House Beautiful

The House Beautiful reader is someone whose home is her bedrock. She is always improving it because the process – and result – delights her. Happiness in her home comes from easy luxury and highly personal style. Her home is a gift to share with family and friends.

Design Your Dream Kitchen at HouseBeautiful.com • From optimized layouts to backsplash inspiration, we’ve got all your burning kitchen questions covered.

House Beautiful

Q: What’s an underrated kitchen detail that makes a big impact? • Sometimes it’s the modest design elements that make a major difference in a kitchen. Here, eight designers reveal the unexpected touches they add to make a cook space more functional and beautiful.

Material World • Backsplashes are no longer simple utilitarian additions to the kitchen. Instead of opting for safe white subway tile, designers are approaching this as an opportunity for artistry, where everything from scale and color to texture and pattern can elevate your cook space to new heights. From shapely silhouettes and unexpected materiality—think brass, wood, or vibrantly colored marble—to hidden functionality, these designer-approved ideas are evidence that, sometimes, the backdrop is fit to be the star of the show.

The Great Kitchen Reset It’s Time to Rethink What’s Possible • For years, great kitchens have followed a familiar formula: bigger islands, larger ranges, and more marble. That look isn’t going anywhere but is no longer reserved for massive homes and budgets. Today’s most interesting kitchens are more personal, with additions like a workstation sink loaded with accessories, a built-in beverage tap, a statement stove scaled for a standard footprint, or an island designed around conversation. It’s less about having more—and more about having exactly what you want.

Incredible • KITCHENS Function-forward makeovers and luxe finishes combine for memorable culinary spaces that will be the envy of every amateur chef—and probably a few pros too.

BELLE EPOQUE • J. E. Schram Architect imbued a 1920s kitchen with modern European flair.

WEAR IT WELL • This California kitchen trades pristine finishes for soulful materials, layered details, and the kind of patina that’s usually earned over decades.

BEYOND BUILDER GRADE • An angular, outdated kitchen was transformed into a bright, open space for a busy household of five.

More Is More • A love of “pattern on pattern” turns this renovated Chicago Victorian into a showhouse for collected maximalism.

COASTAL CALM • Marshland-inspired color and texture bring fresh energy to this creekside retreat.

Character Study • A past-its-prime townhouse regains historic charm through a collaborative renovation layered with color and heritage.

RAMBLING ROSE • Deep in the Texas Hill Country, a heritage property is united by local materials and a respect for the land.

Forward Momentum • More than a decade after a profound loss, a home-owner builds a warmer, more intimate retreat designed around family, comfort, and the way she wants to live now.

Finding the Family Frequency • A beautiful house was no longer dialed into the life being lived inside it, so a designer helped get it in sync with the owners’ day-to-day needs.

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