This weekend we are encouraging you to clean, restock, and do one beautiful thing for your kitchen. Small or big — it doesn't matter! Sometimes we get most inspired to do those little things by seeing other beautiful kitchens. Here are a few snapshots of very clean kitchens to get you going.Of course kitchens in magazines are always clean! Intimidatingly clean, often — unrealistically, scarily clean! It's safe to say that our kitchen is never completely spotless. Old cupboards, icky countertop materials, and a constant stream of cooking sees to that. But some of these kitchens below are still very inspiring to us, showcasing neatly stacked open storage, bright sunlight (do your windows need to be cleaned?), and flowers nodding away.
Maybe our kitchens won't look as sleek as these, but is there just one beautiful thing you can do for your kitchen this weekend? What's inspiring you right now?
TOP ROW
• 1 Are your cupboards neat? at Living Etc
• 2 An inspirational shot of useful yet pretty open storage at Country Living
• 3 Are the dishes washed? at Living Etc
• 4 1920s renovated kitchen at PointClickHome
• 5 Flowers and sunlight make even a small space look wonderful at Living Etc
BOTTOM ROW
• 6 Long Island kitchen at Country Living
• 7 Opera star Renee Fleming's little city kitchen at Country Living
• 8 Is your stove clean? at Metropolitan Home
• 9 Small industrial-style kitchen in Atlanta at Country Living
• 10 An open vintage kitchen at Country Living
Do one beautiful thing for your kitchen this weekend, then send us a photo.
Related: Kitchen Spotlight: Open Storage in Small Kitchens
(Images: Living Etc; William Steele; Living Etc; Deborah Ory; Living Etc; Keith Scott Morton; Keith Scott Morton; John Granen; Keith Scott Morton; William Steele)
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#4 is so beautiful!!
I like the look of #4, too. That style would look great in my 1921 house.
The placement of the range is awkward, however.
i love number 8... If you have lovely dishes, it's kinda sad to store them in closed cupboards when you could be storing them on open shelves where you can admire them even when they are not in use.
But open shelves in a kitchen where you actually cook make sure everything gets greasy at the same time. Doors aren't an enemy of good design.
Can anyone tell me what brand that toaster is? I want one in that style! Love it. Thanks in advance
That's a Dualit. They carry it at Williams Sonoma. It's a design icon, built by hand in England, with the requisite price tag.
There are many options with the toaster -- lots of enamel colours, not just chrome, as well as slot options --plain toast, or toast with a grilled sandwich slot.
Be aware though, that the Dualit, being from England, makes crisp toast. The toast doesn't pop up like North American toasters, it stays inside, staying warm while the humidity dissipates, crisping it up.
Me, I love mine, and wouldn't trade it for any other toaster. But I've gotten a lot of grief from the "you spent HOW much for a toaster?!" (i.e., non-design) crowd.
Very inspiring indeed! Thanks for rounding up these wonderful kitchens - and for including all the links. Especially love #9 and #10.
I've been going through some of my prized vintage stuff that's been packed away in boxes for years, and am even more inspired now to figure out where I can put up shelves in my new kitchen and studio office (that have been under construction for, oh, six years, but will really move into one of these days!) in order to display it.
Love the last one. The open shelving concept makes nice kitchens seem possible for renters, but ofcourse, despite my nice dishes, I would NEVER be able to keep that looking spotless. I'm in the midst of cleaning right now... Maybe if I can get it spotless and start liking my tidy shelves I could do it....
Fortunately, I have one ugly cupboard well away from the stove and closer to my table. Might be a good place to display my slightly extensive tea pots and baking bowls...
I think one thing we should all take from these kitchens is the color scheme. I swear that the soft robins egg blue paired with white and/or dark brown with shiny steel accents makes for a cleaner looking kitchen! Also, monotone cupboards/shelving that blends into the wall- no contrasting handles anywhere.