Vertical grain cherry cabinets and cream-colored quartz countertops.

Photography by Dale Lang
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Holton Street

Paper House Project

Set within the Carlton Square Conservation Area in East London, this two-storey end of terrace period property suffered from a lack of natural light, low ceiling heights and a disconnection to the garden at the rear. The clients preference for an industrial aesthetic along with an assortment of antique fixtures and fittings acquired over many years were an integral factor whilst forming the brief. Steel windows and polished concrete feature heavily, allowing the enlarged living area to be visually connected to the garden with internal floor finishes continuing externally. Floor to ceiling glazing combined with large skylights help define areas for cooking, eating and reading whilst maintaining a flexible open plan space. This simple yet detailed project located within a prominent Conservation Area required a considered design approach, with a reduced palette of materials carefully selected in response to the existing building and it’s context. Photographer: Simon Maxwell

Zen Beach House

Allen Construction

Architect: Moseley McGrath Designs General Contractor: Allen Construction Photographer: Jim Bartsch Photography
Large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Waterfront House

from [in] form, LLC

Nat Rea
Photo of a contemporary galley kitchen in Providence with distressed cabinets, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and a peninsula.

Modern Cottage

Christina Pahl Interiors

Veronica Weber
Design ideas for a contemporary open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, no island, quartzite benchtops, white splashback and concrete floors.

Küche

cornehl | atelier für architektur

Wolfgang Egberts Fotografie
Inspiration for a large contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Hamburg with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors and a peninsula.

Contemporary Mountain Home

Shapes & Forms Architects, Inc.

Ian Whitehead Photographer
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Phoenix with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Casa Vitelli

Ossigeno. Architetti nello Spazio

Photo of a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances and concrete floors.

Austin

Sterling Brook Custom Homes

Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Dallas with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, black splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Kitchen

ODS Architecture

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

Martin House

bg architecture

Shannon McGrath
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

The Projector House

Cultivation Design

Photo by Carolyn Bates
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Burlington with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, laminate benchtops, timber splashback, coloured appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Taylor Creek Ranch

Upside Development

Upside Development completed an contemporary architectural transformation in Taylor Creek Ranch. Evolving from the belief that a beautiful home is more than just a very large home, this 1940’s bungalow was meticulously redesigned to entertain its next life. It's contemporary architecture is defined by the beautiful play of wood, brick, metal and stone elements. The flow interchanges all around the house between the dark black contrast of brick pillars and the live dynamic grain of the Canadian cedar facade. The multi level roof structure and wrapping canopies create the airy gloom similar to its neighbouring ravine.

A Light-Filled Social bulthaup B3 Kitchen

Hobsons Choice

Given that the social aspect of the kitchen was so important, an ‘L’ shaped bar seating area in natural walnut veneer was incorporated at the garden end of the island to a) maximise natural light and views of the garden and b) to be used as a staging area for the summer months when eating/socialising outside. The walnut bar both references the tall cabinet material, and provides a warm, tactile surface for sitting at as well as differentiating kitchen workspace with social space. Darren Chung

Mazama House

FINNE Architects

Benjamin Benschneider
Design ideas for a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, medium wood cabinets, glass benchtops, glass tile splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Zen's House

Zugai Strudwick Architects

Kitchen with concrete floors & island bench, lime green splashback. Plumbing for upstairs bathroom concealed in drop ceiling to kitchen. Clever idea that lets you make the rest of the room higher - only the bit where the plumbing needs to go is lower - also makes the kitchen look great with feature lighting.

Oak + Ocean

Steadfast Joinery

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen pantry in Dunedin with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

MILAN

atelier daaa

Photo : Romain Ricard
Large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Residential home Yackandandah

Alatalo Bros

A modern take on a farmhouse kitchen in regional yackandandah area. Green in many shades is especially trending in 2021 and the traditional style cabinets are popular with modern additions

Kelsey Rd

J.T. Design Eye

This is an example of a contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen with Concrete Floors 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!