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.

Willow

Haus Residential

Modern l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, pink splashback, black appliances, with island, white benchtop, an undermount sink, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

Hambleton

Daniela Fulford Photography

Modern galley kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Periscope House

Mihaly Slocombe

Periscope House draws light into a young family’s home, adding thoughtful solutions and flexible spaces to 1950s Art Deco foundations. Our clients engaged us to undertake a considered extension to their character-rich home in Malvern East. They wanted to celebrate their home’s history while adapting it to the needs of their family, and future-proofing it for decades to come. The extension’s form meets with and continues the existing roofline, politely emerging at the rear of the house. The tones of the original white render and red brick are reflected in the extension, informing its white Colorbond exterior and selective pops of red throughout. Inside, the original home’s layout has been reimagined to better suit a growing family. Once closed-in formal dining and lounge rooms were converted into children’s bedrooms, supplementing the main bedroom and a versatile fourth room. Grouping these rooms together has created a subtle definition of zones: private spaces are nestled to the front, while the rear extension opens up to shared living areas. A tailored response to the site, the extension’s ground floor addresses the western back garden, and first floor (AKA the periscope) faces the northern sun. Sitting above the open plan living areas, the periscope is a mezzanine that nimbly sidesteps the harsh afternoon light synonymous with a western facing back yard. It features a solid wall to the west and a glass wall to the north, emulating the rotation of a periscope to draw gentle light into the extension. Beneath the mezzanine, the kitchen, dining, living and outdoor spaces effortlessly overlap. Also accessible via an informal back door for friends and family, this generous communal area provides our clients with the functionality, spatial cohesion and connection to the outdoors they were missing. Melding modern and heritage elements, Periscope House honours the history of our clients’ home while creating light-filled shared spaces – all through a periscopic lens that opens the home to the garden.

Kitchen | Project Coolum

desculpto

This kitchen design effortlessly marries reimagined traditional elements with a touch of postmodern flair, crafting a truly one-of-a-kind and personalized space. One cannot help but be drawn to the unique brushed brass rangehood, a true hero piece in this design. It not only adds a powerful stroke of creativity but also serves as a sturdy anchor, grounding the entire space with its commanding presence.

Wyndham Beach House

Sky Architect Studio

We created a practical, L-shaped kitchen layout with an island bench integrated into the “golden triangle” that reduces steps between sink, stovetop and refrigerator for efficient use of space and ergonomics. Instead of a splashback, windows are slotted in between the kitchen benchtop and overhead cupboards to allow natural light to enter the generous kitchen space. Overhead cupboards have been stretched to ceiling height to maximise storage space. Timber screening was installed on the kitchen ceiling and wrapped down to form a bookshelf in the living area, then linked to the timber flooring. This creates a continuous flow and draws attention from the living area to establish an ambience of natural warmth, creating a minimalist and elegant kitchen. The island benchtop is covered with extra large format porcelain tiles in a 'Calacatta' profile which are have the look of marble but are scratch and stain resistant. The 'crisp white' finish applied on the overhead cupboards blends well into the 'natural oak' look over the lower cupboards to balance the neutral timber floor colour.

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.

Function & Style: Modern Kitchen Redesign

Interiors by Popov

Inspiration for a small modern kitchen in Seattle with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and brown floor.

Glass House with Pool Views

Nathan Taylor for Obelisk Home

This is an example of a mid-sized modern galley kitchen pantry in Other with a farmhouse sink, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Bayadere Newport Beach

William Guidero Planning and Design

Mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Classic With a New Angle

Studio Dearborn

This expansive Victorian had tremendous historic charm but hadn’t seen a kitchen renovation since the 1950s. The homeowners wanted to take advantage of their views of the backyard and raised the roof and pushed the kitchen into the back of the house, where expansive windows could allow southern light into the kitchen all day. A warm historic gray/beige was chosen for the cabinetry, which was contrasted with character oak cabinetry on the appliance wall and bar in a modern chevron detail. Kitchen Design: Sarah Robertson, Studio Dearborn Architect: Ned Stoll, Interior finishes Tami Wassong Interiors

San Blas

Jula Cole Design

samantha goh
Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Sandalwood transitional

Jamestown Estate Homes

Expansive transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Houston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Beautiful Organized Minneapolis Pantry - California Closets

California Closets Southdale

California Closets custom pantry in Italian imported Linen finish from the Tesoro collection. Minneapolis home located in Linden Hills with built-in storage for fruits, vegetables, bulk purchases and overflow space. Baskets with canvas liners. Open drawers for cans and boxed goods. Open shelving and countertop space for larger appliances.

Great Hills Remodel

Kelley Design Group

Elegant midcentury kitchen with large island and butler's pantry.
Transitional l-shaped kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Seattle Contemporary Waterfront

H2 View

Open format kitchen includes gorgeous custom cabinets, a large underlit island with an induction cooktop and waterfall countertops. Full height slab backsplash and paneled appliances complete the sophisticated design.

Sherwood Eclectic Farmhouse

Northland Design & Build

Large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands and white benchtop.

Bright and Clean Mid Century Modern

SOLLiD Cabinetry

Shane Baker
Mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Minecraft House

Board & Vellum

Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and brown floor.

Classic With a New Angle

Studio Dearborn

Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets and Light 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!