Kitchen
101
04 March –
A complete guide to all things kitchen design.
Everything You Need to Know About Kitchen Design
Contents
- Cabinet Hardware 101
- Our Favorite Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
- How to Bring Character Into a White Kitchen
- Our Favorite Kitchen Wall Paint Colors
- Countertop Guide 101
- How to Make a Kitchen Feel Designer
- How to Mix Metal Finishes
- How to Choose Bar and Counter Stools
- Kitchens That Take Their Cues From Nature
- A Guide to Light Fixture Hanging Heights
- Our Guide to Tile Patterns
- How to Organize Your Kitchen
- What’s Hot in Kitchen Trends Right Now
- Our Favorite Breakfast Nook Designs
- Our Favorite Kitchenette Designs
- How to Style Your Kitchen in Unexpected Ways
A comprehensive guide for everything you need to know to create a Studio McGee-style kitchen.
Kitchen design is where a lot of people start when they’re either designing their home from scratch or taking on a home renovation. It’s where people gather, where memories [and messes] are made, and where, aside from the bedroom, the majority of your time is spent. Over the years, we’ve created quite a few guides and inspiration boards to help you through the kitchen design process, from light fixture hanging heights to small kitchenettes that look and feel designer. Here, we’re rounding them all up so you can get all the kitchen design ideas in one space.
01
Cabinet Hardware 101
Whether it’s swapping dated hardware for something new or picking cabinet hardware for a brand-new space, it adds so much to the overall design. Here are all the kitchen design ideas you need to create a cohesive look through knobs and pulls.
Read our guide to cabinet hardware here.
02
Our Favorite Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
A thorough color guide to Studio McGee kitchen cabinetry of the past. Browse the answers to one of our most commonly asked questions, “what paint color is that?” This color guide provides kitchen design ideas in spades.
Read our guide to kitchen cabinet paint colors here.
Baby Fawn
In our Hilltop Estate project, the cabinet paint colors are Benjamin Moore Baby Fawn, and the pantry cabinets are painted in Sherwin Williams Peppercorn.
03
How to Bring Character Into a White Kitchen
In the ten years of Studio McGee, we’ve learned that people have strong opinions about a white kitchen design. People either love them or hate them. We think they’re great, as long as you introduce some character inside them. Here’s a few kitchen design ideas to bring a white kitchen to life.
Read our guide to bringing character to a white kitchen here.
04
Our Favorite Kitchen Wall Paint Colors
When choosing a color for kitchen walls, we often gravitate toward white for its classic charm and ability to brighten a space. A crisp white backdrop enhances natural light, making the kitchen feel open and inviting while allowing layered textures and warm materials to shine. To spark inspiration for your own home, we’re sharing some of our go-to kitchen wall colors.
Read our guide to kitchen wall paint colors here.
Swiss Coffee
The McGee Home kitchen walls are painted in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee at 75% strength.
05
Countertop Guide 101
With all the countertop options out there now, it can be tough to know what material is going to be best for your aesthetic and your lifestyle, as evidenced by the hundreds of questions we get each year asking for advice on picking out countertop materials.
Read our guide for countertop materials here.
06
How to Make a Kitchen Feel Designer
Studio McGee kitchen designs of course feature our signature aesthetic, blending traditional with contemporary, but what we’re most proud of is how these kitchen designs always elevate the one thing kitchens are made for… cooking.
Explore ways to create a kitchen that feels designer here.
07
How to Mix Metal Finishes
In kitchen design, figuring out when to mix and when to match metals can be confusing, and we’re hoping that sharing a few interior design tips and general guidelines will help you get the look you’re going for.
Read our guide on how to mix metal finishes here.
08
How to Choose Bar and Counter Stools
Picking bar and counter stools for your space can be easier said than done, and we get a lot of questions about how to do it right. We hope a guide of things to consider when making a purchase will make it an easy decision.
Read our guide on choosing bar and counter stools here.
09
Kitchens That Take Their Cues From Nature
Leaving your kitchen cabinetry its natural wood color and exposing the texture of the wood grain is a strong design statement that speaks to a many different design styles in various ways. To get you inspired, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite natural wood kitchens.
Browse Studio McGee kitchens that take their cues from nature here.
10
A Guide to Light Fixture Hanging Heights
Knowing how to properly hang a light fixture can be difficult. Even for us, sometimes unique ceiling heights or odd-shaped kitchen islands throw a wrench in the measurements we always work off of.
Read our guide to light fixture hanging heights here.
11
Our Guide to Tile Patterns
When it comes to tile, there’s a lot more to think about than color and texture. Often once you narrow down your tile selection, you then have to choose how you’d like it laid. Here’s our Studio McGee guide to various tile patterns and images from past design projects to accompany.
12
How to Organize Your Kitchen
Kitchen design is where form and function collide and since it’s one of the places we spend the most time in our everyday lives, it’s important to find the perfect balance between the two.
Read our guide for how to organize your kitchen here.
13
What’s Hot in Kitchen Trends Right Now
Kitchen trends come and go, but some styles stand the test of time. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re highlighting a few trends we love—perfect for a full remodel or a small refresh. While trends can bring fresh inspiration, balance is key to ensuring your kitchen remains timeless. The best approach? Incorporate elements you truly love in a way that feels enduring.
Read our guide to kitchen trends here.
14
Our Favorite Breakfast Nook Designs
While we do love a formal dining room, meals shared around a two- or four-top, or a built-in banquette, have that feeling of nostalgia that just can’t be replicated. In the past, Studio McGee has done quite a few built-in breakfast nook designs. Here, we’re rounding up a few of our favorites.
15
Our Favorite Kitchenette Designs
Kitchenettes are often tucked away in a basement, or an afterthought added into a kid’s space or office. Get ready to change your perception of what kitchenette design is with these stunning mini kitchens designed by Shea and the design team at Studio McGee.
Browse our favorite kitchenette designs here.
16
How to Style Your Kitchen in Unexpected Ways
A backdrop to daily routines, the kitchen deserves to be styled with thoughtful vignettes that make it as beautiful as the moments spent within it. Here are some easy kitchen interior design tips to refresh the styling of the most trafficked room in the home.
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