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.

Pi_Pad

Mcmahon and Nerlich

Light filled kitchen and dining space, with bespoke dining table and featuring Australian artists.
Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, glass sheet splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Caputuring Craftsman

Creative Design Construction, Inc.

Embracing an authentic Craftsman-styled kitchen was one of the primary objectives for these New Jersey clients. They envisioned bending traditional hand-craftsmanship and modern amenities into a chef inspired kitchen. The woodwork in adjacent rooms help to facilitate a vision for this space to create a free-flowing open concept for family and friends to enjoy. This kitchen takes inspiration from nature and its color palette is dominated by neutral and earth tones. Traditionally characterized with strong deep colors, the simplistic cherry cabinetry allows for straight, clean lines throughout the space. A green subway tile backsplash and granite countertops help to tie in additional earth tones and allow for the natural wood to be prominently displayed. The rugged character of the perimeter is seamlessly tied into the center island. Featuring chef inspired appliances, the island incorporates a cherry butchers block to provide additional prep space and seating for family and friends. The free-standing stainless-steel hood helps to transform this Craftsman-style kitchen into a 21st century treasure.

Gray and White Kitchen Cabinets with Clay Tile Backsplash

Orren Pickell Building Group

Large gray center island with raised-panel doors topped in 3cm Taj Mahal Quartzite. Backsplash is Transceramica French Clay, 4" x 12", in Automne Glossy.

Hulls House

Create Perfect

Mid-sized country separate kitchen in Gloucestershire with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartzite benchtops, green splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Homey Kitchen- Kingsville

Bearded Builders, Baltimore

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Fitchburg, WI Condo - Kitchen Remodel

DC Interiors & Renovations

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Napa Valley Vineyard Home

Miyuki Yamaguchi Design Studio

This is an example of an expansive country l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Farmhouse Views

Artisans of Devizes

This Jersey farmhouse, with sea views and rolling landscapes has been lovingly extended and renovated by Todhunter Earle who wanted to retain the character and atmosphere of the original building. The result is full of charm and features Randolph Limestone with bespoke elements. Photographer: Ray Main

The Victorian Kitchen & Dining Room with the Yellow Ceiling

Making Spaces

https://blog.making-spaces.net/2021/10/07/the-victorian-kitchen-dining-room-the-one-with-the-yellow-ceiling/

Modern Northwoods Residence Kitchen

Amy Carman Design

Rift-sawn white oak cabinetry, a custom black metal hood, stone backsplash, and an island seating five. Symmetry and simplicity create a stunning modern kitchen.

Forest Hills Mid-Century Remodel

The Kingston Group - Remodeling Specialists

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop, vaulted and brown floor.

Ellins Project

GROUND UP CONSTRUCTING

GROUND UP CONSTRUCTING
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Lebanon, TN Custom Home

Noble Johnson Architects

Photography: Garett + Carrie Buell of Studiobuell/ studiobuell.com
Photo of a large transitional galley open plan kitchen in Nashville with medium hardwood floors, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, green splashback, multiple islands, white benchtop and brown floor.

S. Minneapolis Kitchen

Prima Construction

A kitchen build that uses the green and brown to make a cozy atmosphere!

Del Ray Sears Bungalow

WINN Design+Build

Stacy Zarin-Goldberg
Mid-sized arts and crafts single-wall open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, glass tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

The Sea Glass Home

CarsonSpeer Builders

This is an example of a beach style l-shaped kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, green splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen

COASTAL CABINETS

Transitional galley kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, green splashback, mosaic tile splashback, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Dovercourt

Wanda Ely Architect Inc.

The kitchen is laid out to be comfortable for two people to cook simultaneously. A wide gas range is integrated in the island with a discreet downdraft hood.

Detroit Street Kitchen Renovation

TVL Creative Ltd.

There’s nothing as wonderful as walking into a mid-century gem with clients who love the character of their new home. Our goal for this project was to incorporate the mid-century bones of this home into a new design that would better meet the contemporary needs of our clients. We started by taking down the walls that had separated this kitchen from the rest of the home and creating a welcoming space that blended seamlessly with the new open concept. The new kitchen design was a win for our clients with increased storage, more work surfaces, and a peninsula with plenty of seating. We utilized wood finishes through out this space with light wood flooring, medium-tones on the cabinetry, and darker wood accents throughout giving us a beautiful balance and a calm backdrop. This home had beautiful horizontal lines that we wanted to accentuate, so we selected a dark wood finish for the central beam and tied it in with the dark finish on the wood fireplace mantel and the stair handrail to emphasize the horizontal features. But we never miss an opportunity for a fun mid-century pop, and this home provided plenty of inspiration! The boomerang hardware on the cabinets and escher backsplash tiles give us great geometric elements to break up the clean lines of the rest of the space. One of our favorite features of this home was the original plaster ceilings with the custom hand troweled texture. We knew from the beginning that this was an element we wanted to maintain and accentuate, so when we opened up the kitchen and added recessed lighting we reached out to a local plaster artisan to carry the texture throughout the space, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. This design brings together the mid-century aesthetics of clean lines and fun patterns with the modern-day functionality our clients were looking for in their new kitchen.

Kitchen with Green Splashback and Brown Floor 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!