Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige benchtop and brown floor.

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.

Palm Beach

Blackburne Designs

Open kitchen, dining, living
Inspiration for a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Gold Coast - Tweed with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Wallan Dwelling

Dawes Design & Drafting Group

Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen with Bronzed Mirror Splashbacks

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

This is an example of a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and beige benchtop.

TOWNHOUSE LUXURY IN DULWICH/RESIDANCE 2

Claridge Construction

Design ideas for a large modern galley eat-in kitchen in Adelaide with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, red splashback, brick splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Lisa Valley Close

DMC Kitchens & Joinery

Photo of a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, black splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and exposed beam.

December highlights photography 2022

Real Property Photography | Sunshine Coast South

This is an example of a contemporary galley kitchen in Sunshine Coast with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, mirror splashback, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Granard Ave - Kitchen

Peter Gionfriddo Architect

Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, mirror splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Ticked all the boxes

Collaroy Kitchen Centre

Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen pantry in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, laminate floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Light & Bright Modern Home

SOLLiD Cabinetry

Design: Hartford House Design & Build PC: Nick Sorensen
Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor and white benchtop.

Expansive Traditional in Scarsdale

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

For this project, the entire kitchen was designed around the “must-have” Lacanche range in the stunning French Blue with brass trim. That was the client’s dream and everything had to be built to complement it. Bilotta senior designer, Randy O’Kane, CKD worked with Paul Benowitz and Dipti Shah of Benowitz Shah Architects to contemporize the kitchen while staying true to the original house which was designed in 1928 by regionally noted architect Franklin P. Hammond. The clients purchased the home over two years ago from the original owner. While the house has a magnificent architectural presence from the street, the basic systems, appointments, and most importantly, the layout and flow were inappropriately suited to contemporary living. The new plan removed an outdated screened porch at the rear which was replaced with the new family room and moved the kitchen from a dark corner in the front of the house to the center. The visual connection from the kitchen through the family room is dramatic and gives direct access to the rear yard and patio. It was important that the island separating the kitchen from the family room have ample space to the left and right to facilitate traffic patterns, and interaction among family members. Hence vertical kitchen elements were placed primarily on existing interior walls. The cabinetry used was Bilotta’s private label, the Bilotta Collection – they selected beautiful, dramatic, yet subdued finishes for the meticulously handcrafted cabinetry. The double islands allow for the busy family to have a space for everything – the island closer to the range has seating and makes a perfect space for doing homework or crafts, or having breakfast or snacks. The second island has ample space for storage and books and acts as a staging area from the kitchen to the dinner table. The kitchen perimeter and both islands are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Paper White. The wall cabinets flanking the sink have wire mesh fronts in a statuary bronze – the insides of these cabinets are painted blue to match the range. The breakfast room cabinetry is Benjamin Moore’s Lampblack with the interiors of the glass cabinets painted in Paper White to match the kitchen. All countertops are Vermont White Quartzite from Eastern Stone. The backsplash is Artistic Tile’s Kyoto White and Kyoto Steel. The fireclay apron-front main sink is from Rohl while the smaller prep sink is from Linkasink. All faucets are from Waterstone in their antique pewter finish. The brass hardware is from Armac Martin and the pendants above the center island are from Circa Lighting. The appliances, aside from the range, are a mix of Sub-Zero, Thermador and Bosch with panels on everything.

Daniel Island Drive

Delpino Custom Homes

Photography by Patrick Brickman
Design ideas for an expansive country open plan kitchen in Charleston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and white benchtop.

French Country Estate

O’Hara Interiors

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design & Photo Styling | John Kraemer & Sons, Builder | Charlie & Co. Design, Architectural Designer | Corey Gaffer, Photography Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

Wide Open Spaces

Design Harmony

Cory Holland
Transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Seattle with open cabinets, white cabinets, brick splashback, light hardwood floors, no island and beige floor.

Open Plan Kitchen

scw/d studio

Transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, beige splashback, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Classic Contemporary Victorian Family Home

Humphrey Munson

When the homeowners purchased this Victorian family home, they immediately set about planning the extension that would create a more viable space for an open plan kitchen, dining and living area. Approximately two years later their dream home is now finished. The extension was designed off the original kitchen and has a large roof lantern that sits directly above the main kitchen and soft seating area beyond. French windows open out onto the garden which is perfect for the summer months. This is truly a classic contemporary space that feels so calm and collected when you walk in – the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of modern family living. Carefully zoning the kitchen, dining and living areas was the key to the success of this project and it works perfectly. The classic Lacanche range cooker is housed in a false chimney that is designed to suit the proportion and scale of the room perfectly. The Lacanche oven is the 100cm Cluny model with two large ovens – one static and one dual function static / convection with a classic 5 burner gas hob. Finished in stainless steel with a brass trim, this classic French oven looks completely at home in this Humphrey Munson kitchen. The main prep area is on the island positioned directly in front of the main cooking run, with a prep sink handily located to the left hand side. There is seating for three at the island with a breakfast bar at the opposite end to the prep sink which is conveniently located near to the banquette dining area. Delineated from the prep area by the natural wooden worktop finished in Portobello oak (the same accent wood used throughout the kitchen), the breakfast bar is a great spot for serving drinks to friends before dinner or for the children to have their meals at breakfast time and after school. The sink run is on the other side of the L shape in this kitchen and it has open artisan shelves above for storing everyday items like glassware and tableware. Either side of the sink is an integrated Miele dishwasher and a pull out Eurocargo bin to make clearing away dishes really easy. The use of open shelving here really helps the space to feel open and calm and there is a curved countertop cupboard in the corner providing space for storing teas, coffees and biscuits so that everything is to hand when making hot drinks. The Fisher & Paykel fridge freezer has Nickleby cabinetry surrounding it with space above for storing cookbooks but there is also another under-counter fridge in the island for additional cold food storage. The cook’s pantry provides masses of storage for dry ingredients as well as housing the freestanding microwave which is always a fantastic option when you want to keep integrated appliances to a minimum in order to maximise storage space in the main kitchen. Hardware throughout this kitchen is antique brass – this is a living finish that weathers with use over time. The glass globe pendant lighting above the island was designed by us and has antique brass hardware too. The flooring is Babington limestone tumbled which has bags of character thanks to the natural fissures within the stone and creates the perfect flooring choice for this classic contemporary kitchen. Photo Credit: Paul Craig

Oak Knoll

Hudson Construction Group

Design ideas for a country l-shaped kitchen in Dallas with grey cabinets, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop and recessed-panel cabinets.

Cottesloe Home

Western Cabinets

Joel Barbitta D-Max Photography
Photo of a large scandinavian single-wall open plan kitchen in Perth with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, mirror splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, a double-bowl sink, tile benchtops, metallic splashback, brown floor and white benchtop.

Country Retreat

Keith Allen-Custom Builder

Photo of a country l-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen with Mirror Splashback and Brick Splashback 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!