The 10 Best Kitchen Makeovers of 2024 Will Totally Wow You
Apartment Therapy has published hundreds of before and afters in 2024, all of which were impressive in their own right. But there are a few that have stood out as favorites for their DIY-savvy, style risk-taking, and storage ingenuity — especially in the category of kitchens.
These 10 kitchen makeovers are the best of the best. Whether you’re looking to be inspired to take on your own kitchen remodel in 2025 or you just love the satisfaction of a dramatic before and after (and who doesn’t?), these are all worth a second look. From budget-friendly changes that didn’t touch cabinetry to bold color choices that shifted the whole vibe, find AT editors’ 10 favorite kitchens of 2024 below.
1. Brown Wood Cabinets Get a Fresh New Spin
Sometimes, the best way to deal with a dated kitchen is to lean into its old-school quirks and color palette. That’s exactly what Claudia Williams (@byclaudiawilliams) did in her studio. The kitchen was tucked into a corner of the space, which is part of a 125-year-old New York City brownstone, and featured the not-so-desirable components of dark brown cabinetry, a matching mosaic backsplash, and gray countertops. Claudia embraced a natural palette by covering the countertops with a peel-and-stick finish that resembles wood, and then painted the backsplash cream to match the walls. A DIY skirted island, fabric chandelier, and other cottagey decor complete the look. The best part (and why this redo is one of the best of the year): This French countryside-inspired kitchen makeover cost about $200.
2. A 2000s Kitchen Gets a Total Transformation
Homeowner Jenny McRae took part in the One Room Challenge to overhaul her kitchen, which was a time capsule of the early 2000s thanks to dark cabinetry and granite countertops. She and her husband, Will, gave the space a complete transformation that started with black cabinets that are so chic, you might be surprised to learn that they’re IKEA. Glam touches like brass-and-glass shelving and splurgy citrus wallpaper help infuse the space with personality.
3. A Cottage Kitchen Gets a Brighter New Look
Luke and Hayley Blythe loved their English cottage, which had tall ceilings and lots of space, when they moved in, but they weren’t exactly fans of their very old kitchen. The broken stove, small refrigerator, old backsplash, and smoke-stained walls had to go, but that didn’t mean that everything was a lost cause. In fact, the couple was able to make their old cabinets work by giving them a fresh new paint job. Smart saving on the cabinets helped the couple get new counters, fixtures, backsplash, and appliances for a total of about $3,000.
4. A ‘90s Kitchen Gets a Sophisticated Upgrade for Just $950
Tarah Trammel (@tarah.tr) and Cody Baker decided to update their kitchen from its very ‘90s looks — hello, beige and brown — with a flurry of DIY projects. Those DIYs included painting their cabinets black, then installing a black backsplash and wrapping their appliances in vinyl to match. They also added open shelves, refinished their floors, and installed butcher-block countertops — plus filled the space with decor. There are upgrades on almost every surface of this kitchen, but the total cost was only about $950.
5. An All-Brown ‘80s Kitchen Gets a Fun, Colorful Transformation
Designer Daniela Araya and her husband, Austin, describe their original cabin kitchen’s style as straight from the ‘80s: It had dark wood cabinets, linoleum floors, and wood-paneled walls, and everything blended together in a brown blob. The couple removed the upper cabinets to free up space for a colorful wall of tiles, then added that lost storage back in with a giant island that’s equally useful for food prep. The light blue cabinet color is the finishing touch on this cheery and charming kitchen.
6. A 1970s Kitchen Feels Like New With Small Yet Impactful Changes
Cherisse Blizard (@rissedesignco) knew her 1970s kitchen cabinets were in good shape — they just needed a little bit of a boost from their surroundings. To refresh the space without losing the cabinets, Cherisse’s husband, Dean, painted the walls white and chose floor tiles and a backsplash to match. That definitely brightened the room, while sleek lighting and shiny brass pulls made the existing cabinets look like new. It’s hard to believe that they’re the same ones as before!
7. A Disco Ball Is This Kitchen’s Secret Ingredient
Nate Klass (@natedotklass) had a kitchen that exemplified the 2000s — think dark cabinets, a pink-tiled floor, and a subway-tiled backsplash — that he wasn’t really in love with. He wanted a kitchen more in line with his personality, so he turned the clock back to the 1970s for inspiration and painted all of the cabinets, walls, and ceiling, purple. He paired that shade with a blue backsplash, and added one important detail that glitters above it all: a disco ball. The result is a bold kitchen unlike any you’ve seen before.
8. A Bland Kitchen Gets a Dramatic All-Black Redo
There wasn’t anything particularly wrong with Iina Kuuttila’s kitchen, other than that its sleek style looked more dated than modern. But then a leak happened, and it gave her the opportunity to make some changes. She painted all of the cabinets black and installed a backsplash and countertops to match, resulting in a dramatic black-on-black-on-black kitchen that is just plain cool.
9. This ‘90s Kitchen’s Brown Cabinets Are Brightened by Paint and Peel-and-Stick
Tiffany Brown-Barino (@myeclecticnest) had the classic ‘90s kitchen combination of dark wood cabinets and moody granite countertops, but both were in good enough condition to not be tossed out. Instead, Tiffany wanted to modernize the space without a total overhaul, just a few carefully-considered projects. She used an epoxy to paint the countertops white, added a coordinating peel-and-stick backsplash, replaced the lighting, and installed new hardware on the cabinets — all of which help this kitchen feel totally fresh without any large-scale replacements needed.
10. A Blah Kitchen Gets a Cute and Cheery Makeover
After spending the summer in Copenhagen, photographer and artist Kara Harms was inspired to renovate her 1970s California cabin with Nordic influences. She and her husband, Robin, ripped out their upper cabinets, then painted the bottom sections of their walls a bright shade of pink before installing floral wallpaper above. Scandi-style light fixtures and appliances with a vintage look are the charming finishing touch.
Further Reading
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
