Photo of a large contemporary galley separate kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, no island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Modern Estate Home

Kylie Sargent

Design ideas for a contemporary separate kitchen in Geelong with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Bellevue Contemporary

Kimberlee Marie Interiors

Our clients wanted to modernize their 1980's home, focusing on reimagining the main floor. We used warm palettes, natural elements, and clean lines while maximizing natural light and preserving key architectural features to create a welcoming, functional space. We completely reimagined the kitchen to enhance flow and gain additional cabinet space. Features include a center island with bar stools that also doubles as a casual dining area, a functional layout, and ample storage.

White shaker kitchen

TG Kitchen

Small contemporary galley separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, painted wood floors, no island and white benchtop.

Sims Hilditch, Radlett Family Home

Sims Hilditch

Polly Eltes
Photo of a large contemporary separate kitchen in Gloucestershire with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Hampton Collection 8-Light 32" Polished Chrome Chandelier with Clear Smooth Oyst

We Got Lites

The Hampton Collection offers fashion forward designs with soft crystal accents. The Silver Silk Shimmer shade along with the chrome finish allows this collection to fit any transitional to contemporary room. Measurements and Information: Width: 32" Height: 26" adjustable to 122" overall Includes 8' Chain Supplied with 10' electrical wire Shade: 32" Diameter x 11" High Approximate hanging weight: 18 pounds Finish: Polished Chrome Clear Smooth Oysters Shade Material: Silk 8 Lights Accommodates 8 x 60 watt (max.) candelabra base bulbs Safety Rating: UL and CUL listed

Aménagement d'un 95m² à Clichy

POËSIS STUDIO

La cuisine, lieu de partage et de convivialité, se métamorphose. Une banquette, douce par ses courbes et accueillante par son revêtement en chêne massif, se niche près de la fenêtre. C’est là que la table de salle à manger trouvera sa place.

The Waterside Inn

Snug Kitchens

We incorporated an area for Chef Instructor Michael Nizzaro to work on occasion. To maintain a clean aesthetic and safeguard the privacy of Michael's desk area, we installed large double bi-fold cabinetry around the workspace.

West Hollywood Condo

popix designs

Small kitchen with open shelving.
Design ideas for a small contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Tiffany Blue Kitchen Renovation

Henrietta Heisler Interiors Inc

The objective of this luxury kitchen renovation was to transform a 30-year-old, closed off kitchen into a brighter, more contemporary working triangle with excellent storage space. We worked closely with our clients to create a plan for better flow and a more sophisticated ambiance for entertaining. For this renovation we added an island to an open floor plan, utilized luxury appliance, and added direct access to the outdoor patio space resulting in a stunning transformation that exceeded or clients’ expectations.

Agencement conseil cuisine : green is the new black

Fil Rouge Decoration

La rénovation de cette cuisine a été travaillée en tenant compte des envies de mes clients et des différentes contraintes techniques. La cuisine devait rester fonctionnelle et agréable mais aussi apporter un maximum de rangement bien qu'il ne fût pas possible de placer des caissons en zone haute.

"Малиновый сорбет"

Анастасия Уфимцева

Зона кухни в проекте квартиры типовой серии дома П-44. Вид на рабочую зону.
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall separate kitchen in Moscow with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, solid surface benchtops, brown splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, no island, beige floor and brown benchtop.

