When the owners of this Northern Beaches home renovated three years after moving in, bringing in a beachy feel was top of their list. In the kitchen, pendants from Cult combine with Carrara marble benchtops and Amity splashback tiles from Onsite Supply & Design to do just that. Take the tour. Photo: Felix Forest /belle

1. Simple white subway splashback tiles bring this kitchen on the NSW Central Coast into the now. “We find it such a joy to unwind at the end of the day in a home we love with the people we love,” says homeowner Stella. Read how this humble house became a sanctuary. Photo: Maree Homer / homes+
2. Homeowners Beth and Warren turned an old weatherboard boatshed in the sleepy village of Erowal Bay, NSW, into a stylish waterfront home using upcycled wares, heirlooms and elbow grease. In the kitchen, whitewashing the floor and injecting plenty of white and timber added a beachy feel. “I love the drama of the black walls against the white Ikea cabinets,” Beth says. Take the tour. Photo: James Henry / homes+

1. Sometimes, all a fresh white kitchen needs is a pop or two of bright blue to give it some coastal style. Homeowner Rebecca Warburton, an artist and interior designer, painted the artwork herself, and paintings in similar tones are echoed throughout the house. Take the tour. Photo: Angelita Bonetti / Australian House & Garden
2. It doesn’t matter how far you live from the beach; a fresh white kitchen that opens to the outdoors can have a cool and casual coastal vibe. See more of this Perth cottage. Photo: Angelita Bonetti / Australian House & Garden

1. Interior architect Andrew Waller turned a 1970s beach house on Sydney’s Northern Beaches into a modern classic. “The kitchen was the starting point for the interiors,” says Andrew. “It had to have a relaxed ambience, with the island bench and pantry like stand-alone pieces of furniture.” The island and pantry were painted in Dulux Sage Monica. Take the tour. Photo: Nicholas Watt / Australian House & Garden
2. Accessories on open shelves echo the blue splashback tiles in the kitchen of this breezy beach house. Homeowner Bernadette based her tile choice on the feature colour she has paired with white throughout the home: Dulux Sea Foam. The pendants are from Freedom. See more of this house. Photo: Maree Homer /homes+
3. A graphic ‘watercolour’ splashback can transform a bland kitchen into something brilliant in an instant. Digital print splashback in Watercolour Stripe Green from Emily Ziz Style Studio. See three more flatpack kitchen designs. Photo: Mick Bruzzese / real living

This large family kitchen has a Miami deco vibe thanks to interior designer Stacey Kouros, who washed the American oak veneer cabinets in a light blue stain. See more of the latest kitchens created by Australia’s top architects and interior designers. Photo: Jason Busch / belle