Kitchens

The open plan of this white kitchen helps keep the interiors bright, while also creating a greater sense of spaciousness. The black stools at the bar draw the eye upward to the unique black light fixtures in this white kitchen with black countertops.

Black-rimmed steel clerestory windows add illumination in this diminutive white kitchen where black accents abound. A black Aggregato Saliscendi Suspension light, designed by Enzo Mari and Giancarlo Fassina for Artemide, accents against the white Calacatta marble countertops and MAP's oak Milky Stools.

Black accent pieces create the illusion of a black and white kitchen in the home of San Francisco architect Cass Calder Smith. A black reading nook coordinates perfectly with the stainless steel countertops and white cabinetry.

Interior designer Cathie Hong transformed the kitchen of this San Jose Eichler into a bright open space, but kept the wood paneling in the adjacent room, to preserve the warm, midcentury feel.

"Be brave and follow your heart when it comes to cabinetry colors," Whitehead says. "If you love it, it will last."

A large, open living room seamlessly flows from the kitchen.

A third-floor kitchen looks out over a balcony garden and city views. Bar stools by Pick Up line the centralized island.

A young Vancouver family asked Falken Reynolds Interiors to convert their waterfront vacation home on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast into their primary residence. To facilitate livability for the foursome, an enlarged kitchen, complete with a large white island with wood hardware, was a major part of the renovation.

See Arch removed a wall to create a more spacious kitchen with a stronger visual connection to the dining area. The updated kitchen is outfitted with quartz countertops and Viking, Fisher Paykel, and Asko appliances.

The Kohler Crue Collection. The mega company's brand introduced the Crue collection of sleek, gooseneck faucets that integrate motion sensors for hands-free operation. But the real story here is that the pull-down model is available with Kohler Konnect, the company's voice-activation app. No need to grab the measuring cup—like U by Moen, Crue can dispense precise amounts of water at desired temperature.

The texture of this off-white tile allows light to catch at different angles, producing a graphic pattern along the tall wall behind the kitchen cabinets. The light gray of the cabinets and white countertops make for a clean and modern composition.

A minimalist black-and-white aesthetic is kept in this apartment kitchen, where elongated black tile is contrasted with lighter gray grout. The countertops are dark soapstone and the cabinets are a dark green-black.

A view of the kitchen's back wall shows the bright marriage of the yellow Fireclay tile backsplash with incoming light from the adjacent sliding door and the row of windows just above the hanging Boca Raton blue cabinets. Basked in light, the new kitchen displays an organized and cheerful aesthetic.

Earth tone tiles back a Kohler sink at this energy efficient home in Davis, California. The backsplash is from Heath Ceramics, the sink is Kohler, and the custom millwork is by Schmidt's Cabinetry.

The white cabinets and traditional subway tile in marble make for a timeless combination in this kitchen in Washington, D.C.

At this Passive House-certified home in Oregon, the kitchen backsplash is composed of 2" x 4" subway tile in Meadow Green, which brings a sense of warmth and personality through the varied tones of soft green. If you're on a budget, subway tile is a great idea for a backsplash because it comes in a range of colors and sizes to suite a range of prices.

Owners Kirsten and Lloyd chose a muted mosaic tile from Modwalls to cover the backsplash and back wall of the kitchen; small mosaic tile, especially when it is off-the-shelf, can be a very budget-friendly backsplash option. New cork floors from House + Earth give a nice feel underfoot. Perforated chrome lights from Rejuvenation under the bar soffit enhance the midcentury vibe.

In this kitchen with white cabinets, Fireclay Tile in a classic subway pattern go beyond the standard 18" high backsplash, which brings the eye up the walls of the kitchen. The gloss of the tiles allows light to reflect throughout the space, keeping it bright and cheery despite the darker color.