10 Renovations Featuring Sensational Kitchens

A place to gather, cook, and connect, the kitchen is an integral part of our daily lives—earning it priority status in any carefully-considered renovation. Take a peek at some of our favorite transformations, and see why these stellar kitchens deserve a chef’s kiss.
Wonderland Park Residence in Los Angeles, California
Reimagined by architect Lisa Breeze, this compact semidetached brick home in Melbourne was built by the client's granduncle in the 1940s and passed down through generations. While the kitchen was updated to fit a modern lifestyle, the pastel color, gentle curves, and preserved Bakelite handles are a nod to the original era.
Architecture and landscape firm LMNL breathed new life into a dilapidated 1840 Dutch dwelling by preserving the home’s historic facade while completely gutting the interior. The kitchen became the nucleus of the home, with ample storage and a marble-clad island, connected fluidly to a newly landscaped garden.
A luminous marriage of old and new, the renovation of a 1930s apartment in Barcelona celebrates the building’s original charm by preserving the patterned tile floors and barrel-vaulted ceilings. The architects from local firm Atzura Arquitectura decided to keep the bedrooms small and give priority to the consolidated common space—a light-filled open area anchored by a modernized plywood kitchen.
A young couple, with a baby on the way, decided to relocate to upstate New York during the pandemic—and their new home, built in 1989, needed a quick update. Removing partitions between the existing kitchen and living room made the space more open and family-friendly, while improving the flow for entertaining.
In the coastal village of Coverack on the southern tip of the British mainland, a run-down 1960s home was renovated to highlight captivating views of the Guthens, a rocky outcrop on the Cornish coast. Seamlessly intertwined with the dining area, the home’s new kitchen features clay-plastered walls, larch cabinetry, and brass fixtures.Recycled Altrock work surfaces and larch cabinetry define the kitchen design.R
Beneath the postcard-like backdrop of La Concha mountain, a previously abandoned Spanish villa received a modernist revamp for a couple and their young child. Natural, earthy interiors connect the living spaces to the lush surroundings, with the light-filled kitchen opening directly onto an outdoor pergola and pool.
In Melbourne, Australia, a smart addition transforms a backyard shed into a guest suite for visiting parents, while wrapping the two living volumes around a central courtyard. The minimalist kitchen, although decidedly modern, offers a subtle reference to the "retro suburbia" sensibility of the former home with stucco walls, terrazzo-like floor tiles, and green-hued cabinets.I
Learn more about Elkay's kitchen products at Elkay.com.
Related Reading:
Before & After: Chunky Terrazzo Sings in a Music Industry Couple's Midcentury Home
Published
Last Updated
Get the Renovations Newsletter
From warehouse conversions to rehabbed midcentury gems, to expert advice and budget breakdowns, the renovation newsletter serves up the inspiration you need to tackle your next project.