Purley - Contemporary Bespoke Kitchen in a Georgian Home

Simon Taylor Furniture

Simon Taylor Furniture was commissioned to design a contemporary kitchen and dining space in a Grade II listed Georgian property in Berkshire. Formerly a stately home dating back to 1800, the property had been previously converted into luxury apartments. The owners, a couple with three children, live in the ground floor flat, which has retained its original features throughout. When the property was originally converted, the ground floor drawing room salon had been reconfigured to become the kitchen and the owners wanted to use the same enclosed space, but to bring the look of the room completely up to date as a new contemporary kitchen diner. In direct contrast to the ornate cornicing in the original ceiling, the owners also wanted the new space to have a state of the art industrial style, reminiscent of a professional restaurant kitchen. The challenge for Simon Taylor Furniture was to create a truly sleek kitchen design whilst softening the look of the overall space to both complement the older aspects of the room and to be a comfortable family dining area. For this, they combined three essential materials: brushed stainless steel and glass with stained ask for the accents and also the main dining area. Simon Taylor Furniture designed and manufactured all the tall kitchen cabinetry that houses dry goods and integrated cooling models including an wine climate cabinet, all with brushed stainless steel fronts and handles with either steel or glass-fronted top boxes. To keep the perfect perspective with the four metre high ceiling, these were designed as three metre structures and are all top lit with LED lighting. Overhead cabinets are also brushed steel with glass fronts and all feature LED strip lighting within the interiors. LED spotlighting is used at the base of the overhead cupboards above both the sink and cooking runs. Base units all feature steel fronted doors and drawers, and all have stainless steel handles as well. Between two original floor to ceiling windows to the left of the room is a specially built tall steel double door dresser cabinet with pocket doors at the central section that fold back into recesses to reveal a fully stocked bar and a concealed flatscreen TV. At the centre of the room is a long steel island with a Topus Concrete worktop by Caesarstone; a work surface with a double pencil edge that is featured throughout the kitchen. The island is attached to L-shaped bench seating with pilasters in stained ash for the dining area to complement a bespoke freestanding stained ash dining table, also designed and made by Simon Taylor Furniture. Along the industrial style cooking run, surrounded by stained ash undercounter base cabinets are a range of cooking appliances by Gaggenau. These include a 40cm domino gas hob and a further 40cm domino gas wok which surround a 60cm induction hob with a downdraft extractors. To the left of the surface cooking area is a tall bank of two 76cm Vario ovens in stainless steel and glass. An additional integrated microwave with matching glass-fronted warming drawer by Miele is installed under counter within the island run. Facing the door from the hallway and positioned centrally between the tall steel cabinets is the sink run featuring a stainless steel undermount sink by 1810 Company and a tap by Grohe with an integrated dishwasher by Miele in the units beneath. Directly above is an antique mirror splashback beneath to reflect the natural light in the room, and above that is a stained ash overhead cupboard to accommodate all glasses and stemware. This features four stained glass panels designed by Simon Taylor Furniture, which are inspired by the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany from the Art Nouveau period. The owners wanted the stunning panels to be a feature of the room when they are backlit at night.

Contemporary Kitchen Design Ideas

Everingham Design

Design ideas for a small contemporary l-shaped separate kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite benchtops, black appliances, light hardwood floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

Barrows Road

Joy Street Design

This classic Tudor home in Oakland was given a modern makeover with an interplay of soft and vibrant color, bold patterns, and sleek furniture. The classic woodwork and built-ins of the original house were maintained to add a gorgeous contrast to the modern decor. Designed by Oakland interior design studio Joy Street Design. Serving Alameda, Berkeley, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Piedmont, and San Francisco. For more about Joy Street Design, click here: https://www.joystreetdesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.joystreetdesign.com/portfolio/oakland-tudor-home-renovation

Keeping The View At Bay

Morrison Interiors

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped separate kitchen in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, grey benchtop, marble benchtops and light hardwood floors.

Condo Renovation

Scott Arthur Millwork & Cabinetry Ltd

Walnut accented kitchen with floating shelves and walnut panelled ceilings.
Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped separate kitchen in Edmonton with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Customer Kitchen in Dublin

Kube Kitchens

Kube Feel kitchen in Sahara Soft Matt paired with a Metal door in Grey Steel on the island and side units which is a perfect compliment to the Dekton Trilium worktop. The entire kitchen is handless, Matrix Art with a stainless steel track. The island has two surface levels and tapers at the hob end to follow the unique line of the new extension. It features book matched mitred gables on both ends. There is an area for three kitchen stools, and at the narrower end, there is a bookcase which is custom designed and built with matching Kube Metal cladding. The sink includes a Quooker instant boiling water tap. There is a Falmec ceiling mounted extractor called Nuvola which blends seamlessly into the dropped ceiling. We completed the kitchen with appliances from Neff and Liebherr.

Lake Norman

Lauren Nicole Designs

Design ideas for a contemporary l-shaped separate kitchen in Charlotte with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, an undermount sink, quartzite benchtops and subway tile splashback.

Finished Kitchen

Parker & Company

This is an example of a small contemporary galley separate kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Contemporary Separate 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!