Designing Creative Kitchens and Mind-Blowing Baths

As anyone in real estate will tell you, kitchens and baths sell homes. Why? Because these fundamental rooms are what excite buyers, and if you’re shopping for your dream log or timber home — or even if you are renovating your current house — you are firmly in that buyer category, but better … you get to choose exactly what you want. We collected nine kitchens and baths that really spoke to us. They address modern trends but with a nod toward timeless choices that will make you happy for the long haul. 

Vanquished Boundaries

In addition to employing streamlined appliances, a bright bleach-blond wood finish and open corner shelving to enhance the feeling of space, this tiny kitchenette can throw open the garage-style glass wall to the patio, making it feel expansive. Polished concrete floors are a practical choice when you blur the indoor/outdoor lines. 

Home by Bigfork Builders

Photo by Heidi Long

Back-to-Back Basics

By designing the bathroom with back-to-back vanities, Deep River Partners' interior designer Natalie Erickson, ASID, says they were able to create a divider to the shower area and improve the flow in this primary bathroom. To address the challenge of illuminating the room, the renovated space maximized the location of existing skylights and the use of LED-enhanced mirrors for excellent vanity lighting. Timeless marble flooring from Ann Sacks grounds the room.

Home by Deep River Partners

Photo courtesy of Deep River Partners

Bank on It

This voluminous kitchen actually has a fairly compact footprint, though you'd never guess it. The L-shaped foundation of the space puts all the major appliances along the walls, with the sink enjoying an expansive view courtesy of dual single-hung windows. But the real star of the space is the island. The long-but-narrow, marble-topped workspace gives way to built-in banquette seating, transforming it into an eat-in kitchen. The tall ceiling allows for a dramatic-yet-delicate chandelier, and there's plenty of task lighting scattered around the room. 

Home by Honest Abe Log Homes

Photo courtesy of Honest Abe Log Homes

Height and Bright 

When your bathroom is short on square footage, a single-sink floating vanity with ample storage creates the illusion of space. Here, a frosted-
glass wall provides privacy while allowing natural light to filter through, and a vaulted ceiling adds volume without increasing the footprint. 

Home by Bigfork Builders

Photo by Heidi Long

Small but Mighty Fine

This bathroom is a case study in how to make a compact space pack a big punch. Large-diameter full-round log walls serve as the foundation of the room, which is accentuated by wood-look porcelain on the floors and behind the shower fixture. Pebble-look tile backs the copper vessel sink, which sits on a chiseled-edge piece of stone. The modern-profile soaking tub feels nostalgic with the addition of a traditional (and cost-saving) hoop shower rod and simple white curtain. Together the grouping is visually appealing and super-efficient. 

Home by Caribou Creek Log & Timber Homes

Photo courtesy of Caribou Creek Log & Timber Homes 

On the Flip Side

All too often, the backside of a kitchen island or peninsula is a neglected opportunity to add in an extra dose of function. Not in this U-shaped space. A small counter-dining area migrates to a built-in bookcase at its elbow. Timber-framed posts help to define each area without being restrictive. On the flip side, an efficient cooktop, sink, wall ovens and refrigerator are set in the traditional "work triangle," but there's plenty of countertop for the resident cook to have a sous-chef or two. 

Home by Heavy Timber Truss & Frame

Photo by Joseph Hilliard

Singular Sensation 

An efficient kitchen doesn't have to be dull. Case in point: This simplified space is awash in a vibrant, monochromatic turquoise blue, and the fact that the paneled refrigerator/freezer (left-hand side) and island are the same hue allows the eye to move around the room without stopping, which makes a smaller space feel larger. Leathered-granite counters add texture, as does the wood-paneled ceiling and structural posts and beams. A subtle dose of shine is cast by the polished chrome fixtures and porcelain subway tile. 

Home by CTA Architects

Photo by Heidi Long

Cape Crusader

The existing layout of this 1937 Cape Cod's main bathroom was awkward. The space was tight and inefficient; the shower was tiny. The new design takes advantage of its existing structure but is reconfigured to make it more spacious. The key change is tucking the sink into a dormer window nook and installing an ingenious ceiling-mount mirror to preserve the window and its natural light. Polished chrome sidewall sconces brighten the space when the sun goes down. And in addition to drawers beneath the sink, cabinets were cleverly built into available spaces within the walls, incorporating storage into every available nook and cranny.

Home by Deep River Partners

Photo courtesy of Deep River Partners

Cape Crusader

The existing layout of this 1937 Cape Cod's main bathroom was awkward. The space was tight and inefficient; the shower was tiny. The new design takes advantage of its existing structure but is reconfigured to make it more spacious. The key change is tucking the sink into a dormer window nook and installing an ingenious ceiling-mount mirror to preserve the window and its natural light. Polished chrome sidewall sconces brighten the space when the sun goes down. And in addition to drawers beneath the sink, cabinets were cleverly built into available spaces within the walls, incorporating storage into every available nook and cranny.

Home by Deep River Partners

Photo courtesy of Deep River Partners

Corner Convenience 

A corner soaking tub flanked by separate his-and-hers sinks that butt right up to the perimeter maximize every inch of wall space while leaving the center of the room unencumbered for unrestricted mobility. A floor-to-ceiling cabinet next to the shorter sink is ideal for keeping towels and toiletries within easy reach. 

Home by Coventry Log Homes

Photo by Joseph Hilliard

Previous Next

See Also: Deciding on a Kitchen Design Vision and Log Home Bathroom Design Ideas