of gray to soften the contrast with the white walls. The walls themselves are plain horizontal boards.

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Five-Star Service

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

These homeowners created an island that has everything you need, including the kitchen sink. At one end, a countertop-height rectangle of granite offers plenty of prep space. One side boasts a wine rack and cabinet storage while the other holds trash, recycling, and the dishwasher. At the end, an attached round granite tabletop, supported by a pedestal stained to match the island, steps down to table height.