Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Sydney.

Flemington House

Lisa Breeze Architect

Photo of a midcentury kitchen in Melbourne.

Willoughby House

Vanda Constructions "Custom Homes & Renovations"

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Sydney.

Contemporary Kitchen

Contemporary kitchen in Sydney.

Barn Door Walk-In Pantry, Transitional Kitchen Remodel

MainStreet Design Build

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

Shaker Hill Kitchen Reno

Christina Wikman Interiors

Jessica Delaney
Mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Desco Project

Faulkner Perrin Custom Homes

Transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Dallas with open cabinets, white cabinets, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

1950's House Refurb

Born Designers Ltd

Bespoke hand built kitchen with built in kitchen cabinet and free standing island with modern patterned floor tiles and blue linoleum on birch plywood

Open and Airy Highland House

Nathan Taylor for Obelisk Home

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Other with an undermount sink, blue cabinets, dark hardwood floors, brown floor, white benchtop, quartz benchtops, shaker cabinets, grey splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances and no island.

Milton Home #2

Keystone Millworks Inc

Photo of a transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Atlanta with open cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

MIcRO Villa

Miro Architetti

Vista della zona cucina dall'ingresso
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen in Bologna with flat-panel cabinets, panelled appliances, blue benchtop, wood benchtops, grey floor, a drop-in sink, turquoise cabinets, blue splashback and with island.

Compact Modern Kitchen Design-Chicago

Benvenuti and Stein

Zen-like kitchen has white kitchen walls & backsplash with contrasting light shades of beige and brown & modern flat panel touch latch cabinetry. Custom cabinetry made in the Benvenuti and Stein Evanston cabinet shop. Norman Sizemore-Photographer

Hillsborough

Jute Interior Design

Photo- Lisa Romerein
Mediterranean l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Santa Cruz Modern Ranch Home

Lydia Lyons Designs

Heath Little Diamond ceramic tile backsplash, painted cabinets, stained oak floating shelves.
Large modern open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Vallejo Court Project

AFT Construction

Open Kitchen with large island. Two-tone cabinetry with decorative end panels. White quartz counters with stainless steel hood and brass pendant light fixtures.

Pantry

KuDa Photography

Designed by Rod Graham and Gilyn McKelligon. Photo by KuDa Photography
Inspiration for a country u-shaped kitchen pantry in Portland with open cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and panelled appliances.

2016 Concrete Topos # 3

Leicht Westchester-Greenwich

Mid-sized modern open plan kitchen in New York with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Cape Cod

Noelle Interiors

Mid-sized traditional open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, blue splashback, quartz benchtops, glass tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and blue benchtop.

Cape Cod

Noelle Interiors

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, quartz benchtops, glass tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Somerset Farmhouse Luxury Kitchen

David Salisbury

In our latest Kitchen ‘stories’ series, we share the journey behind the transformation of this Somerset farmhouse. This was a complete renovation project in the true sense of the word, involving both the vision of the owner and one of David Salisbury’s most experienced designers. The period property had an existing kitchen which was simply too small and clearly not suitable for a busy family, with a fondness for entertaining. The masterstroke was the decision to relocate the kitchen to what was the former living room and open up the property with a glazed extension, instantly adding in light-bathed space and creating the all-important connection to the garden. The idea to position the kitchen in a new, purpose-built space provided the opportunity to start with a blank canvas: a kitchen designer’s dream! Planning the new kitchen without the constraints of services, such as existing electrics and plumbing, meant we could set about creating a space that was truly tailored to our client. First of all this meant really understanding the home owner and listening to how this busy family lived their lives at home – very socially was the answer! With a substantial new space to work with, we designed a large island to form the centrepiece of the new kitchen, along with an informal entertaining space with comfy bar stools. Having considered a number of different cooking options, our client chose an Everhot range cooker, having visited our showroom in Chelsea to see the existing display and get a better understanding of their reputation for energy efficiency and contemporary cooking functionality. The soft grey tone of the Everhot (Dove Grey) not only acted as a strong focal point, but a warming source of heat for the family (and dog!) to snuggle around. The striking choice of paint finish, ‘Drammen’ from David Salisbury’s unique palette, accentuates the quality of the joinery and is the perfect pairing with our solid oak carcasses – we could look at this eye-catching combination all day! The mix of busy family and social life meant choice of refrigeration was important to get right. The French door fridge freezer from Fisher & Paykel not only maximised storage, it also included a built-in ice maker, a must-have for hosting informal drinks or a weekend night in. Plenty of flexible space for larder essentials was provided by the bespoke pantry cupboard, situated alongside the fridge, with bottle and spice racks and even a cold shelf in matching quartz. Introducing a bench seat under the window allowed a seamless continuation of the kitchen cabinetry and another great space to bring family and guests together, when cooking and entertaining. Safe to say, it’s now the favourite space for Orla (the family’s dog) to take in the views of the garden! Whilst last, but by no means least, the final feature of the kitchen, was a bespoke media unit with bi-fold doors to conceal the TV, which doubled up as a drinks cabinet with integrated wine cooler. Designed from scratch, the new kitchen for this Somerset farmhouse is a combination of timeless design and modern luxury. Being able to cook for and entertain family and guests, in the same space at the same time, meant the final design was perfectly done!

