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.

North Balgowlah Kitchen & Bathroom

Northern Beaches Kitchens and Bathrooms

Large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, quartzite benchtops, stone slab splashback, with island, brown floor, vaulted, white cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and beige benchtop.

Windswept Beach Home

Asher Slaunwhite + Partners

Large kitchen with island and vaulted ceiling.
This is an example of an expansive beach style eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, beige splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige benchtop and vaulted.

A Scottsdale Residence Contemporary Remodel

Affordable Chic

This is an example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Portmarnock Project

JEArchitecture

Kitchen Dining Island
Inspiration for a mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Dublin with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, laminate floors, with island, grey floor, beige benchtop and vaulted.

Cashmere Gloss Handle-less kitchen

Arlington Interiors

Neutral but BOLD This bungalow renovation really shows off the beautiful vaulted ceiling details. Whilst the kitchen is very neutral, the client has brought it to life with pops of Bold colour around the whole room. The kitchen is a German Handle-less kitchen. Cashmere Gloss fronts with Trilium Dekton worktops. The design features a tall bank of Siemens StudioLine appliances and a 2in1 induction downdraft extractor on the island.

Vermont Kitchen

A. Lee Interior Design

Mid-sized transitional u-shaped kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, vaulted, beige splashback, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Traditional Large Island Kitchen Remodel

Classic Home Improvements

This large kitchen remodel expansion included removing a wall to create a larger space and added vaulted ceiling to make this room even more spacious. This kitchen was once an enclosed u-shape kitchen and now with the added space a large island was added and a wall of cabinets for additional space. Gorgeous granite was installed along with Thermador stainless steel appliances. Scott Basile, Basile Photography. www.choosechi.com

mid-century modern kitchen

Neil Kelly Company

Modern materials were chosen to fit the existing style of the home. Mahogany cabinets topped with Caesarstone countertops in Nougat and Raven were accented by 24×24-inch recycled porcelain tile with 1-inch glass penny round decos. Elsewhere in the kitchen, quality appliances were re-used. The oven was located in its original brick wall location. The microwave convection oven was located neatly under the island countertop. A tall pull out pantry was included to the left of the refrigerator. The island became the focus of the design. It provided the main food prep and cooking area, and helped direct traffic through the space, keeping guests comfortable on one side and cooks on the other. Large porcelain tiles clad the back side of the island to protect the surface from feet on stools and accent the surrounding surfaces.

California Adobe

2B Design, LLC

California early Adobe, opened up and contemporized. Full of light and easy neutral tones and natural surfaces. Indoor, Outdoor living created and enjoyed by family.

Midwest Modern

Kitchens by Eileen

Design ideas for a kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and vaulted.

Twin Peaks House

Mihaly Slocombe

Twin Peaks House is a vibrant extension to a grand Edwardian homestead in Kensington. Originally built in 1913 for a wealthy family of butchers, when the surrounding landscape was pasture from horizon to horizon, the homestead endured as its acreage was carved up and subdivided into smaller terrace allotments. Our clients discovered the property decades ago during long walks around their neighbourhood, promising themselves that they would buy it should the opportunity ever arise. Many years later the opportunity did arise, and our clients made the leap. Not long after, they commissioned us to update the home for their family of five. They asked us to replace the pokey rear end of the house, shabbily renovated in the 1980s, with a generous extension that matched the scale of the original home and its voluminous garden. Our design intervention extends the massing of the original gable-roofed house towards the back garden, accommodating kids’ bedrooms, living areas downstairs and main bedroom suite tucked away upstairs gabled volume to the east earns the project its name, duplicating the main roof pitch at a smaller scale and housing dining, kitchen, laundry and informal entry. This arrangement of rooms supports our clients’ busy lifestyles with zones of communal and individual living, places to be together and places to be alone. The living area pivots around the kitchen island, positioned carefully to entice our clients' energetic teenaged boys with the aroma of cooking. A sculpted deck runs the length of the garden elevation, facing swimming pool, borrowed landscape and the sun. A first-floor hideout attached to the main bedroom floats above, vertical screening providing prospect and refuge. Neither quite indoors nor out, these spaces act as threshold between both, protected from the rain and flexibly dimensioned for either entertaining or retreat. Galvanised steel continuously wraps the exterior of the extension, distilling the decorative heritage of the original’s walls, roofs and gables into two cohesive volumes. The masculinity in this form-making is balanced by a light-filled, feminine interior. Its material palette of pale timbers and pastel shades are set against a textured white backdrop, with 2400mm high datum adding a human scale to the raked ceilings. Celebrating the tension between these design moves is a dramatic, top-lit 7m high void that slices through the centre of the house. Another type of threshold, the void bridges the old and the new, the private and the public, the formal and the informal. It acts as a clear spatial marker for each of these transitions and a living relic of the home’s long history.

Warm Post-Modern

Karen Berkemeyer Home

Design ideas for an expansive beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, beige splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, beige benchtop and vaulted.

The Dunes Club - Wildwood Dunes

CRG Companies

Large l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, travertine splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop and vaulted.

East Bay Modern Rustic

Patti Ogden Design

Large traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, coloured appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, black benchtop and vaulted.

Canmore Residence - Entry, Kitchen, Living Room

Uniik Design

Photo of a mid-sized modern galley eat-in kitchen in Calgary with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop and vaulted.

A Masterpiece in Powell

Infinity Construction, llc.

Perfect kitchen to cook and entertain
Design ideas for a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Kitchens

Deffenbaugh Homes

Photo of a large u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and vaulted.

San Mateo Black And White Farm Kitchen

LA Architectural Visualization

Design ideas for a large country kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, brown floor, beige benchtop and vaulted.

Fallen Leaf Rd, South Lake Tahoe, California

K. Donavan

Inspiration for a country u-shaped kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, beige splashback, timber splashback, concrete floors, with island, grey floor, grey benchtop, vaulted and wood.

Kitchen with Beige Splashback and Vaulted 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 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!