Malvern East Kitchen renovation Photography - Suzi Appel Photography
Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, white cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, terra-cotta splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Hill House

Kaiko Design Interiors

Kitchen design - Navy base cabinets with timber cabinets above. Black met arch with polished Venetian plaster finish. Handmade tiles to splash back . Curved island bench with wicker counter stools. Hardwood floor.

Bohème Chic

Anne Chemineau - Decor Interieur

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, beaded inset cabinets, green cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, terra-cotta splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Pasteur

Pamela Martin

Mid-sized contemporary open plan kitchen in Paris with beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, terra-cotta splashback, panelled appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island, white floor and white benchtop.

The 1977 Contemporary

Twelve Chairs Interiors

Photo: Joyelle West
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with blue cabinets, terra-cotta splashback, with island, an undermount sink, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, quartz benchtops, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and raised-panel cabinets.

narrow shotgun house

Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects LLC

Jon Miller Hedrich Blessing
Design ideas for a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Chicago with recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, a double-bowl sink, granite benchtops, green splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and terra-cotta splashback.

Triton Residence

FoxLin Architects

View of kitchen and diner booth from great room. Photo: Juintow Lin
Photo of a large contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in San Diego with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors and with island.

Gold Coast Condo Renovation

Elizabeth Stamos Design

This project was a complete gut renovation of our client's gold coast condo in Chicago, IL. We opened up and renovated the kitchen, living dining room, entry and master bathroom

Mother's Suite

Rick & Cindy Black Architects

custom reclaimed pine shelves on hidden steel brackets Fireclay Tile - color 'Jade' Silestone Blanco City countertops Schoolhouse Electric Alabax pendants IKEA cabinets Leonid Furmansky Photography

Chappaqua Eclectic

Elizabeth Strianese Interiors LLC

Rather than cutting off the lighter part of the wood as is typically done, we used the sapwood of walnut as a natural design element in the custom kitchen cabinets. Brass hardware, and a detail that shows off beautiful dovetail joinery both highlight the beauty of the wood. Photography by Meredith Heuer

Rénovation d'une maison de ville à Boulogne Billancourt

Olivier Stadler Architecte

Cuisine Ikea avec Zelliges au mur et plan de travail en hêtre. Au sol des planche de coffrages vernies Louise Desrosiers
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with a farmhouse sink, black cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, terra-cotta splashback, light hardwood floors, no island and stainless steel appliances.

Rénovation cuisine et RDC d'une maison avec agrandissement dans mur porteur

ADORA Rénovation

Changement de la cuisine : sol, meubles et crédence Installation d'une verrière
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Paris with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, pink splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, blue floor and beige benchtop.

Rénovation totale pour un magnifique appartement du 18ème !

Mon Concept Habitation

Stéphane Vasco
Inspiration for a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, black splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island, multi-coloured floor, brown benchtop, terra-cotta splashback and cement tiles.

Paris Montorgueil

Anne Rista

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, black cabinets, granite benchtops, green splashback, terra-cotta splashback, black appliances and black benchtop.

Rt 108 Kitchen

ALC CONTRACTORS LLC

Mid-sized contemporary kitchen in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, granite benchtops, yellow splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors and with island.

Un intérieur doux et intemporel - Projet Iena

Mon Concept Habitation

Après plusieurs visites d'appartement, nos clients décident d'orienter leurs recherches vers un bien à rénover afin de pouvoir personnaliser leur futur foyer. Leur premier achat va se porter sur ce charmant 80 m2 situé au cœur de Paris. Souhaitant créer un bien intemporel, ils travaillent avec nos architectes sur des couleurs nudes, terracota et des touches boisées. Le blanc est également au RDV afin d'accentuer la luminosité de l'appartement qui est sur cour. La cuisine a fait l'objet d'une optimisation pour obtenir une profondeur de 60cm et installer ainsi sur toute la longueur et la hauteur les rangements nécessaires pour être ultra-fonctionnelle. Elle se ferme par une élégante porte art déco dessinée par les architectes. Dans les chambres, les rangements se multiplient ! Nous avons cloisonné des portes inutiles qui sont changées en bibliothèque; dans la suite parentale, nos experts ont créé une tête de lit sur-mesure et ajusté un dressing Ikea qui s'élève à présent jusqu'au plafond. Bien qu'intemporel, ce bien n'en est pas moins singulier. A titre d'exemple, la salle de bain qui est un clin d'œil aux lavabos d'école ou encore le salon et son mur tapissé de petites feuilles dorées.

Terracota

Archi Design

De nouveaux espaces ont été créés, sans l'aide de cloisons mais par des décrochages de plafond qui marque ainsi l'espace cuisine. La suspension aérienne signée La petite friture marque l'espace salle à manger. Photographe : Olivier Warter

Fairfield Kitchen Diner

neil design

The kitchen in this 50s era cottage, was always small, but this thoughtful renovation has maximised the storage and style. In a dramatic black and white scheme, the new kitchen has had a huge increase in benchspace, storage and function.

Mid-Century Ranch Kitchen Renovation Before and After

Karen @into my window

We love our coffee area by the sink. Open shelves provide function as well as visual openness.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary galley separate kitchen in Columbus with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances and linoleum floors.

Modern Clarksville Home

Mosier Luxury Homes

Inspiration for a large contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, grey benchtop and recessed.

Contemporary Kitchen with Terra-cotta Splashback 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!