Our Best Showhouse Kitchens

Showhouses give designers a chance to exhibit their most ambitious ideas with the best materials and resources available, which is why we love to marvel at the rooms they create. As the hub of the home, kitchens are uniquely equipped to showcase the most high-tech and stylish modern appliances. From cabinets and countertops to light fixtures and backsplashes, we admire every feature of these showhouse kitchens.

Designed by Julia Kleyman for the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey, this kitchen remodel affords the space and style for a growing family. “We took out everything—cabinets and flooring—but didn’t move or build walls,” she says. A large new island offers seating for six, with “Amsterdam Bar Stools” in blue from the Suzanne Kasler Collection for Hickory Chair. The vaulted breakfast room ceiling was painted blue with white beams and trim, visually lowering it and making the room feel more intimate.

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Spacious Blue and White Showhouse Kitchen Remodel

The side-by-side built-in stainless-steel refrigerator and freezer, dishwashers, and the 48-inch dual-fuel range are Electrolux appliances. Three nickel-banded pendants from Lauren by Ralph Lauren for Circa illuminate the kitchen and visually fill spatial volume above the island.

Design: Julia Kleyman

See more of this redesigned kitchen from the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey here.

Clean-Lined and Comfortable Showhouse Kitchen

"The classic white kitchen," says designer Bob Bakes of Bakes and Company, "is an enduring testament to style–as current today as it will be in ten years." Subtle yet striking, bright white yet inviting, the kitchen Bakes designed is as classic as it is functional, as interesting in its mix of materials as it is as a whole.

Details on the following slide.

Clean-Lined and Comfortable Showhouse Kitchen

An apron-front sink below windows featuring a distinct diamond pattern lend a touch of farmhouse charm, while solid Calacatta marble countertops and backsplash retain the kitchen’s understated elegance.

"This kitchen is clean, unassuming, and perfectly balanced, both within itself and within its environment," says Bakes. "It flows effortlessly into the adjoining breakfast area–designed as a complement to the complete project."

Design: Bob Bakes

Explore the rest of the 2010 Hampton Designer Showhouse here.

Warm and Intimate Showhouse Kitchen

This kitchen from the 2011 Kips Bay Showhouse in New York City glows with burnished copper and shimmering surfaces. Stainless steel appliances, glittering backsplash tiles, and metallic paints add to the room’s light-reflecting elements, while the warmth of the copper, marble, and cherry paneling creates a unique and inviting atmosphere. A glass-front wine cooler, side-by-side ranges, and twin warming drawers, dishwashers, and refrigerator drawers provide the perfect environment for large-scale entertaining. Glass light fixtures are equipped with dimmers for more intimate occasions.

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Regina Bilotta

Warm and Intimate Showhouse Kitchen

In the banquette area, a copper-hued paint from Benjamin Moore was thickened to create a textured metallic wall finish. Klismos chairs and the banquette cushions are covered in a graphic fabric for a contemporary twist on traditional. A chrome cage-style base supports a custom-made concrete tabletop with a crackled, iridescent finish.

Design: Regina Bilotta

See more of this stunning showhouse kitchen here.

Fresh and Bright Showhouse Kitchen

Designer Melody Smith refreshed this kitchen for the 2013 Red Cross Designer Showhouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. Antique furnishings like a Belgian butcher block that shows cuts from years of use offset the modern, white-on-white tile backsplash and brushed-nickel hardware. “Straw” wall covering from Thibaut provides a sunny backdrop for the clean white cabinetry.

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Melody Smith

Fresh and Bright Showhouse Kitchen

White appliances, cabinetry, and countertops contrast with sunny yellow vinyl grass-cloth wall covering. “My challenge was to refresh the room while keeping it consistent with the age of the home,” Smith explains. The back of the china cabinet was painted fresh apple green to help the white plates pop.

Design: Melody Smith

See the rest of the 2013 Red Cross Designer Showhouse here.

Golden Showhouse Kitchen

For the Traditional Home Built for Women Showhouse in New York City, Mary Douglas Drysdale designed a kitchen with vibrant hues, eclectic art, and custom-designed comforts. We liked it so much we put it on the cover of the magazine.

