Few home improvement projects inspire as much as excitement as a kitchen renovation. Once hidden away as a service space, the kitchen has come a long way over the past century to claim its place as the heart of most homes.
Frequently larger, more open and more central than it was decades ago, the kitchen now has an outsize impact on a home’s overall interior design scheme and often communicates a lot about its owner’s personal sense of style. It can embody clean-lined minimalism, rustic country charm, a passion for color and pattern, or something far more creative.
Whether you’re contemplating a kitchen renovation in 2026, mulling over a few upgrades or simply dreaming, here are some of the most striking kitchens that appeared in On Location home features in 2025.
Renovated by Velocette Studio and Ambit Architecture, this loft in Philadelphia was designed around a large cooking area. Centered between an open dining area on one side and a seating area on the other, the kitchen occupies a substantial portion of the primary living space, making its position as the central hangout area clear. Beyond the 17-foot-long island, which is topped with Calacatta Viola marble and has deep storage drawers and space for stools, there are generous bench-like seats by the windows and a stand-alone bar. “The kitchen is the centerpiece of that main room,” said Hope Velocette, the founder of Velocette Studio.
