A kitchen is probably a home’s most important room, since we all like to hang out in them so much. Renovate your kitchen and it will completely change the way you live and increase the value of your home. The best kitchens not only work for how you like to cook but are timeless style-wise. Let's face it, a kitchen is a big investment and totally disruptive to replace. You don't want to do it more than once. Here are my favourite examples of kitchens with lasting design appeal.

Designer Tommy Smythe’s old bistro-style kitchen will never go out of style. His tailored approach includes some smart design ideas like breaking up dark and light cabinets, laying the tile in a zigzag pattern and painting the door and window frames black. Combined with the oversized lantern pendant, it is wow.

This David Netto-designed kitchen is another great example of lasting appeal and has served as inspiration for many of the kitchens I’ve designed, including the one in my Mom’s condo. He does a great job of mixing traditional Shaker-style cabinets with modern Aalto stools and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. I love how he's used a different countertop material on the island for a bit of an eclectic feel that is so much more interesting than if it was all matching.

Meg Ryan has certainly made a great comeback. After her beach house at Martha’s Vineyard was featured in the June 2010 issue of Elle Decor, she was top of mind for design lovers everywhere. All of the editors here at House & Home flipped when we saw the feature. Her interior style mimics her casual, enthusiastic persona as her kitchen shows with its old cottage feel balanced by a sophisticated edge. The windows keep the room visually open to the space beyond but allow the possibility to block out noise. I've been dreaming about her massive Dean & Deluca-style, glass-front fridge.

This is Victoria Webster’s kitchen, from the much talked about feature in our January 2010 trends issue. She paired a high-end, modern Bulthaup kitchen with an orange rubber floor (perfect for a house with kids) and a David Trubridge light fixture. The full-height glass backsplash adds a hint of sparkle. The overall effect is contemporary with a lighthearted appeal. Take a video tour through her main floor and principal bedroom/bathroom.

Another stunning space is Viki Mansell’s kitchen that was featured in our October 2009 issue. It offers a fresh take on the all-white kitchen with the light weathered wood lower cabinets, whitewashed floor and crisp white accents. I'm a fan of the low, white leather armchairs, slightly deco inspired, around the table-style island. The exaggerated custom hood is unique and the open upper shelving has graphic appeal.

Stylist Barb Sgroi’s country house kitchen was featured way back in 2001 and is still in style almost ten years later. The checkerboard ceramic floor tiles are classic and you could never tire of the beautiful wood cabinets. Skipping the toe kick gives them the look of a repurposed armoire. And of course the showstopper is the functional display of her collection of stunning copper pots.

New York designer Steven Gambrel does a brilliant job of kitchens, to me they’re the highlight of his work. This one in particular stands out for the highly patterned marble sink and countertop and his signature move of pairing floor-to-ceiling white subway tile with contrasting dark grout. The soaring ceiling gives it a grand scale but paired with the low windows it also feels intimate.

I’ve always thought Lynda Reeves’ kitchens were fantastic. She loves to cook and entertain so it makes sense that her kitchens are well-planned and easy to work in. This shot is her old kitchen from a 1998 issue of House & Home. (That’s me on the ladder — Ted Yarwood took it for fun while I was adjusting some of the items in the cupboard and it ended up being the cover.) Lynda's kitchens are always exquisitely detailed and wonderful to be in. The classic paneled doors and brass hardware will always be in style.

Since I’m reminiscing, this is the kitchen from my first house. I still love this kitchen and I have lots of fond memories built around it. It was so charming and the chalkboard wall was so much fun when I had guests. The eat-in dining area felt very European and the light that poured in through the back French doors was gorgeous. I still can’t believe I had lavender walls!

My cottage kitchen is still a work in progress. The counters and cupboards are Ikea but we had the drawers custom finished in a warm grey colour and fashioned the waterfall countertop on the island out of a few standard sized butcher-block counters for a unique look. What you can't tell about this kitchen is that the fridge and the lighting runs on solar power and the stove is propane meaning no hydro bills. But the highlight is the view through all of the windows. I am still looking for a Kilim carpet and a light fixture for over the island and the fridge is about to be surrounded in open shelving for a hit of display.
If you’re still looking for more kitchen inspiration, keep an eye out for the October 2010 issue with its All About Kitchens guide!
Photo credits:
1. House & Home October 2004 issue, photography by Michael Graydon
2. Lower Fifth Avenue Apartment, David Netto Design
3. Elle Decor June 2010 issue, photography by William Waldron
4. House & Home January 2010 issue, photography by Michael Graydon
5. House & Home October 2009 issue, photography by Donna Griffith
6. House & Home November 2001 issue, photography by Ted Yarwood
7. Whaling Village, Steven Gambrel
8. House & Home February/March 1998 issue, photography by Ted Yarwood
9. Per Kristiansen
10. Suzanne Dimma
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