Design ideas for a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, beige benchtop, vaulted and marble benchtops.

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.

Burrawang, Southern Highlands

Lime Building Group

Design ideas for a transitional u-shaped kitchen in Wollongong with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, grey benchtop and vaulted.

Kitchen with hand painted Glass panel doors

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

The Dunes

Renovation Angel Interior Design Noosa

VJ two pack kitchen featuring handmade spanish aged subway tiles. Miele appliances, integrated fridge, induction cooking. Designer handles, feature shelving for cookbooks and crockery. Distinctive pendant lighting, above an amazing breakfast bar feature in the hub of this home.

Mill Valley, CA

Urrutia Design

URRUTIA DESIGN Photography by Matt Sartain
Expansive transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, subway tile splashback, brown splashback, shaker cabinets, marble benchtops, an undermount sink, white benchtop, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and vaulted.

Class Act Modern Kitchen Renovation

Omorfia' Designs Inc

This modern kitchen update was a dream to work on. Every detail down to the lighting included inside the cabinets and drawers was well thought out executed by our team of designers, architects and builders. We are proud of the end result and more importantly our home owners are ecstatic and can't wait to spend every moment possible in their new mid century modern inspired kitchen.

Sonoran Scandi

K2 Signature Homes

Open concept kitchen with prep kitchen/butler's pantry. Integrated appliances.
Design ideas for a scandinavian open plan kitchen in Phoenix with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

Jet

Inside Stories

Black and white modern kitchen with rustic wood flooring. Grey and white printed backsplash with accordion open window.
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Denver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Project Dover Shores

Mark Design Co.

Photo of a mid-sized scandinavian l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Luxury Modern Comfort

Instyle Interiors

gray upholstered counter stools
Design ideas for a large modern eat-in kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Biddle Ranch

Studio 2G Architects

The interior fixture choices--white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, neutral toned backsplashes and a cornflower blue island keep the home grounded while still maintaining a touch of modern elegance. The clients large family will be pleased with the amount of space in both the great room and the refrigerator.

Modern Farmhouse Phase III - Interiors

Darci Reimund Designs

Large modern u-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

Black & White Kitchen with Accents of Gold

Amazing Spaces

The existing U-shaped kitchen was tucked away in a small corner while the dining table was swimming in a room much too large for its size. The client’s needs and the architecture of the home made it apparent that the perfect design solution for the home was to swap the spaces. The homeowners entertain frequently and wanted the new layout to accommodate a lot of counter seating, a bar/buffet for serving hors d’oeuvres, an island with prep sink, and all new appliances. They had a strong preference that the hood be a focal point and wanted to go beyond a typical white color scheme even though they wanted white cabinets. While moving the kitchen to the dining space gave us a generous amount of real estate to work with, two of the exterior walls are occupied with full-height glass creating a challenge how best to fulfill their wish list. We used one available wall for the needed tall appliances, taking advantage of its height to create the hood as a focal point. We opted for both a peninsula and island instead of one large island in order to maximize the seating requirements and create a barrier when entertaining so guests do not flow directly into the work area of the kitchen. This also made it possible to add a second sink as requested. Lastly, the peninsula sets up a well-defined path to the new dining room without feeling like you are walking through the kitchen. We used the remaining fourth wall for the bar/buffet. Black cabinetry adds strong contrast in several areas of the new kitchen. Wire mesh wall cabinet doors at the bar and gold accents on the hardware, light fixtures, faucets and furniture add further drama to the concept. The focal point is definitely the black hood, looking both dramatic and cohesive at the same time.

Glass House with Pool Views

Nathan Taylor for Obelisk Home

Inspiration for a large modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Kitchen Addition & Accessory Unit

Reliance Design Build

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, white benchtop and vaulted.

Clontarf kitchen

The Design Yard Dublin

Modern classic Hand painted In Frame shaker kitchen in Zoffany Gargoyle with Silestone Eternal Classic Calacatta quartz worktop. Finished with Copper sink and brass handles to complete the look.

niguel west mid-century modern

Moss Yaw Design studio

An open floor plan provides for functional living spaces and strong connections to outdoor spaces
Photo of a mid-sized l-shaped kitchen in Orange County with light hardwood floors, beige floor, vaulted, white cabinets and with island.

The Beam House

Tano Studio

Large modern open plan kitchen in Calgary with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, black benchtop and vaulted.

Scandinavian Farmhouse

Velin Homes

Designed by Pico Studios, this home in the St. Andrews neighbourhood of Calgary is a wonderful example of a modern Scandinavian farmhouse.
Design ideas for a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Calgary with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, black benchtop and vaulted.

Kitchen with Light Hardwood Floors and Vaulted 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!