5 min readBecause the kitchen is the heart of the home, it's also where some of the most exciting innovations happen. From smart technologies designed to make life a bit easier to experimental layouts that improve the flow and standout design details that elevate the room's style, our annual Whole Home projects have showcased the best in kitchen design.
Since House Beautiful launched the Whole Home showhouse in 2017, each designer has put their unique spin on the kitchen. They’ve created spaces that feel distinct from the rest of the home—and from every Whole Home kitchen that came before. Some of these elements were personal, such as a built-in dog bed beneath an island, while others embraced lighthearted entertaining, like the at-home beer keg displayed on the counter. These creative touches have helped shape kitchen trends that continue to inspire today.
Take a look back at the most memorable Whole Home kitchens that have stood the test of time.
Built-In Pet Stations
The family pets got special treatment in both the 2019 and 2020 Whole Home kitchens. At the Nashville Whole Home in 2019, kitchen and bath expert Matthew Quinn built a custom dog bed into the side of the island, upholstering the cushion in durable indoor/outdoor Thibaut fabric to stand up to muddy paws and scraps-seeking pups.
The following year in Denver, designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn reimagined another pet-friendly feature. Rather than installing a pot filler above the range, she placed an Elkay pot filler at a dedicated pet station within the island, making it easy to refill water bowls. The station also included built-in spots for food and water dishes, plus a drawer below for storing toys, treats, and extra kibble.
Custom Drink Hubs
Anyone who loves their coffee, smoothies, or cocktails recognizes the importance of a drink station in the home. In 2019, Lauren Moore of Modern Remains brought this concept into the media room. But rather than hooking up a simple beer fridge, she made sure the kitchenette was stocked with a personal beer keg, using LG’s sleek HomeBrew to make this space feel extra luxurious. For suds lovers who love to entertain on game day, the unit’s sleek cylindrical build is cool enough to leave on the counter.
Eco-Friendly Details
Sarah Robertson is known for her incredible kitchen ideas, specifically around storage, so she couldn’t simply stop at a pet station in the 2020 Whole Home. The designer put in a compost bin hidden behind a cabinetry panel in the island to make food cleanup not only easy but beneficial. Any and all fresh food waste gets swiped into this bin to help produce another healthy harvest from the garden.
Even if gardening isn’t an option, getting rid of food this way is an eco-minded way to live, and we can’t help but think Robertson was ahead of the curve here. Notice the drawer also hides a recycling bin, a trash can, paper towels, and a tool drawer.
Bespoke Island Alternatives
Stephanie Sabbe of Sabbe Interior Design took inspiration from her grandmother when designing the kitchen in our 2021 Whole Home, located in Fredericksburg, Texas, opting for a dining table in the middle of the action rather than a classic island. “We sat there for hours and experienced life together,” the designer says of her grandmother’s home.
The rest of the cook space feels just as homey, with a charming leaf motif wallpaper, wingback chairs, and a beautiful blue-green paint color to coat the entire space. This idea of forgoing the island for a more furniture-forward piece feels very European and has become a more common practice in American homes as people are opting for more lived-in spaces.
Luxurious Add-Ons
Our 2022 Whole Home in Atlanta was the perfect entertaining space, in part because of Whittney Parkinson’s additions to the already-grand kitchen space. The scullery—a moody, windowless prep space—is decorated with mirrored tile from Ann Sacks and a rich walnut countertop so it still feels intentional within the greater kitchen. It’s equipped with a built-in microwave, dishwasher, and two undercounter refrigeration drawers, making it party-ready and almost as equipped as the main kitchen.
To make it even more obvious that this is a kitchen built for hosting, Parkinson added a wine room, wrapped in a nature-inspired wallpaper for a touch of whimsy and painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue. There are two Signature Kitchen Suite wine columns to store the precious cargo and a little chest of drawers between them to hold cocktail napkins and other accoutrements.
Painted Appliances
Would you ever paint your kitchen appliances? Well, Jenna Gross from Colordrunk Designs would and has! When she was tasked with redesigning the in-law apartment in our 2023 Whole Home located in Hinsdale, Illinois, Gross had to infuse as much color into the space as possible, which meant painting the custom cabinetry a soft pink and the vintage, all-in-one Dwyer kitchen unit an even punchier tone, Shallot by Farrow & Ball. It has a depth and playfulness to it that doesn’t take away from the cheeriness of the kitchenette.
Integrated Storage
As if the highly functional drawers from the 2020 Whole Home weren’t enough, designers Laura McCroskey and Leann Lynn of McCroskey Interiors took the integrated storage to the next level in the 2023 Whole Home main kitchen. The stunning backsplash—an antique turquoise Calacatta marble slab with plum and gold veining—slides to reveal ample shelves flanking the range. They serve as two mini pantries for quick use, holding spices, linens, and cookbooks.
“Unkitchen” Kitchens
We tasked the designers of our 2024 Whole Home in Asheville, North Carolina, to create a vacation home, an escape where having downtime is the only thing on the itinerary. For Kelsey McGregor of Kelsey Leigh Design Co., that meant designing a cook space that felt more like a hangout, aka the “unkitchen” kitchen.
It’s streamlined yet beautiful, the color palette emphasizing the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside the window, rather than taking from them. Oak woodwork and cabinets paired with floor-to-ceiling zellige tile and a plaster range hood feel natural and fitting with a mountain house, while the double ovens and clever storage remind whoever’s inside that this kitchen means business when it wants to. And you won’t find any small appliances on display on the countertops here—those are all hidden away in the nearby dirty kitchen to keep this space entertaining-ready.
Statement Islands
Blurring the line between a dining table and a traditional kitchen island, the statement island brings a more furniture-like feel to the heart of the home. In our 2025 Whole Home, located in Austin, Texas, Sara Malek Barney of BANDD/DESIGN designed an island inspired by the silhouette of a grand piano, pairing a quartzite countertop with a sculptural, curved reeded base.
The result is undeniably dramatic, establishing the island as the room's centerpiece while creating a more inviting, conversational gathering space. The curve “encourages people to look at each other, not just face forward,” Barney says.
