COASTAL HAMPTONS LUXE HOME | Stephanie & David

Inspiration for a large beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Adelaide with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, laminate floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Newport Beach Kitchen

Northern Beaches Kitchens and Bathrooms

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige benchtop and brown floor.

Kitchen with Bronzed Mirror Splashbacks

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

This is an example of a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and beige benchtop.

Sylvania

Clinton Built Pty Ltd

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, white cabinets, granite benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, laminate floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

1950's House Refurb

Born Designers Ltd

Bespoke hand built kitchen with built in kitchen cabinet and free standing island with modern patterned floor tiles and blue linoleum on birch plywood

Riverside Home in New Hope, Bucks County, PA

OMNIA Group Architects

Perched above the beautiful Delaware River in the historic village of New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania sits this magnificent custom home designed by OMNIA Group Architects. According to Partner, Brian Mann,"This riverside property required a nuanced approach so that it could at once be both a part of this eclectic village streetscape and take advantage of the spectacular waterfront setting." Further complicating the study, the lot was narrow, it resides in the floodplain and the program required the Master Suite to be on the main level. To meet these demands, OMNIA dispensed with conventional historicist styles and created an open plan blended with traditional forms punctuated by vast rows of glass windows and doors to bring in the panoramic views of Lambertville, the bridge, the wooded opposite bank and the river. Mann adds, "Because I too live along the river, I have a special respect for its ever changing beauty - and I appreciate that riverfront structures have a responsibility to enhance the views from those on the water." Hence the riverside facade is as beautiful as the street facade. A sweeping front porch integrates the entry with the vibrant pedestrian streetscape. Low garden walls enclose a beautifully landscaped courtyard defining private space without turning its back on the street. Once inside, the natural setting explodes into view across the back of each of the main living spaces. For a home with so few walls, spaces feel surprisingly intimate and well defined. The foyer is elegant and features a free flowing curved stair that rises in a turret like enclosure dotted with windows that follow the ascending stairs like a sculpture. "Using changes in ceiling height, finish materials and lighting, we were able to define spaces without boxing spaces in" says Mann adding, "the dynamic horizontality of the river is echoed along the axis of the living space; the natural movement from kitchen to dining to living rooms following the current of the river." Service elements are concentrated along the front to create a visual and noise barrier from the street and buttress a calm hall that leads to the Master Suite. The master bedroom shares the views of the river, while the bath and closet program are set up for pure luxuriating. The second floor features a common loft area with a large balcony overlooking the water. Two children's suites flank the loft - each with their own exquisitely crafted baths and closets. Continuing the balance between street and river, an open air bell-tower sits above the entry porch to bring life and light to the street. Outdoor living was part of the program from the start. A covered porch with outdoor kitchen and dining and lounge area and a fireplace brings 3-season living to the river. And a lovely curved patio lounge surrounded by grand landscaping by LDG finishes the experience. OMNIA was able to bring their design talents to the finish materials too including cabinetry, lighting, fixtures, colors and furniture.

Contemporary Private Residence Palm Beach County

Interiors by Steven G

Barry Grossman Photography
Contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Miami with an undermount sink, medium wood cabinets, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances and flat-panel cabinets.

Division Street

Emerick Architects

Windows and door panels reaching for the 12 foot ceilings flood this kitchen with natural light. Custom stainless cabinetry with an integral sink and commercial style faucet carry out the industrial theme of the space. Photo by Lincoln Barber

Custom Stainless hood

Vicente Burin Architects

A sinuous shape hood is the focal point for this cooking area. Stainless steel finishes in both polished and brushed are repeated in cabinets, hardware, Fittings, hood, backsplash and range. #stainlesssteel

Vard in Doll & Tusk - Liverpool

Smile Kitchens

Take a look round this beautiful kitchen from our Vård range... A stunning combination of our Tusk and Doll colours with a beautiful Carrera White Quartz worktop. Finished perfectly with brass sinks, taps and handles including a Quooker boiling water tap. This kitchen features a wonderful selection of storage solutions including our corner optimiser, three bin pull out and the centre piece to any kitchen; the Butler's Pantry.