The hues of an adjoining sitting room’s Oushak rug inspired the goldenrod shade for the kitchen’s walls, a color that comes from the marriage of a yellow base coat with coats of tinted glaze. What’s in the glaze? “Burnt sienna, a few drops of red, burnt umber, just about everything but the kitchen sink,” says Drysdale, who always mixes her own colors.

Drysdale may joke about her blankets of glaze, but they make the color more mellow. “To be truthful,” she says, “I was worried about the intensity. If you overstimulate visually, you are no longer providing comfort.”

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Mary Douglas Drysdale

Golden Showhouse Kitchen

The paneled cabinetry is as serious as the room’s Corinthian columns, but rather than employ the expected granite or marble on the countertops, Drysdale took a left turn and chose the favorite wood of antique lovers—mahogany. In lieu of tile, she used beadboard for the backsplash. “It conveys a traditional feeling without being precious,” she explains.

Drysdale designed the five-foot-long pot rack of iron, copper, and brass where antique pots and molds dangle like charms on a bracelet. The cubbies display vintage crockery.

Design: Mary Douglas Drysdale

See the entire kitchen here.

Simple and Stylish Showhouse Kitchen

This stunning, storage-packed kitchen was designed by Bob Bakes for the 2011 Hampton Designer Showhouse. Walnut serving trays tucked into the vertical niches of the center island add dark contrast to the otherwise all-white kitchen. Other noteworthy accents include sleek hardware, functional cabinetry, and simple lighting.

Details on the following slide.

Design: Bob Bakes

Simple and Stylish Showhouse Kitchen

Simple wicker baskets tucked under the stark white counters bring texture to the cooking space. “There’s nothing worse than an overdone space, or one that’s too contrived,” says designer Bob Bakes.

Design: Bob Bakes

See the rest of the 2011 Hampton Designer Showhouse here.

Cool and Contemporary Showhouse Kitchen

Expert kitchen designer Mick De Giulio created this lusciously modern kitchen for interior designer Doug Atherly’s residence in the Ritz-Carlton Showcase Apartments in Chicago. Mick expertly mixes materials, proportions, and textures in the contemporary kitchen. “We coordinated the finish of this kitchen with everything [Doug Atherly] was doing. This is our BeauxArts.02 line, which includes high-gloss finishes in truffle brown, so it’s a darker taupe-gray color along with high-gloss ebonized walnut. All of the tall pieces, the refrigeration, and the pantry unit have this finish.” The breakfast area is subtle and muted, letting the city view command attention. Mick designed the handsome bar in ebony walnut.

See more of this apartment’s kitchen on the following slides.

Design: Mick De Guilio

Cool and Contemporary Showhouse Kitchen

Mick’s custom cabinetry in a truffle gray and glossy lacquer gives this sophisticated city space. It’s part of his BeauxArts.02 Collection for SieMatic. Mick’s composition in this kitchen is a rich mix of lacquer, ebony walnut gloss, polished stainless steel, clear glass, nickel gloss, crystal, and natural stone.

Design: Mick De Guilio

Cool and Contemporary Showhouse Kitchen

Mick designed this handsome bar in ebony walnut with a gloss finish. The stainless steel wall cabinet doors have clear glass inserts and the knobs are made of crystal.

Design: Mick De Guilio

Click here to see the rest of this Ritz-Carlton Showcase apartment, designed by Doug Atherly.

Sophisticated Blue and White Showhouse Kitchen

This kitchen designed by Mary McDonald for the Santa Barbara Design Showhouse incorporates sophisticated design with state-of-the-art appliances. A mantel-style range hood with a backsplash of Calcutta marble tiles from AKDO sets off the stainless steel GE Monogram range. Other GE appliances, including dishwashers, large refrigerator and freezer, and refrigerator drawers are fit with cabinet-style panel fronts to integrate them into the kitchen cabinetry.

