How to Make a Kitchen Feel Designer

A Studio McGee kitchen is easily spotted, as it’s a designer kitchen with loads of character without skimping on the function. 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. If you’re building new, in the middle of a remodel, or just want to make a few simple changes to your current kitchen design, we suggest reading further for our best kitchen design tips to make the space feel like it was created by a designer. From reimagining the space layout to aid in flow to adding simple, elevated details, follow these kitchen design tips to get a Studio McGee kitchen of your own.

Interested in hiring Studio McGee to design your home? Explore our different design services here.  

In a more open-concept kitchen layout, there are a few tricks we have for optimizing space and making the areas feel distinct from each other, thus creating a kitchen that feels designer. In the case of our Summit Estate project, Shea and the design team concealed the pantry door (it’s to the first tall set of cabinets to the left of the range) to resemble the cabinetry. They needed to make the space feel balanced with what was happening on the other side of the range, thus opted for a cool and custom design feature that feels unique to the home and the family that resides within it.

If you’re curious about this kitchen’s cabinetry colors, explore the whole project’s paint guide here, as well as additional tips on getting a moody, rustic look similar to this one in your own home here.

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Sutter Pendant

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Emilio Urn

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Reverie Stool

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For a higher-end look, spring for the extra materials to extend the backsplash material from the counter to the ceiling, or in the case of our Water’s Edge project, wrap it around a range nook. Together with a custom hood integrated into the ceiling of the nook, this helps create an entire focal wall around the stove that can ground the whole kitchen.

One of our biggest kitchen design tips is to create a focal wall around the range. We know that the enormity of the footprint of our Water’s Edge kitchen design isn’t typical, but we think there’s a lot of inspiration to draw from it and thus integrate it into your own’s home’s footprint, big or small. Shea and the design team took the plaster and wrapped it around the entire nook, adding built-in niches to each side for areas to style. A rod hanging the space of the opening features simple hooks, perfect for displaying pretty cookware and styled elements. And lastly, a wood beam integrated into the wall helps close off the nook and make it into its own stunning design feature. This is a Studio McGee kitchen that we’re so proud of.   

Explore more kitchen designs that take their cues from nature here.

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Metal Pot Rack

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Hand-Woven Trivets (Set of 3)

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Olney Measuring Cups

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Whether it’s open shelving or upper cabinets with reeded glass, we love purposefully designing spaces into Studio McGee kitchens that are just for styling. Open shelving provides easy access to essentials and also adds a visual interest when items are on display. The designer kitchen in our Cabo Dos Vistas project has two countertop-to-ceiling niches that are outfitted with open shelves. Some of the clients prettier serveware is proudly displayed and adds a nice pop of texture and color to the overall kitchen design.

Follow along as Shea walks us through the entirety of the home through the project’s webisode here.

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Beau Counter Stool

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Boylan Bread Board

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Melina Glassware Highball Set (Set of 4)

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Another one of our kitchen design tips to make it feel designer is to pay attention to countertop profiles. The countertop in our Houston Estate project features a beautiful bullnose design, which elevates the space and makes it feel custom. One of the things Shea and the design team like to integrate into their Studio McGee kitchen designs is unique moments that help that kitchen stand out from the rest in their portfolio. The bullnose countertop design is an easy one to mimic if you’re in the middle of creating your dream kitchen design now.  

See our guide for countertop materials here, and browse deeper into the design of our Houston Estate kitchen here.

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Patrin Stool

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Bevelled Edge Cutting Board

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Avignon Marble Mortar & Pestle

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This kitchen design tip is a special one. In our Maryland Heritage Remodel project, Shea and the design team elevated an all-white kitchen design by adding a simple and sweet oval window. Not only is it a unique design element but it also helps to balance an asymmetrical layout. You’ll find in most Studio McGee kitchens that there is one element that can be pinpointed as a step beyond the typical design. This is how you create a designer kitchen.

Watch our webisode, An Interior Designer’s Take on a Heritage Remodel, here.

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Ava Seagrass Counter Stool

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Nocturnal Orchard 3

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Tiny Terri Accent Lamp

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