Tour 10 Amazing Kitchens

From family-friendly hangouts to foodie paradises, these exceptional kitchen designs showcase the latest in kitchen appliances, cabinetry and fixtures.

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November 25, 2014

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©Design by Steve Johnson of Poggenpohl US Inc. and Bill Bocken. Photo by Glen Cormier.

©Design by Amy Finley of Finley Design. Photo by Glen Cormier.

©Design by Todd Huschka of Studio Snaidero Wisconsin. Photo by Landmark Photography.

©Design by Gregg Johnson @LGD Design and homeowner Zetta Stam. Photo by Photography by Rebekkah.

Photo By: Photography by Rebekkah ©Design by Gregg Johnson @LGD Design and homeowner Zetta Stam

©Design by Rick Fahmie of Kitchen Expo. Photo by Brady Architectural Photography.

©Design by Troy Adams of Troy Adams Design. Photo by Doug Hill.

©Design by Jerry Hoffsmith of Colonial Craft Kitchens Inc. Photo by Bryson Leidig.

©Design by Joanne Hudson of Joanne Hudson Associates Ltd. Photo by Jeffrey Totaro Photographer.

©Design by Heather Hungeling, Clive Christian, Atlanta and W. Mark Hulsey and J. Scott Hall at Hulsey-Hall Interiors, Inc.
Photo by John Haigwood.

Photo By: John Haigwood ©Design by Heather Hungeling; Clive Christian, Atlanta, and W. Mark Hulsey and J. Scott Hall at Hulsey-Hall Interiors Inc.

©Design by Jackie Depew of Depew Design Interiors. Photo by Mark Knight.

Modern Kitchen

Built-in conveniences are top priority in this high-gloss modern kitchen: a docking station for electronics and a built-in dog-feeding station are just the beginning. Two islands — one with a programmable backsplash that changes colors — are equipped with two dishwashers, three appliance garages and a trash compactor. So where's the food? Inside all those maple cabinets. Built-ins within the maple cabinets include a coffeemaker, a second oven and a microwave with crisping pan, which will crisp french fries and even bake chocolate chip cookies.

Modern Kitchen Island With Red-Front Doors & Stainless Hood

The kitchen island is complete with a Wolf five-burner glass stovetop, oven, warming drawer, deep drawers for pots and pans, and a CaesarStone countertop. It's also used as a bar area for guests. The lighting system is connected to Lutron's Homeworks, which allows the homeowner to control everything from a laptop. Audio and visual are also wired throughout the kitchen, so someone working in the kitchen can watch and listen in if a movie is being played in the home's oversized entertainment room.

Minimalist Kitchen

This kitchen, designer Amy Finley's own, is all about commonsense. The kitchen is the gathering place for her five children and for weekly dinners with extended family. Things stay hot in this minimalist kitchen with custom La Cornue appliances, radiant-heated limestone floors, a stainless steel meat counter and hidden warming drawers. The ceiling centerpiece, commissioned metal artwork by a famous artist from Venice, Italy, was specifically designed to diffuse the bright San Diego sunlight from the skylight.

Asian Minimalist Kitchen with Espresso Bar

Who needs wall art when you have 1,900 pounds of onyx countertops illuminated from within by 1,600 LED lights? Beyond this bright island is an espresso bar, directly under a set of display shelves for porcelain coffee cups and saucers. Designer Amy Finley says, "It's a rule that everyone has to be involved in cooking the food, which is never a problem with all the countertop space, sinks and smart design. Everyone loves to cook in my kitchen when they come over. I feel really spoiled — I get to live in it every day." This kitchen is proof that less is definitely more.

Futuristic Kitchen

Designed by Pininfarina, the same firm that designs Ferraris, this kitchen's showstoppers are the high-gloss metallic-finish cabinets and the "acropolis," an aviation-inspired workspace made from recycled aircraft aluminum and stainless steel. The acropolis features a large Foster sink, a four-burner electric Foster cooktop, bottle and knife holders, and plenty of storage and cooking space. A control panel in the acropolis also controls the audio and visual components for the entire house. Good things come in twos: refrigerators, dishwashers, freezer cabinets and ovens.

Futuristic Kitchen Sitting Area

A spacious conversation area adjacent to the kitchen is great for entertaining. The shiny stainless steel and high-tech look is repeated here with a fireplace and clerestory windows for ample lighting. Outside the windows is a two-sided waterfall, a flowing contrast to the smooth steel of the kitchen.

Rustic Kitchen

A cedar tree is the focal point of this kitchen, with lighting fixtures hanging between the upper branches near the ceiling. But even more impressive are the things you don't see. Electrical outlets and an exhaust panel are hidden within the granite and pop up at the push of a button. Add to that a built-in cutting board, a wine storage area, Wolf double-stacked convection ovens and an incredible lake view while standing at the kitchen sink, and you've got one amazing rustic kitchen.

