Open-plan Concept | Contemporary Living, Dining & Bathroom

This sleek modern kitchen features NAVurban “Clifton Hill” doors, panels and floating shelves with a stunning LED aluminum extrusion. The rich flooring used to create warmth throughout the home was Colchester Smooth / European Oak. A butlers pantry added for the ultimate use of space.

The Grove

Minchew Construction

Expansive beach style u-shaped open plan kitchen in Miami with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Old Colony

Off Park Interiors

This is an example of a transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orlando with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Rice University - New Home Construction

Edwards Interiors and Design, LLC

Transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Commercial Photography for Kenny's Tile

Picture KC

Samantha Ward - Picture KC
Design ideas for a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Kansas City with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Richland Kitchen

Hermitage Kitchen Gallery LLC

Designer: Terri Sears Photography: Melissa M. Mills
Photo of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Contemporary Whole Home Renovation, Addition and Underpin in The Beach

Alair Homes Forest Hill

Transitional galley kitchen in Toronto with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Contemporary Shaker

ARTEZIA European Cabinetry | Design Studio

The classic Miton Talia line in Oak, reimagined for 2019.
Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, black appliances, concrete floors, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Our Work

GV Construction Inc.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, matchstick tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, beige floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Marshall ct

Art & Stone Group

Design ideas for a transitional galley kitchen pantry in Ottawa with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Pull out pantry

Improva

This is an example of a large modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, black floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Global Kitchen

Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Kitchens

Universal Marble & Granite, LLC

Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean u-shaped separate kitchen in Charleston with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, beige splashback, travertine splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Crystal Cove Newport Coast

Interiors By Patrick

Photo of a large mediterranean single-wall eat-in kitchen in Orange County with recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop, exposed beam and stainless steel appliances.

Handleless Shaker Kitchen

Sustainable Kitchens

Full of elegance and charm, this Old Vicarage sits in rural Somerset. A complete renovation set around a picturesque parish church. The handleless Shaker doors brings a modern aesthetic to the timeless Georgian property. With a brief to create a functional and flowing space, keeping the perimeter cabinets low with a tall double larder and fridge freezer surrounding the door passage keeps the space open for busy family life.

Cabin On The Lake

Studio McGee

This is an example of a mid-sized u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Salt Lake City with green cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, light hardwood floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Monroe Place, Brooklyn Heights

Ingui Architecture

Inspiration for a transitional galley eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and coffered.

Bold and Monochromatic Kitchen in Houston

Cantoni Irvine

From the street, it’s an impeccably designed English manor. Once inside, the best of that same storied architecture seamlessly meshes with modernism. This blend of styles was exactly the vibe three-decades-running Houston homebuilder Chris Sims, founder and CEO of Sims Luxury Builders, wanted to convey with the $5.2 million show-home in Houston’s coveted Tanglewood neighborhood. “Our goal was to uniquely combine classic and Old World with clean and modern in both the architectural design as well as the interior finishes,” Chris says. Their aesthetic inspiration is clearly evident in the 8,000-square-foot showcase home’s luxurious gourmet kitchen. It is an exercise in grey and white—and texture. To achieve their vision, the Sims turned to Cantoni. “We had a wonderful experience working with Cantoni several years ago on a client’s home, and were pleased to repeat that success on this project,” Chris says. Cantoni designer Amy McFall, who was tasked with designing the kitchen, promptly took to the home’s beauty. Situated on a half-acre corner lot with majestic oak trees, it boasts simplistic and elegant interiors that allow the detailed architecture to shine. The kitchen opens directly to the family room, which holds a brick wall, beamed ceilings, and a light-and-bright stone fireplace. The generous space overlooks the outdoor pool. With such a large area to work with, “we needed to give the kitchen its own, intimate feel,” Amy says. To that end, Amy integrated dark grey, high-gloss lacquer cabinetry from our Atelier Collection. by Aster Cucine with dark grey oak cabinetry, mixing finishes throughout to add depth and texture. Edginess came by way of custom, heavily veined Calacatta Viola marble on both the countertops and backsplash. The Sims team, meanwhile, insured the layout lent itself to minimalism. “With the inclusion of the scullery and butler’s pantry in the design, we were able to minimize the storage needed in the kitchen itself,” Chris says. “This allowed for the clean, minimalist cabinetry, giving us the creative freedom to go darker with the cabinet color and really make a bold statement in the home.” It was exactly the look they wanted—textural and interesting. “The juxtaposition of ultra-modern kitchen cabinetry and steel windows set against the textures of the wood floors, interior brick, and trim detailing throughout the downstairs provided a fresh take on blending classic and modern,” Chris says. “We’re thrilled with the result—it is showstopping.” They were equally thrilled with the design process. “Amy was incredibly responsive, helpful and knowledgeable,” Chris says. “It was a pleasure working with her and the entire Cantoni team.” Check out the kitchen featured in Modern Luxury Interiors Texas’ annual “Ode to Texas Real Estate” here.

Details Up Close

The Place for Kitchens and Baths

Design ideas for a small contemporary single-wall separate kitchen in Miami with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Client Calgary Soho

Elle Peters Design

Photo by Jamie Anholt
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional galley open plan kitchen in Calgary with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Kitchen with Marble Benchtops and Multi-Coloured Benchtop 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!