See the details, colors and materials found in the kitchen photos that captivated Houzz users most this year
In looking at the most popular kitchen photos uploaded to Houzz in 2019, it’s clear that quartz countertops, Shaker-style cabinets and large islands are major design favorites. Those elements are featured in almost every kitchen in the following countdown of the top 10 kitchen photos. Kitchens that mix it up with two-tone cabinets and multiple counter materials also have a strong showing in the high spots. See which kitchen is your favorite.
10. Teal and Taupe
In Pittsburgh, this renovated kitchen designed by You-Neek Designs and built by Prime 1 Builders radiates classic style with Shaker cabinets and polished cup pulls.
The two-tone cabinets (painted in Jasper Stone for the lowers and Mindful Gray for the uppers, both by Sherwin-Williams), mixed-tile backsplash and artisan-made pendant lights are unexpected, contemporary touches.
9. Black-and-White Jewel Box
This kitchen by Victoria Highfill in Bowling Green, Kentucky, nails a dramatic black-and-white cabinet color combination. Black also acts as an accent, outlining the upper cabinets and windows, emphasizing the range hood and making the hardware and accessories pop.
Gold-tone light fixtures, bar stool bases and other decorative accessories further elevate the drama and elegance.
8. Fifth-Wall Drama
This kitchen in Kansas City, Kansas, by KC Drafting & Design commands attention with its eye-catching wood-paneled tray ceiling. The counters, cabinets and backsplash are done in soft, muted colors that recede and allow the ceiling to stand out, while the wood floor echoes the ceiling’s warm hues.
You can see that the adjacent dining room also features a dramatic tray ceiling, but with a slightly different treatment that creates a distinct space.
7. Cozy Layers and Textures
If you’re thinking you might be ready to go dark with your cabinets and counters, this stunning white kitchen by Marianne Simon Design may convince you to stick with lighter hues.
A beamed ceiling, woven bell pendants and rich floor coverings pop against the white backdrop, adding layers of texture and warmth. The cabinet and sink’s gold-colored hardware echoes that of the La Cornue range and elevates the design.
6. Rustic Farmhouse Refresh
After a fire destroyed the 18th-century farmhouse on this Massachusetts property during the renovation, designer Jess Cooney worked with the homeowners to create a new home that perfectly suits their style and also nods to the site’s history. Cooney worked with the architects at Clark + Green, who transformed her vision into drawings.
The designer used plastered walls (painted in Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore) and unfinished reclaimed-wood beams and flooring to give this new kitchen in the Berkshires a classic farmhouse feel. Other elements, including the overhead lanterns and reclaimed-wood island, add to the rustic country aesthetic.
Pietra Cardosa stone, a resilient natural stone that resembles soapstone, was used for the island and custom farmhouse sink. Danby marble from nearby Vermont covers the perimeter counters and backsplash, its veining picking up the dark hue of the Pietra Cardosa.
Cabinet paint: Ammonite, Farrow & Ball
5. Natural Brick Accent
Designer Lisa Furey used Savannah Grey brick, sage-green cabinets and quartersawn oak flooring to give this new-build home in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a heritage feel.
An interior window painted an inky gray (Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore) overlooks a homework room and allows the homeowners to check on their kids while in the kitchen. The counters are white quartz.
4. Crisp White Meets Dramatic Black
Black hardware, light fixtures and appliances stand out against crisp white cabinets and quartz counters in this kitchen by The TomKat Studio in Chandler, Arizona. Designer Kimberley Stoegbauer used black-and-white marble tile for the backsplash, tying the design’s two dominant colors together with one pattern.
Dark engineered-hardwood flooring, which flows into the adjacent rooms, warms up and enriches the space.
3. Model-Home Standout
To make this model-home kitchen stand out in a housing community in Frisco, Texas, Christina Wilcocks with design assistant Elena Liz, both of Normandy Homes, started by giving the cabinets a dash of drama with nearly black paint (Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams). They used the same color on interior doors and other accents around the house.
Natural dolomite countertops — with veining that picks up the cabinet color — and a Calacatta marble backsplash brighten the room and heighten the drama. The designers painted the wall next to the range and the interiors of the glass-front cabinets in Extra White by Sherwin-Williams to create a smooth transition for the marble backsplash in a cost-effective way.
Custom cabinets: Chandler Cabinets
2. Open and Fresh
Crisp white Shaker cabinets, glossy subway tile, floating shelves and European oak flooring give this kitchen uploaded to Houzz by Cornerstone Construction and Property Services in Newport Beach, California, a fresh, classic feel. (The panoramic waterfront view doesn’t hurt, either.)
The dark island (Charcoal Smudge by Dunn-Edwards Paints) features a light Cardellino marble countertop, and the white perimeter cabinets are topped with a dark gray quartz. The same quartz runs along the edge of the range hood.
1. Light, Bright and Dressed Up
This kitchen in New Braunfels, Texas, by MSA Architecture + Interiors has had a lot of people dreaming — and saving — this year. It’s the most popular kitchen photo uploaded to Houzz in 2019. It’s also the most popular photo overall uploaded to the site this year.
Ceiling-height white Shaker-style cabinets (painted in Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) and black granite perimeter cabinets offer a clean backdrop to the dark island (Gravel Gray by Benjamin Moore) and dramatic Florida quartzite island countertop.
Gold-tone hardware, glass globe pendants and a glossy herringbone tile backsplash dress up the space, while engineered wire-brushed European oak flooring anchors it.
This is the personal home of Keith Wing, owner of Keith Wing Custom Builders in New Braunfels, Texas. For a time Wing had his office in this home, so clients visiting him often remarked on certain design features and requested those from Wing in their own homes. “From the kitchen to the gym, it’s replicated a lot,” Wing says. Personally, Wing’s favorite part of this kitchen is the 60-inch Thermador range with a griddle.