Practical and durable but retaining warmth and texture as the hub of the family home.Rear works benches are stainless steel providing durable work surfaces while the timber island provides warmth when sitting around with a cuppa! The darker colours with timber accented shelves creates a recessive quality with earth and texture. Shelves used to highlight ceramic collections used daily.

Contemporary Australian Cabin Kitchen

Element Design Studio

A modern Australian design with finishes that change over time. Connecting the bushland to the home with colour and texture.
This is an example of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Perth with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, grey benchtop and vaulted.

Glebe Kitchen - Front

Matter Design & Make Pty Ltd

Our client approached Matter in late 2019 for a new kitchen. While the existing kitchen had a reasonable layout and some great features, the cupboards weren’t optimising the space to its full potential, particularly for storage. Noting that the old kitchen aged very quickly, our client wanted the new kitchen to be constructed entirely from plywood—liking the appearance and strength of the material. They also loved vibrant use of colour and suggested we look at the kitchens featured in films by the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar for inspiration. The result was a playful mix of hand painted navy, light blue and retro orange in combination with a ‘raw’ effect from the birch plywood. To save on cost and waste, we decided to keep certain components of the kitchen that have remained in very good condition. Some of these included the stainless steel bench tops and oven/range hood stack, as well as a polished concrete island bench top. We replaced most of the cupboards with drawer units specifically tailored to fit our client's extensive collection of cookware and appliances with adjustable partitions. An integrated Hideaway rubbish bin free’s up circulation space and a Kesseböhmer pull-out pantry will ensure no bottle of spice is ever lost to the back of a cupboard again.

Balmain Terrace House

Annie Bowen Design

Ease of entertaining was key for the owners, so maximising the home’s formal rooms, designing a kitchen for large-scale cooking and creating outdoor spaces to gather are much-loved additions.

North Beach

Western Cabinets

This is an example of a mid-sized industrial galley eat-in kitchen in Perth with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, grey splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Flinders , Sailors Whisk

Mermaid Bay Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, distressed cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, shiplap splashback, coloured appliances, light hardwood floors, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Modern Farmhouse-Upstate

Crisp Architects

Smooth Concrete counter tops with pendant lighting. Photographer: Rob Karosis
Design ideas for a large country kitchen in New York with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Bozeman Farmhouse

North Fork Builders of Montana, Inc.

Locati Architects, LongViews Studio
Inspiration for a large country l-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Telluride Cabin

Artisan Builders LLC

Inspiration for a mid-sized country u-shaped separate kitchen in Denver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop, distressed cabinets, concrete benchtops, brown splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances and exposed beam.

Traditional family kitchen

Improva

Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Bloomer Rustic

Lampert Lumber

This is an example of a mid-sized country open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, with island, an undermount sink, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, grey benchtop, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

West London Kitchen and Living Room

Uncommon Projects Ltd

Bespoke Uncommon Projects plywood kitchen. Oak veneered ply carcasses, stainless steel worktops on the base units and Wolf, Sub-zero and Bora appliances. Island with built in wine fridge, pan and larder storage, topped with a bespoke cantilevered concrete worktop breakfast bar. Photos by Jocelyn Low

Modern Kitchen

Angela Inzerillo Design, LLC

Inspiration for a modern u-shaped kitchen in New York with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, grey floor and grey benchtop.

10th Street Renovation

West End Interiors

Kitchen Renovation, concrete countertops, herringbone slate flooring, and open shelving over the sink make the space cozy and functional. Handmade mosaic behind the sink that adds character to the home.

Mike + Samantha's Kitchen and Bathroom

Encircle Design and Build

Michelle Ruber
Design ideas for a small modern separate kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, linoleum floors and no island.

Walters Renovation

Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry

Gridley+Graves Photographers
This is an example of a mid-sized country single-wall eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, concrete benchtops, panelled appliances, brick floors, with island, red floor and grey benchtop.

Isle of Palms Modern Cottage Kitchen

Phillip Smith General Contractor, LLC

Photo by: Warren Lieb
Photo of a country kitchen in Charleston with stainless steel benchtops, white appliances and recessed-panel cabinets.

Pleasanton Custom Home

Ridgecrest Designs

Kitchen featuring white oak lower cabinetry, white painted upper cabinetry with blue accent cabinetry, including the island. Custom steel hood fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Custom wood beam light fixture fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Steel mesh cabinet panels, brass and bronze hardware, La Cornue French range, concrete island countertop and engineered quartz perimeter countertop. The 10' AG Millworks doors open out onto the California Room.

Modern Farmhouse-Upstate

Crisp Architects

Big bright kitchen with concrete countertops and a lot of windows. Photographer: Rob Karosis
Photo of a large country kitchen in New York with with island, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, an undermount sink and grey benchtop.

NoMad Apartment Renovation (Apartment combination)

Eric Soltan Architectural & Interiors Photography

Photo credit: Eric Soltan - www.ericsoltan.com
Design ideas for a large contemporary kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen with Stainless Steel Benchtops and Concrete Benchtops 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!