Design ideas for a transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Rose Bay House

D'Cruz Design Group

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, with island, a double-bowl sink, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and vaulted.

Beverley

Stuart Osman

Contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Gold Coast - Tweed with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Elegant Queenslander | Clayfield

Designtank

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, flat-panel cabinets and white benchtop.

St Thomas St, Clovelly

Hatch Constructions Group

Photo of a large modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Weather House

Mihaly Slocombe

Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Bonaventure

Lindon Homes Pty Ltd

Modern Galley Kitchen.
Photo of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, glass sheet splashback, black appliances, porcelain floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Malvern East Kitchen

Studio Esar

Malvern East Kitchen renovation Photography - Suzi Appel Photography
Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, white cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, terra-cotta splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Fairfield House

CRiSP GREEN HOMES

This contemporary light filled kitchen is the heart of this home. The induction V-Zug cooktop sits on top of a gorgeous marble counter. The fridge is hidden behind sleek v-groove joinery, with the butlers pantry and desk tucked away behind. Designed by the clever Heartly crew, joinery crafted by Evolve Interiors.

Brighton: Renovation & Extension

First Avenue Homes

Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, black cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Wiley Park

Alamay Constructions Pty Ltd

Part of a massive open planned area which includes Dinning, Lounge,Kitchen and butlers pantry. Polished concrete through out with exposed steel and Timber beams.

Apartment Joinery in Essen (Germany)

Haus Designs

Beautiful Joinery concept in an apartment in Essen (Germany)
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley separate kitchen in Melbourne with a drop-in sink, beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and wallpaper.

Kitchen with Dolomite splash back and benchtops

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Dee Why | Mid-Century Renovation

NXN Interiors

Design ideas for a large midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, window splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

New Build Transitional Style Kitchen

Svelte Kitchens

This kitchen was a perfect blend of modern and traditional. Shaker doors contrasting with modern fixtures gave the space the timeless elegance the client wanted.

Kitchen

Order & Grace

Photo of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with white cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, ceramic floors, beige floor, grey benchtop, flat-panel cabinets and a peninsula.

Lurline Bay House I Part 2

D'Cruz Design Group

Photo of a large contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, glass sheet splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and exposed beam.

Essendon - Deco House

Dean Dyson Architects

The translucent like quality of the marble island bench becomes apparent in the morning when sunlight shines across it.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with marble benchtops, marble splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen Remodeling in Washington, D.C

Reno Maryland

Large eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, with island, white benchtop, granite splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and brown floor.

Caulfield House

User

White walls and ceiling are combined with wood and sand tones to create this beautiful open plan kitchen.
Design ideas for a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Kitchen with Marble Benchtops and Onyx Benchtops 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!