McDonald repeated the blue theme on the base of the large kitchen island. The deep color highlights the veining in the Calcutta marble island top. Ivory-colored Wood-Mode cabinets were given a slightly distressed finish to keep the mood relaxed and warm.

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Mary McDonald

Sophisticated Blue and White Showhouse Kitchen

Other furniture-style details include a plate rack and glass-front cabinets that allow for the display of pretty dishes and serving pieces. Two high-arch Waterstone Faucets make food prep and clean-up stylish chores.

Design: Mary McDonald

Take a look at the rest of the Santa Barbara Design House here.

Elegant Kitchen in Neutral Tones

Designed by Holly Floyd Shipman for the Cultural Arts Alliance Showhouse in Alys Beach, Florida, this kitchen’s color cues come from the blue tile backsplash that was installed. The light blue color was used throughout the kitchen to accent the space. Shipman warmed the room with textures and tones from nature. 

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Holly Floyd Shipman

Elegant Kitchen in Neutral Tones

Continuing with the natural theme in the kitchen, the limed oak breakfast table pays homage to driftwood that would be found on the beach. "A beach home should be a place where you can relax. Incorporating age and nature automatically makes it more serene," says Shipman.

Design: Holly Floyd Shipman

See the rest of the Cultural Arts Alliance Showhouse here.

Showhouse Kitchen Remodel with Unique Charm

Virginia designer John K. George remodeled the kitchen of a 1913 Tudor-style home for the Richmond Symphony Showhouse. A coffered ceiling made of salvaged antique wood from Richmond reclaimed-lumber business E.T. Moore was installed for a stunning visual effect. Antique Gothic porch posts and brackets that George found at Caravati’s—one of his favorite Richmond salvage dealers—flank the new range and are a nod to the house’s Tudor styling.

Vintage light fixtures recycled from a church were encircled with hand-forged bands to create a one-of-a-kind pot rack and light fixture above the wood-topped island. The table-style island is also a study in recycling—made of old, wormy pine beams wrapped with hobnailed iron banding.

Details on the following slide.

Design: John K. George

Showhouse Kitchen Remodel with Unique Charm

The designer preserved most of the kitchen’s cabinets but bumped up their historic charm by adding moldings on door fronts, vintage-looking bronze hardware, and fresh coats of paint in a muted green. 

Design: John K. George

Take a look at the rest of this kitchen remodel here.

Stunning Showhouse Kitchen Dressed in White

Although white is often used as a background to allow other elements to shine–colorful food on a white plate or a brilliant painting on a white wall–that isn't always the case. In Beverly Balk's all-white kitchen/dining area in Long Island's Mansions & Millionaires Showhouse, her dramatic fittings created a bit of a paradox–by making the absence of color into a presence.

"White doesn't have to be antiseptic," says Beverly. "It can adapt to whatever accent color is pleasing to you at the time."

See the rest of this kitchen on the following slides.

Design: Beverly Balk

Stunning Showhouse Kitchen Dressed in White

Here, the designer drapes the room in scene-stealing white, using red as an accomplice rather than giving it a starring role. The bright primary hue doesn't attempt to compete, making only cameo appearances. Stripes on a bench cushion, piping on table linens, and tiebacks for white curtains framing a shelving display of shapely serving pieces all demonstrate that the mostly monochromatic scheme can handle jolts of intensity. An artful Andy Warhol-like arrangement of Campbell's soup cans on higher shelves peeks through the top, uncurtained windowpanes.

Design: Beverly Balk

Stunning Showhouse Kitchen Dressed in White

Soft fabric tempers the striking white-red scheme. Gathered skirts adorn a stool at the painted table as well as the sink surround in front of the window. Beverly added a strong graphic effect in the glass-fronted upper cupboards, where shirred sheer fabric covers the bottom two rows of panes.

Design: Beverly Balk

Two-in-One Showhouse Kitchen

A kitchen remodel was in the works for designer Rosalia M. Kallivokas for the 2010 D.C. Design House, but she had more creative plans for the small kitchen and adjoining sitting room. Rather than retaining the spaces the way they were configured, Kallivokas commandeered all the square footage and created two companion kitchens, with the armoire serving as a subtle divider.

