You Need to See 2017’s Most Popular Kitchen Tour
Will your favourite kitchen redesign on Houzz feature in our most clicked tours list? Read on to find out…
Kate Burt
1 January 2018
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and various magazines. I'm now excited to part of the editorial team at Houzz UK & Ireland, bringing the best of British and Irish design, interiors and architecture to Houzz.com.
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and... More
Our Kitchen Tours are some of the most popular stories on Houzz, but what are the features that impress you the most, do you have a favourite colour scheme, and is there one kitchen look that wins in the style stakes? Well, you might be surprised on that last point, as the winning kitchens could not be more different from each other. Without further ado, let’s get stuck into the five most read Kitchen Tours! In reverse order, here they are…
At number 5…
This pretty 2.5m x 3m kitchen, built at the back of a converted stone-built hayloft in West Sussex for the homeowners, one of whom runs a pickle and jam business from home, caught your attention, and we can see why.
What’s so captivating, apart from the appealing country styling, is that the compact space was meticulously designed to make use of every millimetre (although whether or not it was genuinely small was a debate that raged in the Comments section).
Designer Jasper Middleton of Middleton Bespoke packed in plenty of clever takeaway ideas, including the use of space-saving dishwasher drawers, a larder with bifolding doors – helping the cabinet to tuck tidily into the corner – and a multi-functional butcher’s block on wheels.
This pretty 2.5m x 3m kitchen, built at the back of a converted stone-built hayloft in West Sussex for the homeowners, one of whom runs a pickle and jam business from home, caught your attention, and we can see why.
What’s so captivating, apart from the appealing country styling, is that the compact space was meticulously designed to make use of every millimetre (although whether or not it was genuinely small was a debate that raged in the Comments section).
Designer Jasper Middleton of Middleton Bespoke packed in plenty of clever takeaway ideas, including the use of space-saving dishwasher drawers, a larder with bifolding doors – helping the cabinet to tuck tidily into the corner – and a multi-functional butcher’s block on wheels.
He also moved the washing machine out of the cookspace, freeing up yet more room.
The entire kitchen is completely bespoke. “Each unit is made as a solid piece of traditional furniture, and designed to fit seamlessly without joins, fillers or plinths,” Middleton explains.
In this photo, you can see how the open-plan kitchen fits into the downstairs layout. In the background are the entrance hall and dining room at the front of the house.
Get more angles on this cute kitchen
The entire kitchen is completely bespoke. “Each unit is made as a solid piece of traditional furniture, and designed to fit seamlessly without joins, fillers or plinths,” Middleton explains.
In this photo, you can see how the open-plan kitchen fits into the downstairs layout. In the background are the entrance hall and dining room at the front of the house.
Get more angles on this cute kitchen
At number 4…
Next up, this contemporary galley kitchen in a Georgian family townhouse was designed to be “un-kitchen-like” to complement the beautiful architecture of the elegant home it’s in.
“Our clients’ aesthetic was very contemporary,” says the kitchen’s co-designer, Jack Trench of Jack Trench Bespoke Kitchens & Furniture, “but we were designing for a period architectural space rich with original details, so the modern kitchen had to allow these elements to breathe.”
Oak-veneer cabinetry is surrounded by a Corian shell, which includes the worktops. This clever combination visually separates the cupboards from the natural wood floor, so the two timbers don’t clash. A graceful cantilevered design boosts the effect further.
Next up, this contemporary galley kitchen in a Georgian family townhouse was designed to be “un-kitchen-like” to complement the beautiful architecture of the elegant home it’s in.
“Our clients’ aesthetic was very contemporary,” says the kitchen’s co-designer, Jack Trench of Jack Trench Bespoke Kitchens & Furniture, “but we were designing for a period architectural space rich with original details, so the modern kitchen had to allow these elements to breathe.”
Oak-veneer cabinetry is surrounded by a Corian shell, which includes the worktops. This clever combination visually separates the cupboards from the natural wood floor, so the two timbers don’t clash. A graceful cantilevered design boosts the effect further.
This view of the kitchen, seen from the adjacent dining room, shows how beautifully the room fits into the look of the rest of the open-plan scheme. And it’s a flexible space, too: doors can be pulled across to partition off the kitchen from the dining area if necessary.
See more of this pared-back period kitchen-diner
See more of this pared-back period kitchen-diner
At number 3…
This classic, solid-wood family kitchen, painted in fashionable indigo blue, was designed by Jamie Blake of Blakes London as part of a new extension on a Victorian semi.
Among the (many) standout features are the beautiful black-framed doors leading out to the garden and, in fact, these influenced the ‘classic industrial’ style of the kitchen.
A family of five live in the house, so the kitchen needed to be a hard-working space. In particular, the large island packs in a number of different functions. There are two sinks (one prep, one main) and two dishwashers. It also has two integrated bins, a wine cooler and pan drawers. A row of factory-style metal pendants suspended above adds to the industrial feel of the space and provides plenty of task lighting.
This classic, solid-wood family kitchen, painted in fashionable indigo blue, was designed by Jamie Blake of Blakes London as part of a new extension on a Victorian semi.