Rustic Kitchen With Stone Walls and Cedar Tree in Island

To truly bring the outdoors in, this kitchen's walls are made of cultured and authentic stone, and the cabinetry is made of knotty alder. Other natural materials include a copper sink, distressed hardwood floors and four-layer red Montana granite counters. Set at the heart of the kitchen and dining room is a two-sided pizza-baking fireplace. Not only is it a dual room, it's also dual fuel: gas or wood. At night, the family's five young children fire up the spit to roast marshmallows for s'mores.

Old-World Kitchen

A pre-existing curved wall served as a springboard for the design of this ornate custom kitchen. Step back in time with spherical cabinets, armoires that hide two refrigerators and two curvaceous islands prepped for cooking. Carved lions, leaves and grapes on maple and cherry wood surfaces took nearly eight months to complete, and the details give the kitchen a traditional, lived-in flair, while still being functional. The final look is reminiscent of 19th-century craftsmanship.

Mediterranean Kitchen with Hidden Appliances

Although traditional in taste, this kitchen features plenty of built-in modern conveniences. A six-foot-long tile backsplash along the wall slides open to reveal hidden appliances, including a can opener, toaster and coffeemaker. A built-in granite-topped desk acts as a working space with a built-in wine rack below. Plus, a third armoire doubles as storage for fine china and dishware.

Asian-Chic Kitchen

This Asian-inspired kitchen is earth-friendly, right down to the granite and lava stone counters that emit zero toxins. Low-VOC paint, bamboo flooring and stainless steel appliances round out the eco-chic look. The two-tiered breakfast bar, modeled after a sushi bar, has a red lazy Susan to allow for family-style meals, and a traditional shoji screen conceals storage and pantries.

Eco-Friendly Contemporary Asian-Style Kitchen

The color combination of cherry, red, green and stainless is enough to evoke Asian style in this kitchen. For good measure, the designer added a Japanese-inspired Tansu chest, which serves as a sleek contemporary storage chest for fine china and silverware. The kitchen lives up to its green name, with low-voltage light fixtures and appliances that help save energy and money — not to mention the floor-to-ceiling doors that bring light and the outdoors in when entertaining.

French Colonial Kitchen

This kitchen was designed for efficient cooking, and it looks fabulously French doing it. Designed to evoke the French Colonial period, its 10-foot ceilings, emblematic arches and intricate woodwork would have made Louis XIV proud. A decorative armoire, topped with iron pieces imported from Italy, hides the refrigerator, and a two-tiered Madura Gold granite island features a wet bar and two integrated white ovens. The island also features a raised seating area perfect for gatherings.

Mediterranean Kitchen with Bar Area

Just off the French kitchen is another bar area that gives the homeowners plenty of space for their frequent parties. Underfoot, a tapered French limestone floor gives the kitchen some "ooh-la-la" oomph. The darker cabinets here contrast with the maple wood cabinets in the kitchen, which have an opaque paint glaze called "modeling," giving a leathery effect that plays nicely off the aged metal hardware.

Family-Friendly Kitchen

With enough room for 130 guests, this open kitchen and joint family room is stocked for entertaining, complete with a rolling pizza cart and a room designed around the pizza oven. Twelve-foot marble islands and limestone floors ooze luxury and Tuscan style, while the appliances leave out no cooking option: six ovens, a wine cooler, and two dishwashers, refrigerators and warming drawers. Furniture can be rearranged around the 6' x 6' terra-cotta tiled fireplace.

Tuscan Kitchen with Pizza Room

This cozy pizza room, located just off the kitchen, comes complete with limestone floors, mosaic tiles on the ceiling and maple cupboards with plenty of storage for essential pizza-making equipment.

English Classical Kitchen

No traditional feature is spared in this incredibly custom kitchen, right down to drawer and cabinet compartments lined with leather. Spot the carved lion's head above the custom mural, which features the homeowner's own house among vineyards. Rich oak cabinetry built in France covers side-by-side Sub-Zero refrigerators, four freezer drawers and two dishwashers beside the apron sink. Flanking the mural are two pilasters where the homeowner hangs her kitchen towels and hides her dish soap. In the island is a second sink, a Kohler Pro Cook, which doubles as a pasta cooker. For the grandkids, a flat-screen TV pulls down from above the cabinets.

Mediterranean Kitchen With Columns and Island Seating

The English classical style of this kitchen is carried into the adjoining dining and living areas. All the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen area have built-in compartments, so there's a place for everything, including silverware, china, dishes, pots and pans. A vaulted ceiling with rich wood beams cap off this kitchen's grandeur.

Tuscan Kitchen

Wooden beams, terra-cotta tiles from Italy and hand-painted frescoes of Italian vineyards — this kitchen cooks up Italian flavor from floor to ceiling. But it's the bread warmer and wine cellar that stores up to 1,800 bottles that make this an Italian paradise. Appliances include two Miele dishwashers, a vegetable steamer, a built-in espresso machine and a five-burner Thermador stove.

Italian-Inspired Kitchen with Bricked Archways

The two-tiered marble island in this Italian kitchen has baskets for vegetables and spices, a sink and plenty of room for food prep. Bricked archways painted with Italian frescoes create a grand passage from living room to kitchen. Among the frescoes are handpicked yellow and blue tiles that create a unique patchwork backsplash throughout the space.