The more casual space has a center table/island convenient for family dining and caterers. An island can be as simple as a substantial table topped with granite or other hard surface. Stools can be easily pulled up for family meals.

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Rosalia M. Kallivokas

Two-in-One Showhouse Kitchen

The other half of the kitchen area includes a spacious, marble-topped stationary island for parties or company cocktails. A flat-panel Aquos television was mounted behind heat-resistant glass in the tile backsplash above the range. The TV can be accessed for servicing from an adjacent porch that backs the range wall. The island has a thick slab top of Arctic Cream granite finished with double-rolled edges. Two oak corbels with burl inlays support each of the four corners.

Design: Rosalia M. Kallivokas

See more of this double-duty kitchen here.

Refined Showhouse Kitchen

Philip Gorrivan designed this sophisticated vacation home kitchen for the Oceans 3 Showhouse in Montauk, New York. Foregoing a dining table, he added ample seating at the kitchen’s islands for a more casual (and space-saving) effect. "I also wanted to convey a sense of age," the designer says. "I wanted the finishes to play off the ocean, but also to create a patina with a European feel." A Smallbone kitchen is just the ticket. The British company's bespoke cabinetry features the exquisite attention to detail that's generally associated with old-world craftsmanship. "The cabinets introduce the high level of quality that I wanted to bring to the design."

The pale-colored kitchen cabinets contrast with darker design elements. "I finished the floors in a dark walnut as a very grounding element," Gorrivan explains.

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Philip Gorrivan

Refined Showhouse Kitchen

"I lowered the counter on the island and gave it a walnut surface for a little more elegance," Gorrivan says of his custom dining solution. "This walnut-top island is a very special dining element–fun and informal. With chairs pulled up, it's where the family will have breakfast and other meals every day, when they're not entertaining."

Design: Philip Gorrivan

See the rest of the Oceans 3 Showhouse here.

Showhouse Kitchen Perfect for Casual Entertaining

This kitchen designed by Scott Laslie for Traditional Home’s Built for Women III Showhouse was created for a young, single sophisticate who enjoys casual entertaining in a stylish environment. An interior window above the sink allows for light flow and lets our hostess see (and be seen by) arriving guests when she’s in the compact galley kitchen. Upper cabinets and walls are painted the same neutral ivory to keep the room feeling clean and uncluttered. “Bottom cabinets are a darker finish, and that grounds the room,” Laslie says. Matte finishes and honed quartz countertops contrast with the high-gloss finishes on the ceiling and the light fixture above the sink.

See more of this kitchen on the following slide.

Design: Scott Laslie

Showhouse Kitchen Perfect for Casual Entertaining

Artisan wall tiles from Ann Sacks accent the stainless-steel, dual-fuel Jenn-Air range and chimney hood.

Design: Scott Laslie

See the rest of this Atlanta Showhouse here.

Inviting Showhouse Kitchen

The image of the kitchen as the entertaining hub of the home was what inspired designer Denyse Rinfret to create this space for the Hampton Designer Showhouse in Bridgehampton, New York. "I wanted a kitchen where people would gather and stay, not just a place to grab a bite and leave," says the Manhasset, New York, designer. "I like the kitchen to be a communal room where people sit with family and friends to eat, converse, read, or just relax."

Giving the island focal-point status is a pair of 17th-century antique English lanterns. Not just pretty faces, the lanterns were electrified and provide task and mood lighting. In addition, recessed ceiling fixtures can be dialed up or down. "I always use versatile lighting in a kitchen. That way you can change the mood from industrial lighting for cooking to romantic light in the evening," Denyse says.

See more of this kitchen on the following slides.

Design: Denyse Rinfret

Inviting Showhouse Kitchen

A decorative plate rack, pilasters flanking the farmhouse sink, brushed nickel fixtures, and marble tops and mosaic backsplash give the new kitchen vintage character.

Design: Denyse Rinfret

Inviting Showhouse Kitchen

To create an inviting eating area, Denyse brought in a large wood table–inspired by an English antique–that can extend to seat 12 people. The table also works as a serving area for buffets or as a place for children to do homework, she says.

