Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Geelong with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, with island, white benchtop, wood and grey floor.

Bayview House

Aatos Design

Light-filled kitchen and dining.
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, mosaic tile splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, grey splashback, beige floor, grey benchtop and wood.

Nob Hill - A Luxury San Francisco Penthouse

Alden Miller Interiors

Contemporary l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and wood.

Кухня со столовой группой

LSD Bureau

Кухня строгая, просторная, монолитная. Множество систем для хранения: глубокие и узкие полочки, открытые и закрытые. Здесь предусмотрено все. Отделка натуральным шпоном дуба (шпон совпадает со шпоном на потолке и на стенах – хотя это разные производители. Есть и открытая часть с варочной панелью – пустая стена с отделкой плиткой под Терраццо и островная вытяжка. Мы стремились добиться максимальной легкости, сохранив функциональность и не минимизируя места для хранения.

Ocean Terrace

Carte Blanche Studio

Design ideas for an expansive contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, with island, a double-bowl sink, marble benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, grey floor, grey benchtop and wood.

Tonal Harmony Kitchen Detail

Drewett Works

With adjacent neighbors within a fairly dense section of Paradise Valley, Arizona, C.P. Drewett sought to provide a tranquil retreat for a new-to-the-Valley surgeon and his family who were seeking the modernism they loved though had never lived in. With a goal of consuming all possible site lines and views while maintaining autonomy, a portion of the house — including the entry, office, and master bedroom wing — is subterranean. This subterranean nature of the home provides interior grandeur for guests but offers a welcoming and humble approach, fully satisfying the clients requests. While the lot has an east-west orientation, the home was designed to capture mainly north and south light which is more desirable and soothing. The architecture’s interior loftiness is created with overlapping, undulating planes of plaster, glass, and steel. The woven nature of horizontal planes throughout the living spaces provides an uplifting sense, inviting a symphony of light to enter the space. The more voluminous public spaces are comprised of stone-clad massing elements which convert into a desert pavilion embracing the outdoor spaces. Every room opens to exterior spaces providing a dramatic embrace of home to natural environment. Grand Award winner for Best Interior Design of a Custom Home The material palette began with a rich, tonal, large-format Quartzite stone cladding. The stone’s tones gaveforth the rest of the material palette including a champagne-colored metal fascia, a tonal stucco system, and ceilings clad with hemlock, a tight-grained but softer wood that was tonally perfect with the rest of the materials. The interior case goods and wood-wrapped openings further contribute to the tonal harmony of architecture and materials. Grand Award Winner for Best Indoor Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home This award-winning project was recognized at the 2020 Gold Nugget Awards with two Grand Awards, one for Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home, and another for Best Interior Design of a One of a Kind or Custom Home. At the 2020 Design Excellence Awards and Gala presented by ASID AZ North, Ownby Design received five awards for Tonal Harmony. The project was recognized for 1st place – Bathroom; 3rd place – Furniture; 1st place – Kitchen; 1st place – Outdoor Living; and 2nd place – Residence over 6,000 square ft. Congratulations to Claire Ownby, Kalysha Manzo, and the entire Ownby Design team. Tonal Harmony was also featured on the cover of the July/August 2020 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design and received a 14-page editorial feature entitled “A Place in the Sun” within the magazine.

Organic Modern, Cordillera Ranch

NR Interiors

We furnished this Kitchen and Breakfast nook to provide the homeowner with stylish easy care leather seating. The streamlined style of furniture is to compliment the modern architecture and Kitchen designed by Lake Flato Architects.

House at Leeside Farm Circular Kitchen

Studio Hillier

This is an example of a large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black splashback, with island, solid surface benchtops, stone tile splashback, black appliances, marble floors, grey floor and wood.

Wildwood - Kitchen

Giulietti Schouten Weber Architects

Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and wood.

Wainscott Residence

SKOLNICK Architecture & Design Partnership

Kitchen
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in New York with with island, a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor and wood.

Molesey Park Road

Concept 8 Architects

kitchen
Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Surrey with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, white benchtop and wood.

Hudson Lookout

kimberly peck architect

Contemporary galley kitchen in New York with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, brown benchtop and wood.

Cadenza

Jim Schmid Photography

Photo of a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Charlotte with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and wood.

Bright and Open Kitchen

Adriatic Construction

Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop, wood, an undermount sink and panelled appliances.

Cliff House

Flavin Architects

Devereux Beach House Our client presented Flavin Architects with a unique challenge. On a site that previously hosted two houses, our client asked us to design a modestly sized house and separate art studio. Both structures reduce the height and bulk of the original buildings. The modern concrete house we designed is situated on the brow of a steep cliff overlooking Marblehead harbor. The concrete visually anchors the house to stone outcroppings on the property, and the low profile ensures the structure doesn’t conflict with the surround of traditional, gabled homes. Three primary concrete walls run north to south in parallel, forming the structural walls of the home. The entry sequence is carefully considered. The front door is hidden from view from the street. An entry path leads to an intimate courtyard, from which the front door is first visible. Upon entering, the visitor gets the first glimpse of the sea, framed by a portal of cast-in-place concrete. The kitchen, living, and dining space have a soaring 10-foot ceiling creating an especially spacious sense of interiority. A cantilevered deck runs the length of the living room, with a solid railing providing privacy from beach below. Where the house grows from a single to a two-story structure, the concrete walls rise magisterially to the full height of the building. The exterior concrete walls are accented with zinc gutters and downspouts, and wooden Ipe slats which softly filter light through the windows.

Contemporary Kitchen

Nina Williams Interiors

We updated this kitchen by adding large 48x48 concrete look porcelain tile, and a mix of three cabinet finishes. The island has a waterfall edge and is mitered to be 3" thick. A soffit above the island echoes the high gloss wood trim around the cabinetry.

Wildwood - Kitchen

Giulietti Schouten Weber Architects

Contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and wood.

Mike's Hammock

Josh Wynne Construction

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to match the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who cannot live tiny, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design Assistance Jimmy Thornton

Modern kitchen pantry in Pismo Beach

Schaefer Custom Homes

Photo of a large contemporary kitchen pantry in San Luis Obispo with a single-bowl sink, brown cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, granite splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, beige floor, beige benchtop and wood.

Кухня со столовой группой

LSD Bureau

Contemporary Kitchen with Wood 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!