A kitchen that combines sleek modern design with natural warmth. This beautifully crafted space features a curved island as its centrepiece, creating a dynamic flow that enhances both functionality and aesthetics. The island is clad with elegant terrazzo stone adding a touch of contemporary charm. The combination of the Dulux Albeit-coloured joinery and the Milano oak wall cabinets creates a captivating interplay of colours and textures, elevating the visual impact of the kitchen.

Alphington

Jasmine McClelland Design

Warm earthy tones, organic mixed coloured Fibonacci stone benchtop and beige mosaic splashback tile from Academy tiles compliment the feature timber surrounds of this family kitchen.

Rose Bay House

D'Cruz Design Group

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, with island, a double-bowl sink, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and vaulted.

Leura - Farmer Doors with Natural Stone

Kitchen Envy - Custom Kitchens

Beautifully crafted doors from Farmer's doors. The benchtop is Blue Roma Brazilian Quartzite. This amazing natural stone takes centre stage in this Blue Mountains home. Nature knows no bounds with vibrant colours and unique patterns. The dark, moody shade of blue complements the rich texture of the flat panel cabinet doors and adds a contemporary look to a farmhouse style

WHISTLER STREET - KITCHEN + BUTLERS

Timpelle Kitchens

Stunning finishes including natural timber veneer, polyurethane & Caesarstone make for a professionally designed space. Opting for the contemporary V Groove cabinetry doors creates warmth & texture along with black accents to complete the look.

Ticked all the boxes

Collaroy Kitchen Centre

Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen pantry in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, laminate floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Sand Point House

Lane Williams Architects

Maple cabinets and marble counters in the kitchen, with porcelain tile backsplash. Custom seating in breakfast nook overlooking back yard.
Inspiration for a large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured benchtop, marble benchtops, metal splashback and brown floor.

Lakeside Guest House

Kate Maloney Interior Design

Michael J. Lee
This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in Portland Maine with white cabinets, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Boulder Canyon

Pruett & Co.

In this remodel we painted the existing perimeter cabinets a soft sea salt color and built a new island that included a cozy banquette that faces the gorgeous view of the Flatirons.

San Mateo Park Kitchen • Atelier Noël

Atelier Noël, Inc.

Design ideas for a contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Streathbourne Road

Ben Waterhouse Photography

Photo of a contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in London with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Scandi-Asian Fusion

Sola Kitchens

One wowee kitchen! Designed for a family with Sri-Lankan and Singaporean heritage, the brief for this project was to create a Scandi-Asian styled kitchen. The design features ‘Skog’ wall panelling, straw bar stools, open shelving, a sofia swing, a bar and an olive tree.

Cocina "Breathtaking View"

ABACUBE Interiorismo

Cocina alargada pero muy iluminada. Reforma completa de la cocina, abrimos la pared que separa con el salón para dar mayor funcionalidad al espacio, Electrodomésticos Siemens de alta gama y eficiencia energética. Muebles Santos y encimera Silestone.

nnu House

Studio Jayga Architects

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Essex with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, terrazzo benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, limestone floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Balmer Circle Kitchen Project

Neil Kelly Company

This home was worn out from family life and lacked the natural lighting the homeowners had desired for years. Removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room let the light pour in, and transformed the kitchen into an entertaining delight with seating/dining spaces at both ends. The breeze colored island stone backsplash tile (Pental Surfaces) is low maintenance and long-wearing, and pairs perfectly against the stained cherry contemporary cabinetry (Decor Cabinets). Quartz countertops were installed on the surround (Caesarstone) and island (a charcoal color with a suede finish was selected for the island to cut down on glare - Siletsone by Cosentino). Chilewich woven fabric applied to the back of the island adds durability and interest to a high-traffic area. The elevated, locally sourced Madrone bar (Sustainable NW Woods) at the end of the island—under a stunning "ribbon" pendant (Elan Lighting)—is a perfect spot to sip Sauvignon.

Starkman Residence

IntraBuild

Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Chatham, NJ home

Foxcraft Cabinets

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

OUDINOT - rénovation d'un appartement - 82m²

Quentin Sommervogel Architecture

Projet réalisé avec Concorde
Design ideas for a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, orange cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, orange floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Bac

NumeroA

Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Paris with flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Bold and Monochromatic Kitchen in Houston

Cantoni Irvine

From the street, it’s an impeccably designed English manor. Once inside, the best of that same storied architecture seamlessly meshes with modernism. This blend of styles was exactly the vibe three-decades-running Houston homebuilder Chris Sims, founder and CEO of Sims Luxury Builders, wanted to convey with the $5.2 million show-home in Houston’s coveted Tanglewood neighborhood. “Our goal was to uniquely combine classic and Old World with clean and modern in both the architectural design as well as the interior finishes,” Chris says. Their aesthetic inspiration is clearly evident in the 8,000-square-foot showcase home’s luxurious gourmet kitchen. It is an exercise in grey and white—and texture. To achieve their vision, the Sims turned to Cantoni. “We had a wonderful experience working with Cantoni several years ago on a client’s home, and were pleased to repeat that success on this project,” Chris says. Cantoni designer Amy McFall, who was tasked with designing the kitchen, promptly took to the home’s beauty. Situated on a half-acre corner lot with majestic oak trees, it boasts simplistic and elegant interiors that allow the detailed architecture to shine. The kitchen opens directly to the family room, which holds a brick wall, beamed ceilings, and a light-and-bright stone fireplace. The generous space overlooks the outdoor pool. With such a large area to work with, “we needed to give the kitchen its own, intimate feel,” Amy says. To that end, Amy integrated dark grey, high-gloss lacquer cabinetry from our Atelier Collection. by Aster Cucine with dark grey oak cabinetry, mixing finishes throughout to add depth and texture. Edginess came by way of custom, heavily veined Calacatta Viola marble on both the countertops and backsplash. The Sims team, meanwhile, insured the layout lent itself to minimalism. “With the inclusion of the scullery and butler’s pantry in the design, we were able to minimize the storage needed in the kitchen itself,” Chris says. “This allowed for the clean, minimalist cabinetry, giving us the creative freedom to go darker with the cabinet color and really make a bold statement in the home.” It was exactly the look they wanted—textural and interesting. “The juxtaposition of ultra-modern kitchen cabinetry and steel windows set against the textures of the wood floors, interior brick, and trim detailing throughout the downstairs provided a fresh take on blending classic and modern,” Chris says. “We’re thrilled with the result—it is showstopping.” They were equally thrilled with the design process. “Amy was incredibly responsive, helpful and knowledgeable,” Chris says. “It was a pleasure working with her and the entire Cantoni team.” Check out the kitchen featured in Modern Luxury Interiors Texas’ annual “Ode to Texas Real Estate” here.

Contemporary Kitchen with Multi-Coloured Benchtop 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!