7 Kitchen Renovation Ideas in 2024 for a Functional & Aesthetic Home

Are you planning to renovate your kitchen soon? As you calculate the budget and think of the furniture arrangement, two of the most important things to consider are how you would design it and what materials that will work best for the design.

For our designers at BuildBuilt, designing kitchens is one of the most challenging parts that needs to be executed meticulously. More than just a place to prepare meals, most of our clients also use their kitchen as an extension of the dining space to have quality time with their friends and family during gatherings.

Balancing these functional needs and aesthetic aspects can be quite a challenge, but fret not! Here are some interesting kitchen renovation ideas from our portfolio you can get inspired from.

1. Eclectic kitchen with vibrant yellow and Wes Anderson vibe

This vibrant kitchen channels a charming Wes Anderson aesthetics and Japanese vibes, as requested by our clients. They wanted their home to feel unique, full with personal memorabilia, but still gave them an energizing atmosphere. 

Eclectic kitchen from Vibrant Eclecticism project.

The kitchen design exudes a lively vibe from the bright yellow palette and is full with personality. The terracotta and white checkerboard floor strengthens the eclectic theme, and the yellow tile grout blends the yellow wall with the white ceramic tiles perfectly.

The kitchen cabinets and shelves are made from birch plywood with visible wood grains, providing a touch of nature within the sea of colours. To top it off, the blue Bertazzoni freestanding range cooker gives a contrasting pop in a warm colour dominated kitchen.

2. A unique Mid-Century Modern kitchen with transparent sliding doors

Living with 2 curious cats, our clients wanted their BTO house to be a comfy and safe playground for their purry pets. Thus, the kitchen was specifically designed with a sliding door system to keep the cats away from dangerous appliances like the oven and stove.

With the transparent doors, the homeowners can do their activities in the kitchen while keeping an eye on their pets (and vice versa!).

Mid-century kitchen from Wood and Teal Home project.

The kitchen was designed with a mid-century modern style in mind, and hence mid-tone wood and glossy teal tiles were chosen as the main material palette. The kitchen island was designed with fluted paneling on the base, adding more texture to the space and emphasis on the curved profile of the island.

Other than having top cabinets for more storage, our clients have a pantry area that also functions as a coffee/alcohol station where guests can feel free to take their orders. The open shelves allow them to display their drinks collection, all whilst cutting down on the visual bulk of the tall boy unit next to it.

3. Minimalist kitchen with navy blue and wooden furniture

This blue themed kitchen has a perfect balance of functionality and luxe minimalist aesthetics. The kitchen cabinetry was finished with a navy blue laminate, while the opposite wall has been painted with a matching matte paint.

Luxe minimalist kitchen from The Blue Home project.

To add more textures on top of the existing white tiles, a backsplash with grey and white subway tiles was installed above the stove. This kitchen is kept very minimal with an open shelf instead of top cabinets, and brass door pulls were installed that complements the golden accents in the rest of thehouse.

4. Kitchen with an open bar and cafe-like design

Our clients for this 4 room BTO are a couple of coffee enthusiasts who wanted to create a cafe-like ambience at home, with a dedicated barista nook and a peninsula counter that functions as a casual breakfast area.

Kitchen with a cafe vibe from Coffee Lovers Haven project.

Open shelves were installed at the barista nook to house their coffee paraphernalia, with a square tiled backsplash and warm lighting to complete that hip cafe vibe.

While the owners of many light wood homes prefer to keep everything bright, this home utilised darker accents for all metalworks and appliances. The black trims of the kitchen partition add a subdued elegance to the natural wood tones, and can also be closed off to keep oily fumes at bay during heavy cooking.

5. Bohemian-Farmhouse style kitchen

The initial concept of this kitchen was a simple and clean farmhouse theme, which has been beautifully transformed with the addition of rich textures and materials from the homeowners’ choice of Bohemian style decor and items.

Kitchen space from Boho Farmhouse project.

Rustic wood laminates were used for the upper cabinets while off-white bottom cabinets and iridescent backsplash tiles brighten up the kitchen. True to the farmhouse theme, our clients opted for an apron sink and a standalone stove to complete the look. Right above the sink are open shelves decorated with textured wares and our client’s precious collection of mini plants.

While the square layout of the kitchen made it difficult to install a full-sized island counter, a loose push cart helps to add more countertop space whenever needed and can be pushed to the side for more walking space.

6. Warm minimalist open kitchen with cove lightings

This kitchen was designed specifically to host big family gatherings, for this family of 4 who also lives with their elderly parents. Having two young children, they also wanted the kitchen design to be kid-friendly, without sacrificing the functionality and cosiness of the space.

Modern luxe kitchen from Kid Friendly 5-Room BTO project.

The focus of the kitchen design was to be as seamless as possible, with no protruding handles and all corners rounded. This functional kitchen hides a few pull out surfaces that can be used during preparation of big meals, while an overhead pull out drawer also keeps our clients’ wine glass collection away from the childrens’ reach.

This sleek kitchen design is paired with cosy lighting from the cove lights along the edges that emanate a warm and inviting ambience whenever our clients come home from work. The result? A highly functional kitchen packed with storage and worktops without all that visual clutter!

7. Monochromatic black and white colonial-styled kitchen

This black and white kitchen perfectly captures the vibe of the modern colonial style house, with its faux coffered ceilings and intricate cornice details.

Colonial-styled kitchen with white accents from Colonial Style Home project.

The slim shaker cabinets and white accents give off a spacious and clean ambience, while darker grey materials are used for the floors.

The extra deep island counter functions as the family’s dining table, with ample storage below to keep extra dishes and utensils.

Whatever kitchen styles you prefer, don’t forget to also focus on what matters the most: functionality that matches your lifestyle! A young couple with no kids might have different kitchen needs compared to a family with children and parents living together under the same roof. More than aesthetics, here are some things you need to consider before deciding on a full kitchen design concept:

• The maintenance of different materials. Surfaces with more textures usually are harder to clean compared to the smoother ones. However, glossy surfaces tend to show grease marks easier, even with frequent cleaning!

• Longevity of materials. The longer you plan to stay, the sturdier and more durable your materials choices should be.

• The budget. Certain details (eg. shaker panels, small tiles) require more manual labour to achieve, which will quickly increase the cost of your kitchen. Consider a faux or lite alternative to replicate the look without breaking the bank.

We hope that our sharing today has got you inspired to start curating your own kitchen concept! Eager to get more inspiration from BuildBuilt? Check our portfolio projects here.

If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry as our interior designers are here to help! Make an appointment with us by clicking the button below.