Black and White, Turquoise Kitchen Design Ideas

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to planning your kitchen design. Where do you even start? Gathering some inspiration in a photo gallery is always a good starting point, as looking at different kitchen designs often brings up ideas you haven’t even thought of yet.

Browse Photos of Kitchen Designs for Inspiration and Collect Your Ideas

You can browse through photos of all kinds of kitchen styles, layouts and sizes on Houzz to get started before jumping into any design software or contacting a local professional for help. Here’s a few considerations to keep in mind when planning your kitchen.

1. What Makes a Good Kitchen Design, and Why is it Important?

For starters, you want to find a balance between aesthetics and function. You may have heard of the ‘kitchen work triangle’, which refers to the space between your fridge, sink and stove. You want everything within easy reach when you’re working in the kitchen and look beautiful at the same time. It’s a good idea to take note of both when browsing our photo gallery.

2. Consider Your Space to Determine Your Kitchen Layout

Firstly, consider the space you have, and the limitations that come with it. Do you have a small kitchen and need to maximise your workspace and storage? Can you allow yourself some more space and a big island with seating? Are you designing your kitchen from scratch or renovating an existing design? Which appliances do you already own and what are their measurements? Are there windows you need to take into consideration when planning cabinets? How do kitchen, living and dining areas connect? Depending on your space and needs, you want to use a shape that suits you. U, G, or L-shaped kitchen, with or without island or peninsula? Know your dimensions, plan cabinetry carefully and consider the placement of your appliances. You don’t want to end up with a finished design, only for your significant other to question where the fridge is supposed to go. Consider from the start where your fridge, oven, microwave and sink goes to save yourself from starting again from scratch - remember the kitchen work triangle! You also want to plan the layout of your cabinets. Maybe you’re planning for a pantry and can do with less storage space in your kitchen, so that your design can be one without upper or lower cabinets for a different look. A corner cabinet can be a smart storage solution if you want to keep the look clean and simple.

3. Decide on a Kitchen Style, But Don’t Forget Practicality

You want the style of your kitchen to reflect your personality and taste. We have curated a large array of kitchen styles here at Houzz, from traditional to contemporary to transitional and everything in between. Consider what your cooking style is for a start - Italy is known for its cuisine, so italian kitchen designs are generally popular. Also consider ergonomics - depending on how much time you spend in your kitchen, the height of your counters can make a big difference to your overall health. You also want to consider colour and finishes of cabinets, countertops and splashbacks. Which colour do you want your cupboards to be? Simple, timeless white or rather making a statement in black? Maybe rather a rustic wood? Also consider the colour of your floor - if you have dark floors, you may want to keep cabinets lighter. You could also go for an all-white look and choose black appliances for contrast. Once you know which style you fancy, don’t forget how you will be using the space. You want to keep cooking in mind, as well as how easy to clean and maintain the space will be. How many cooks do you need to accommodate? Do you have kids around? How much storage do you need? Maybe you want to go for open shelves rather than cabinets and allow for easy reach of key items you use when cooking. Again - remember the triangle! Lastly, choose lighting that both enhances the look of your kitchen as well as your cooking performance, providing light in all the right places.

4. Be Conscious of Your Budget

No matter what you plan for your kitchen design, cost is always a big factor. Be sure to plan with your budget in mind. It may make more sense to go for a modular kitchen design rather than custom build. You can save a lot of money if you get at least 3 estimates from professionals before locking in the job. And don’t forget to allow a 20% buffer for emergencies. Once you are ready to hire a pro, our directory will help you find one, no matter where you are. So whether you're looking for an Interior Designer in Melbourne or an Architect in Sydney, you can be sure to find a qualified expert for the job!