Among the (many) standout features are the beautiful black-framed doors leading out to the garden and, in fact, these influenced the ‘classic industrial’ style of the kitchen.
A family of five live in the house, so the kitchen needed to be a hard-working space. In particular, the large island packs in a number of different functions. There are two sinks (one prep, one main) and two dishwashers. It also has two integrated bins, a wine cooler and pan drawers. A row of factory-style metal pendants suspended above adds to the industrial feel of the space and provides plenty of task lighting.
To the right of these handsome, brass-handled, tall doors is a cosy library room, painted the same colour as the cabinets in the kitchen for continuity. Beyond that, part of a ‘broken-plan’ layout, is the living room at the front of the house, meaning there’s a view right through the three spaces.
Check out more of this space
Check out more of this space
At number 2, the runner-up is…
Grey remains a hugely popular colour for kitchens and this 1920s/30s three-storey townhouse cookspace goes dark and intimate with its chosen shade, which is mixed with beautiful milk oak for warmth.
Perhaps the star feature in this generous kitchen (though there are so many!) is the quality of light. “The design draws influence from the architecture of the property,” says Marcello Cuconato, creative director of Extreme Design. “It celebrates key features, such as the glass ceiling and the bifold doors that open onto the patio.”
Sleek touches include the integrated handles, picked out in oak, and the contrast between the grey-white marble worktops in the kitchen and the white-grey one inside the enviable larder. So often, it’s the small design details that make a space sing.
For the family who live here, the 2.4m-long breakfast bar and stools mean parents and kids can comfortably hang out together in the heart of their home.
Grey remains a hugely popular colour for kitchens and this 1920s/30s three-storey townhouse cookspace goes dark and intimate with its chosen shade, which is mixed with beautiful milk oak for warmth.
Perhaps the star feature in this generous kitchen (though there are so many!) is the quality of light. “The design draws influence from the architecture of the property,” says Marcello Cuconato, creative director of Extreme Design. “It celebrates key features, such as the glass ceiling and the bifold doors that open onto the patio.”
Sleek touches include the integrated handles, picked out in oak, and the contrast between the grey-white marble worktops in the kitchen and the white-grey one inside the enviable larder. So often, it’s the small design details that make a space sing.
For the family who live here, the 2.4m-long breakfast bar and stools mean parents and kids can comfortably hang out together in the heart of their home.
A nook for recipe books provides a dash of colour and character. It’s a smart way to break up a bank of cabinets, which could otherwise look a bit blank.
Tour more of this cool, contemporary kitchen
Tour more of this cool, contemporary kitchen
And – ta-da! – the winner, at number 1, is…
This smartly designed and colourful space in a slimline townhouse impressed loads of you. Perhaps it was the twist on the usual open-plan, back-of-the-house kitchen-diner that caught your attention?
While many of us reworking the ground floor of a house will take down walls, the owners of this terraced home put one in, so as to create a distinct kitchen area. “It’s a narrow building, so it was difficult to make the kitchen feel separate,” says Nicky Spear, director of Sustainable Kitchens, the design firm the family chose.
This smartly designed and colourful space in a slimline townhouse impressed loads of you. Perhaps it was the twist on the usual open-plan, back-of-the-house kitchen-diner that caught your attention?
While many of us reworking the ground floor of a house will take down walls, the owners of this terraced home put one in, so as to create a distinct kitchen area. “It’s a narrow building, so it was difficult to make the kitchen feel separate,” says Nicky Spear, director of Sustainable Kitchens, the design firm the family chose.
Again, smart space-maxing moves were a feature. Chopping boards slot into bespoke shelves at the side of the oven, and the microwave is tucked out of sight into the larder (oh yes, and there’s a larder – a bit of a dream feature on Houzz right now). An extractor is built-in and slimline, so as not to reduce wall storage space.
Also, while there’s no utility room (we know you love a utility), the laundry appliances have been fitted cleverly into a special unit. “The bottom of the cabinet houses the washing machine and dryer, and there’s a work surface on top,” says Spear. Above is a larder. “It’s a very high cupboard, so the top has space for things you use once a year at Christmas,” she adds.
See all of this homely, vibrant and sharply put-together cookspace
Do you agree with the winning order or do you have a different number one? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
More: Check out 2017’s favourite Houzz Tours
Also, while there’s no utility room (we know you love a utility), the laundry appliances have been fitted cleverly into a special unit. “The bottom of the cabinet houses the washing machine and dryer, and there’s a work surface on top,” says Spear. Above is a larder. “It’s a very high cupboard, so the top has space for things you use once a year at Christmas,” she adds.
See all of this homely, vibrant and sharply put-together cookspace
Do you agree with the winning order or do you have a different number one? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
More: Check out 2017’s favourite Houzz Tours
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Clever though it may be, no.1 isn't that inspiring a look - no. 2 in that fabulous grey with the wooden edging deserves the no.1 slot!
Thank you so much for your kind words Karen, we're delighted you feel our project deserves the number 1 slot! All of the designs featured in this article are lovely, each with a different feel and we're honoured to be included.