In our Contemporary Bellevue Residence we wanted the aesthetic to be clean and bright. This is a similar plan to our Victoria Crest home with a few changes and different design elements. Areas of focus; large open kitchen with waterfall countertops and awning upper flat panel cabinets, elevator, interior and exterior fireplaces, floating flat panel vanities in bathrooms, home theater room, large master suite and rooftop deck. Photo Credit: Layne Freedle

Modern Farmhouse Rebuild

Douglah Designs

This Lafayette, California, modern farmhouse is all about laid-back luxury. Designed for warmth and comfort, the home invites a sense of ease, transforming it into a welcoming haven for family gatherings and events. In this elegant kitchen, a spacious island adorned with exquisite lighting offers both functionality and style. Ample storage seamlessly merges with a classic white and wood palette, creating a timeless culinary haven for gatherings. Project by Douglah Designs. Their Lafayette-based design-build studio serves San Francisco's East Bay areas, including Orinda, Moraga, Walnut Creek, Danville, Alamo Oaks, Diablo, Dublin, Pleasanton, Berkeley, Oakland, and Piedmont. For more about Douglah Designs, click here: http://douglahdesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://douglahdesigns.com/featured-portfolio/lafayette-modern-farmhouse-rebuild/

Fairway Tudor Transformation

Architectural Craftsmen

This is an example of a large traditional kitchen in Kansas City with glass-front cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, black benchtop and exposed beam.

Newport Home - Morning Room/Kitchen/Great Room

AR Homes | Nashville

Morning Room/Kitchen/Great Room of Newport Home.
Photo of an expansive contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and recessed.

Olympic Hills Second Story Addition

Model Remodel

All black kitchen sink with black sink, charcoal soapstone countertop and black stone herringbone tile. © Cindy Apple Photography
This is an example of a contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Lower Hay Lake 5

Lands End Development - Designers & Builders

Large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Chamblee Mid Century Modern

Susie Mae Design

Inspiration for a midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, blue splashback, white appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island and white benchtop.

Mid-Century Raised Ranch Remodel

The Artisans Group, Inc.

Winner of the 2018 Tour of Homes Best Remodel, this whole house re-design of a 1963 Bennet & Johnson mid-century raised ranch home is a beautiful example of the magic we can weave through the application of more sustainable modern design principles to existing spaces. We worked closely with our client on extensive updates to create a modernized MCM gem. Extensive alterations include: - a completely redesigned floor plan to promote a more intuitive flow throughout - vaulted the ceilings over the great room to create an amazing entrance and feeling of inspired openness - redesigned entry and driveway to be more inviting and welcoming as well as to experientially set the mid-century modern stage - the removal of a visually disruptive load bearing central wall and chimney system that formerly partitioned the homes’ entry, dining, kitchen and living rooms from each other - added clerestory windows above the new kitchen to accentuate the new vaulted ceiling line and create a greater visual continuation of indoor to outdoor space - drastically increased the access to natural light by increasing window sizes and opening up the floor plan - placed natural wood elements throughout to provide a calming palette and cohesive Pacific Northwest feel - incorporated Universal Design principles to make the home Aging In Place ready with wide hallways and accessible spaces, including single-floor living if needed - moved and completely redesigned the stairway to work for the home’s occupants and be a part of the cohesive design aesthetic - mixed custom tile layouts with more traditional tiling to create fun and playful visual experiences - custom designed and sourced MCM specific elements such as the entry screen, cabinetry and lighting - development of the downstairs for potential future use by an assisted living caretaker - energy efficiency upgrades seamlessly woven in with much improved insulation, ductless mini splits and solar gain

The Highgate Kitchen

Naked Kitchens

Tim Doyle
This is an example of a large contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in London with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

House of Three Courtyards

Winn Wittman Architecture A.I.A.

Modern linear kitchen is lit by natural light coming in via a clerestory window above the cabinetry.
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, quartz benchtops, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, a drop-in sink, ceramic splashback, beige benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

Past Projects

TNS Enterprises, Inc.

Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, travertine splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Peers

Sierra Pacific Windows

Whitney Kamman Photography | Centre Sky Architecture
Photo of a country l-shaped kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

West Coast Modern

Jarrod Smart Construction

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Our Projects

Evans Contracting, Inc.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, brown splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Tap House, Canton, Baltimore, MD

GriD architects

Paul Burk Photography
Mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in Baltimore with dark wood cabinets, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, granite benchtops, brown splashback, glass tile splashback, panelled appliances and with island.

Mid Century in Lake Forest Park

Alex Crook Photography

Photography by Alex Crook www.alexcrook.com
Small midcentury galley eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island and yellow floor.

Pantry Storage

Tailored Living of the Main Line

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary kitchen pantry in Philadelphia with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Waterstone Show Suites

Cara Interiors

Inspiration for a small transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Vancouver with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Spruceleigh Remodel 2

Deffenbaugh Homes

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, brown splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Chicago South Loop Kitchen Remodeling

Chi Renovation & Design

We gave these clients plenty of storage space in their open kitchen by installing a large linen closet with a built-in pantry as well as extra large cabinets. We also wanted to give their home a modern and trendy look, so for a contrast to the bright and airy design, we installed dark stained cabinets. Our clients were extremely happy with the end result as well as our ability to work around their busy schedules. Home located in South Loop, Chicago. Designed by Chi Renovation & Design who also serve the Chicagoland area and it's surrounding suburbs, with an emphasis on the North Side and North Shore. You'll find their work from the Loop through Lincoln Park, Evanston, Skokie, Humboldt Park, Wilmette, and all the way up to Lake Forest. For more about Chi Renovation & Design, click here: https://www.chirenovation.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.chirenovation.com/portfolio/south-loop-kitchen-renovation/

Kitchen with Dark Wood Cabinets and Medium Hardwood 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!