How do you modernize modernism on a budget? This house had charming midcentury character and lots of potential but had been neglected for many years and was sorely in need of a refresh to bring it up to modern standards of comfort, finish, and sustainability. The tight budget dictated that it would not be a down-to-the-studs, gut remodel, but more of a surgical intervention. Built in 1955, the house had settled on the downhill side, making the floors slope almost 4” from the front to the back of the house. Using an innovative and inexpensive push-pile method, the foundation was reinforced and the house was jacked back up. It now sits solidly on bedrock and the floor is level to within a half-inch throughout. Inside, the original kitchen was worn and needed replacement. This presented an opportunity to remove the walls separating it from the living and dining area and create a wide-open great room with a peninsula counter for guests to gather and an almost continuous wall of windows to take in views of the hills, trees, and bay. Throughout the rest of the house, most finishes were restored, or replaced when necessary. Wood floors were refinished, and new cork flooring, a slightly less durable but much less expensive alternative to tile and similar materials, was used in all wet areas, with the added benefit of warmth and resiliency. The existing textured walls and ceilings were skim-coated smooth with plaster, dark beams painted white, and existing wood wall paneling in the living room was cleaned and color-matched where new pieces were required. All of the existing frameless, direct-glazed windows were replaced with double pane units, and a new floor-to-ceiling window on the south side of the living room provides a key source of natural light. In the bathrooms, existing tile and vanities were saved, and a strangely colored tub and sinks were re-glazed. Flooring, toilets, lighting, double medicine cabinets, and paint in each space make these mostly unaltered rooms feel new again. Sustainability and comfort upgrades include an induction range (step one of an eventual transition to full electrification), spray foam insulation under the floor, spray-in cellulose in the walls, and warm-dim LED lighting throughout on a simple whole-house control system. Combined with a modern thermostat, the house’s systems are all accessible via app from anywhere. And the most sustainable feature of all? What we didn’t do: tear it down and start over. In a country that demolishes a million homes a year- 1% of our residential housing stock- reusing an existing home is the greenest solution of all.

Leighton Gardens

Husk

The Leighton Gardens kitchen had two main requirements; to be environmentally conscious and budget friendly. Applying our Verde Comodoro fronts onto IKEA units ticked both of those boxes. Fenix is proud to be 100% carbon neutral in addition to all our timber being FSC certified. The kitchen is filled with natural sunlight, enhancing the warm copper tones against the dark green fenix. Fronts: Verde Comodoro with a ply edge Worktop: Neolith 12mm Retrostone

Contemporary Whole House Remodel

McCabe By Design LLC

Design ideas for a large contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, with island, ceramic splashback, brown floor, beige benchtop and vaulted.

A Tranquille Family Kitchen

Prestigious Home Design

This calm transitional kitchen helped bring the homeowner's ideas to life in an elegant way! This kitchen concept made it possible for homeowners to have a more organized and functional space to enjoy. The door-style cabinets are a lovely warm Ice Palisade from Candlelight, which stands out against the Cray shades quartz counters and backsplash. To learn more about prestigious Home Design Inc., Please check our website: https://prestigioushomedesign.com/

Mid-century Modern Kitchen Remodel for Lake House in Falls Church, VA

USA Cabinet Store Fairfax

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, a peninsula, beige floor, multi-coloured benchtop and vaulted.

Poppy's House

Northern Edge Studio

Poppy's House Kitchen
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury eat-in kitchen in Adelaide with white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, no island, brown floor, brown benchtop and timber.

1970's Kitchen

Cummings Studio Architects

Contemporary reinterpretation of a 1970's kitchen for a re-fit of our own 1970's house.
Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped kitchen pantry in Other with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, no island, grey benchtop and exposed beam.

上田のシェルター

野口修＋DAT／都市環境研究室

キッチンとキッチンテーブル
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Other with an integrated sink, beaded inset cabinets, grey cabinets, terrazzo benchtops, brown splashback, shiplap splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and timber.

Treehouse Kitchen

Henderer Design + Build

Nestled in the trees of NW Corvallis, this custom kitchen design is one of a kind! This treehouse design features quartz countertops and tile backsplash with contrasting custom painted cabinetry. Open shelving in maple and stainless steel appliances complete the look.

Pietra, Ice and Sable styles kitchen

Gilasi

Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, recycled glass benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and vaulted.

A Tranquille Family Kitchen

Prestigious Home Design

Kitchen with Polytec French Stone Matt Benchtops

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, laminate benchtops, orange splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, a peninsula, brown floor, white benchtop and timber.

Mid-century Modern Kitchen Remodel for Lake House in Falls Church, VA

USA Cabinet Store Fairfax

Mid-sized midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, a peninsula, beige floor, multi-coloured benchtop and vaulted.

Treehouse Kitchen

Henderer Design + Build

Rougemont Farmhouse

Arielle C. Schechter, AIA

The kitchen has a generous prep counter and easy access to the public spaces and a breakfast deck to the south.
Small modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in Raleigh with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Contemporary NW Kitchen

McCabe By Design LLC

Corner sink to the right of the sink and across from the prep station is convenient for washing fruits and vegetables, filling pasta pots (and draining cooked pasta) as well as washing hands. The aluminum door inset panels are Italian silk embedded in Lucite. Stainless steel cabinet handles were fabricated by a local metal artist.

Muswell Hill N10

Anderson Design Solutions

Open plan kitchen diner. Space to move arround
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, granite splashback, white appliances, cork floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop and coffered.

Bangert Residence

Anthonie Alexander LLC

Vibrant remodeled kitchen using sustainable materials such as cork flooring, bamboo cabinetry, and concrete benchtop.
Large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, concrete benchtops, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, brown floor, black benchtop and wood.

Downtown Naples Condo

Cutting Edge Construction & Woodworks, Inc.

The old screened-in lanai was enclosed with impact-rated sliding glass window walls, and the floor elevated to match the interior to become a great perch above the streets of old Naples

キッチン

さいとう建築工房

Inspiration for a large single-wall separate kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, blue cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, blue splashback, glass sheet splashback, cork floors, no island, brown floor, brown benchtop, flat-panel cabinets and wood.

All Ceiling Designs Kitchen with Cork Floors 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!