A pair of upholstered wing chairs bookend the table, adding a touch of casual comfort. "The armchairs give the kitchen more of a family-room feeling," Denyse says. A reproduction of an antique chandelier hangs above the table, and a striped cotton area rug provides warmth and softness underfoot while helping to define the dining area. 

Design: Denyse Rinfret

See the rest of this gorgeous kitchen designed for the Hampton Designer Showhouse here.

Rich, Brown Showhouse Kitchen

This beautiful kitchen was created by Atlanta designers Linda Pittam and Robert Brown for Traditional Home’s Built for Women III Showhouse in Woodstock, Georgia. Mocha-colored quartz stone tops a large island that separates the family room from the kitchen’s work zone. A blend of mosaic tiles in warm earth tones adds muted color and pattern to the backsplash wall, made up of tiles by Ann Sacks. Distinctive pendant lights were Brown’s creation: An electrician drilled holes in the bases of inexpensive glass vases and wired them to hold decorative bulbs.

Quartersawn red-oak Plain & Fancy cabinets in two different finishes—natural with black glaze and ebony—give the kitchen a traditional artisan look, while the top row of cabinets with frosted glass doors in aluminum frames lightens the mood. The glass-front cabinets have interior lights on dimmers, so they can be illuminated at various intensities.

Design: Linda Pittam and Robert Brown

See the rest of the Built for Women III Showhouse here.

Old-World Showhouse Kitchen with Modern Amenities

A former fraternity house at the University of Maryland is revived by designer Blue Arnold for the 2009 Baltimore Symphony Showhouse. "My approach was to bring a modern sensibility without losing the look or feel of what was basically a traditional English cottage," says Blue, who's a certified kitchen and bath designer in Jarrettsville, Maryland.

A blend of contemporary details, modern technology, and Old World design gives the kitchen a refined elegance that makes it hard to believe it was once a frat hangout. Blue unified and grounded the room with Italian travertine floor tiles reminiscent of old European cobblestones.

An island with counter-height seating--ideal for modern family living--sits front and center and houses the cooktop. "I like the idea of cooking as theater, and having the cooktop in the island provides for that," says the designer. "Family and friends can interact with the cook."

See more of this kitchen remodel on the following slides.

Design: Blue Arnold

Old-World Showhouse Kitchen with Modern Amenities

In the pantry area near the dining room door, Blue included a bar with a sink and wine and beverage refrigerators, providing a convivial place for guests to gather in the kitchen without intruding on the cook's work space. Refrigerator drawers for beverages are also located near an exterior door, keeping soft drinks handy for kids to grab when playing outdoors.

Design: Blue Arnold

Old-World Showhouse Kitchen with Modern Amenities

Blue upped the island's function by adding a pop-up TV. A simple mechanism lifts and lowers the 19-inch flat-panel screen, allowing people to watch TV while preparing or eating meals. The island is wired so the screen can function as a computer monitor as well, making it easy to view family schedules online and search for recipes on Web sites. "The screen serves so many purposes. That, to me, is the essence of modern life in an antique setting," Blue says.

Design: Blue Arnold

See the rest of this before-and-after kitchen remodel here.

Sleek Urban Showhouse Kitchen

In designer Frank Ponterio’s apartment the Ritz-Carlton Showcase Apartments in Chicago, a kitchen created by Mick De Giulio combines modern convenience with urban attitude. “We used classic stainless steel for the oven hoods throughout the residences,” Mick says. “The developers chose all the stone, and we coordinated the colors of the stone along with colors and finishes for the cabinets.”

Detail on the following slide.

Design: Mick De Giulio

Sleek Urban Showhouse Kitchen

Textured wall covering surrounding the Wolf microwave softens the kitchen’s utilitarian look while maintaining the room’s sleek personality.

Design: Mick De Giulio

See the rest of this Ritz-Carlton Showcase apartment by Frank Ponterio.

Loving these decorating ideas? Check out this home inspired by showhouse rooms.