The new large kitchen at Killara House by Nathan Gornall Design marries the warmth of timber with the robust, impressive visual appeal of stone slabs. Bringing brightness and gleam is an inlay of brass in the draw pulls of the custom joinery.

Borenore Nashdale House Island Bench

Source Architects

The existing house was poorly planned after a many renovations. The entry to the house was through a verandah that had previously been enclosed and the cottage had multiple unconnected living spaces with pour natural light and connection to the beautiful established gardens. With some simple internal changes the renovation allowed removal of the enclosed verandah and have the entry realigned to the central part of the house. Existing living areas where repurposed as sleeping spaces and a new living wing established to house a master bedroom and ensuite upstairs. The new living wing gives you an immediate sense of balance and calm as soon as you walk into the double-height living area. The new wing area beautifully captures filtered light on the north and west, allowing views of the established garden on all sides to enter the interior spaces.

Contemporary Kitchen

Large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, dark wood cabinets, limestone benchtops, with island and grey floor.

City Beach

Glenda Roff

Photo of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Perth with an integrated sink, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Frosted Sliding Door

diSalvo Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary kitchen in New York with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback, limestone floors and an undermount sink.

The Park House

Element Property Group

Peter Taylor
Large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, light wood cabinets, limestone benchtops, black appliances, marble floors, with island, white floor, grey benchtop and flat-panel cabinets.

Flip on Fontaine

Woodshapers

We completely demo'd kitchen, added french doors and back deck. Honed azul granite countertops.
Design ideas for a small contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, limestone benchtops, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, a peninsula, white floor and grey benchtop.

Loft 1 -Livingroom, Kitchen

S&L Associati - Studio Simone Speciale

Area cucina open. Mobili su disegno; top e isola in travertino. rivestimento frontale in rovere, sgabelli alti in velluto. Pavimento in parquet a spina francese

Redmond House

FINNE Architects

The Redmond Residence is located on a wooded hillside property about 20 miles east of Seattle. The 3.5-acre site has a quiet beauty, with large stands of fir and cedar. The house is a delicate structure of wood, steel, and glass perched on a stone plinth of Montana ledgestone. The stone plinth varies in height from 2-ft. on the uphill side to 15-ft. on the downhill side. The major elements of the house are a living pavilion and a long bedroom wing, separated by a glass entry space. The living pavilion is a dramatic space framed in steel with a “wood quilt” roof structure. A series of large north-facing clerestory windows create a soaring, 20-ft. high space, filled with natural light. The interior of the house is highly crafted with many custom-designed fabrications, including complex, laser-cut steel railings, hand-blown glass lighting, bronze sink stand, miniature cherry shingle walls, textured mahogany/glass front door, and a number of custom-designed furniture pieces such as the cherry bed in the master bedroom. The dining area features an 8-ft. long custom bentwood mahogany table with a blackened steel base. The house has many sustainable design features, such as the use of extensive clerestory windows to achieve natural lighting and cross ventilation, low VOC paints, linoleum flooring, 2x8 framing to achieve 42% higher insulation than conventional walls, cellulose insulation in lieu of fiberglass batts, radiant heating throughout the house, and natural stone exterior cladding.

Urban Retreat

GALUCHAT

A custom designed table base and cream leather upholstered chairs add character and style to the breakfast bar in this clean-lined, high gloss lacquer kitchen with subtle colour accents. Photos by Stefan Zander

Amoroso Design

glam, purple, backsplash
Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in San Francisco with mosaic tile splashback, white cabinets, black splashback, stainless steel appliances, limestone benchtops and shaker cabinets.

Apartment Interior, Berlin

John Wilson Design

Kitchen dining.
Photo of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in Berlin with medium wood cabinets, limestone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and an undermount sink.

Carmen & Emilio

Volta_

This is an example of a contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Alicante-Costa Blanca with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, limestone floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Kitchen Studio: KC

Kitchen Studio: Kansas City

The front display at our Kansas City showroom features dark pine veneer on a slab door with the signature SieMatic channel system, meaning no visible hardware! The 4cm and 8cm countertops are created from a rough Limestone. Photograph by Bob Greenspan

SieMatic Kitchens

Inplace Studio

SieMatic
Photo of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in San Diego with recessed-panel cabinets, stainless steel cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback and stone tile splashback.

Los Altos Hills Residence 2

Thompson Studio Architects

Photo of a contemporary open plan kitchen in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, an undermount sink, light wood cabinets and limestone benchtops.

Point Chev

Michael Cooper Architects

Mark Scowen
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Auckland with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Ordway

Eisenmann Architecture

This is an example of a large contemporary single-wall separate kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, limestone benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback and brown floor.

Contemporary Kitchen

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, blue cabinets, limestone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and light hardwood floors.

Hampton

Bask Interiors

Kitchen Photo Credit: Dylan Lark Aspect 11 Styling: Bask Interiors Builder: Hart Builders
This is an example of a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Melbourne with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, limestone benchtops, grey splashback, limestone splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen with Limestone Benchtops 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 Contemporary 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!