With a color-coordinated, Roy G. Biv-ishly arranged dish display like this one, we’re not even sure we needed to say her name. This kitchen belongs to the magazine’s design director, and the rest of the space is just as immaculate and charming.This was featured in a 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living, but we’d never seen it until we found it on the website.

Unless you have a separate room in your house designated as the office, the kitchen can be a good place for one. We’re increasingly bringing our computers and iPads into the kitchen anyway. And several of these work stations could easily convert to extra counter space if you’re having a party or need to roll out some sugar cookies.We love the look of a built-in office with plenty of storage and overhead cabinets.

At first we couldn’t quite get behind the zig-zaggy, dropped ceiling in this space. But once we realized its purpose (and saw the cramped, dark room before) we were on board. This is not a huge kitchen, and the owners made it feel open and expansive. Go take a look.See the before? So confusing! What’s with the floating wall and the hulking refrigerator blocking the entrance? The owners (he designed the space) clearly needed to remove some walls and cabinets and open up the room.

Yesterday we showed you a $1,527 kitchen renovation. Well, this lovely re-do was only $500. It goes to show how much of a difference a little paint can make. We were stunned by this. Are you ready?Elizabeth moved in to her husband Randy’s 1940s house in St. Louis a few years ago. Randy had renovated some of the other rooms, but kitchen was still dated and crummy. Together, they tore down tile and painted over a lot.Kitchen cabinets? Painted. Green floor? Painted (with such a chic pattern!

This kitchen and the one below came from international design magazines, but we see this in plenty of American kitchens: chunky wood tables just a foot or two away from the sink, stove, and countertop. How do you feel about dining in the middle of the kitchen?Of course, I dine in my living room; such is the case when you live in an apartment where rooms serve several functions. But I am not a fan of the dining table right in the kitchen.

Have you had an afternoon snack? Ready for a quiz? We were browsing some French kitchens this morning, sighing over the airy, casual, neutral quality we love about so many of them. But many Americans have adopted this look—and, of course, there are modern kitchens in France. Can you tell which country these kitchens are in?Some of the fixtures and appliances give it away. Maybe even the styling or lighting of the photographs (American magazines tend to have a specific look).

At first glance, we thought it was soapstone or maybe polished black granite, but it’s actually closer to butcher block.These countertops are made from mahogany that’s been stained and sealed. We’ve actually never seen this before! Wood countertops? Of course. But dark ones? Not so much.The color gives a nice, crisp contrast to the white cabinets but still feels warm, which is just right for this Florida beach house that’s filled with lots of wallpaper and cottage charm.

This goes beyond open storage. We’re talking completely cabinet-less walls here, with room for art instead of canned goods. What do you think? Modern and clean or too un-kitchen-like?Of course, you need enough storage elsewhere to keep your walls this bare. There need to be a lot of bottom cabinets or a butler’s pantry, for heaven’s sake. We’re guessing not many of our Small, Cool contestants have the luxury of leaving their walls naked.

Mirrors are a great way to reflect light and make a room feel bigger and more open. But in a kitchen? Are mirrored cabinets the new, airy alternative to glass-front cabinets? Our opinion: Eh. We love the idea of a mirror in a kitchen, but we’d steer more towards a big, antique one to hang on the wall. We imagine these being hard to keep clean, too.However, we could see this idea working in a limited capacity- say, in a small section of cabinets over a bar area.

We spent a lot of time last year talking about throwing holiday dinner parties on a budget. There was this winter wonderland dinner from The New York Times, which prompted us to come up with our own $100 menu. Well, the theme is back—only this menu from Country Living serves 20 people. It’s a cocktail party, with the food served buffet style, so there are homemade biscuits with pulled pork in them and little, pretty glasses filled with a few slurps of soup.

Our schedules for the next couple of weeks are packed. We’re sure yours are, too. But if you want to get together with friends to celebrate the season and don’t have an evening to spare, why not invite friends over for breakfast or brunch? They can fuel up before they head out Christmas shopping.If you work from home (and have friends who do, too) or have a flexible schedule, you might even be able to throw a casual breakfast party during the week.

We pull out our vacuum a couple of times a week for a quick clean-up of crumbs, dust, hair, or whatever else is scattered on our kitchen floor. And vacuuming is essential before we get down on our hands and knees for a deep-cleaning scrub.But we’ve started popping on the small attachments and using the vacuum for cleaning other areas of the kitchen. First came the stovetop, which was extremely dusty a few weeks ago.