Grand Designs Transformations Australia - Jan 18th 2023

Natural earthy warm tones creating a inviting living space
Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, pink splashback, mosaic tile splashback, black appliances, with island, brown floor and pink benchtop.

Sylvania

Clinton Built Pty Ltd

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, white cabinets, granite benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, laminate floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen

Design ideas for a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, beige benchtop, vaulted and marble benchtops.

GEELONG 06

Ed Ewers Architecture

Photo of a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Geelong with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, blue splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Coburg Frieze

Mihaly Slocombe

Coburg Frieze is a purified design that questions what’s really needed. The interwar property was transformed into a long-term family home that celebrates lifestyle and connection to the owners’ much-loved garden. Prioritising quality over quantity, the crafted extension adds just 25sqm of meticulously considered space to our clients’ home, honouring Dieter Rams’ enduring philosophy of “less, but better”. We reprogrammed the original floorplan to marry each room with its best functional match – allowing an enhanced flow of the home, while liberating budget for the extension’s shared spaces. Though modestly proportioned, the new communal areas are smoothly functional, rich in materiality, and tailored to our clients’ passions. Shielding the house’s rear from harsh western sun, a covered deck creates a protected threshold space to encourage outdoor play and interaction with the garden. This charming home is big on the little things; creating considered spaces that have a positive effect on daily life.

Fairfield House

CRiSP GREEN HOMES

This contemporary light filled kitchen is the heart of this home. The induction V-Zug cooktop sits on top of a gorgeous marble counter. The fridge is hidden behind sleek v-groove joinery, with the butlers pantry and desk tucked away behind. Designed by the clever Heartly crew, joinery crafted by Evolve Interiors.

Dual Occupancy: Brighton East townhouses

First Avenue Homes

Mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Well Tempered House

Green Sheep Collective

Tempering light, heat, privacy and security by way of a dynamic facade, this Well Tempered House offers an energy efficient response to a narrow inner-Melbourne site. The renovation and extension has created a healthy, thermally comfortable home that takes advantage of its position on a north-facing laneway to enhance the lifestyles of our clients, a couple of young professionals. With the thoughtful combination of a naturally heated thermal mass slab, a high level of insulation, adjustable shading, natural light and cross-ventilation, this beautiful home will maintain a comfortable temperature with minimal energy consumption year in, year out.

Scandinavian White Kitchen with Fluted Paneling

Western Cabinets

Large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Perth with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Hindley & Co - Kitchen Joinery

Hindley & Co Architecture & Interior Design

A secret door leads to a laundry and powder room under the stair
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen | Project Coolum

desculpto

This kitchen design effortlessly marries reimagined traditional elements with a touch of postmodern flair, crafting a truly one-of-a-kind and personalized space. One cannot help but be drawn to the unique brushed brass rangehood, a true hero piece in this design. It not only adds a powerful stroke of creativity but also serves as a sturdy anchor, grounding the entire space with its commanding presence.

Cremorne Kitchen

Kaiko Design Interiors

Referencing the art deco period in which the apartment was build, a curved range hood finished in linear kit kat Japanese tiles forms the focal point of the kitchen. Light timber laminate for full height joinery with dark grey / charcoal ultra matte laminate for below bench cupboards and drawers. Quartzite bench tops in a leathered finish.

Wheelers Hill home

Jasmine McClelland Design

Green vertical tiles and feature round lights and a sneak peak of the walk in pantry.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, green splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and black benchtop.

Modern Kitchen with Connection to Loft

Wexhaus Studio

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, black benchtop and vaulted.

Teneriffe Kitchen & Living Area Project

New Leaf Design Studios

A bold and contemporary kitchen with extension of cabinetry into the living area creates a seemless look for this high end inner city apartment.
This is an example of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, ceramic floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

City Beach Residence II

Retreat Design

Inspiration for a large contemporary galley kitchen in Perth with black cabinets, granite benchtops, with island, black benchtop, flat-panel cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Ferndale Cottage

Kitty Lee Architecture

Inspiration for a small contemporary open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, medium wood cabinets, terrazzo benchtops, pink splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and pink benchtop.

Kitchen

Drift Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Wollongong with an undermount sink, grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Ferrymans Project

Lynda MacDonald Interior Design

Contemporary galley kitchen in Gold Coast - Tweed with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Evergreen

The Glade Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, orange cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, with island, beige floor and beige benchtop.

All Backsplash Materials Contemporary 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 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!