Spacious Shaker In Letchworth

Planet Furniture

A light, bright open plan kitchen with ample space to dine, cook and store everything that needs to be tucked away. As always, our bespoke kitchens are designed and built to suit lifestyle and family needs and this one is no exception. Plenty of island seating and really importantly, lots of room to move around it. Large cabinets and deep drawers for convenient storage plus accessible shelving for cook books and a wine fridge perfectly positioned for the cook! Look closely and you’ll see that the larder is shallow in depth. This was deliberately (and cleverly!) designed to accommodate a large beam behind the back of the cabinet, yet still allows this run of cabinets to look balanced. We’re loving the distinctive brass handles by Armac Martin against the Hardwicke White paint colour on the cabinetry - along with the Hand Silvered Antiqued mirror splashback there’s plenty of up-to-the-minute design details which ensure this classic shaker is contemporary yes classic in equal measure.

Dublin Townhouse

The Design Yard Dublin

Classical kitchen with Navy hand painted finish with Silestone quartz work surfaces & mirror splash back.
Large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Dublin with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, white floor and white benchtop.

Anthracite & Platinum grey handle-less kitchen

Arlington Interiors

This open plan kitchen is a mix of Anthracite Grey & Platinum Light Grey in a matt finish. This handle-less kitchen is a very contemporary design. The Ovens are Siemens StudioLine Black steel, the hob is a 2in1 Miele downdraft extractor which works well on the island.

East 72nd Street

Frederick Tang Architecture

This is an example of a contemporary open plan kitchen in New York with glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, metallic splashback, metal splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Edison Park

Royal Kitchen and Bath Cabinets

Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with with island, an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, metallic splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Large Drum Chandelier in Open Concept Kitchen

Michelle's Interiors

Viewed from the family room, this kitchen opens up to a catering kitchen through the arch on the left and the husband's study through the archway on the right. Seating for nine, divided between the L-shaped island, banquette and dining chairs, was a priority for these clients who entertain often. They wanted family and friends to be able to watch the TV in the adjacent family room, during meals in the open plan kitchen. The repurposed French farm house wood floor anchors the space and provides a lived-in feeling to this newly constructed home. The vivid sunset colors of the chair fabric on the chairs bring energy and warmth to the space while the glass front cabinets from Woodland provide display space for special dishware. Photo by Brian Gassel

Construction Resources

Barbara Brown Photography

Barbara Brown Photography
This is an example of an expansive country separate kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Houston Renovation

Wamhoff Design | Build

This is an example of a small contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Houston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Blue Sky Thinking

Mowlem & Co

This bespoke ‘Heritage’ hand-painted oak kitchen by Mowlem & Co pays homage to classical English design principles, reinterpreted for a contemporary lifestyle. Created for a period family home in a former rectory in Sussex, the design features a distinctive free-standing island unit in an unframed style, painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Railings’ shade and fitted with Belgian Fossil marble worktops. At one end of the island a reclaimed butchers block has been fitted (with exposed bolts as an accent feature) to serve as both a chopping block and preparation area and an impromptu breakfast bar when needed. Distressed wicker bar stools add to the charming ambience of this warm and welcoming scheme. The framed fitted cabinetry, full height along one wall, are painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Purbeck Stone’ and feature solid oak drawer boxes with dovetail joints to their beautifully finished interiors, which house ample, carefully customised storage. Full of character, from the elegant proportions to the finest details, the scheme includes distinctive latch style handles and a touch of glamour on the form of a sliver leaf glass splashback, and industrial style pendant lamps with copper interiors for a warm, golden glow. Appliances for family that loves to cook include a powerful Westye range cooker, a generous built-in Gaggenau fridge freezer and dishwasher, a bespoke Westin extractor, a Quooker boiling water tap and a KWC Inox spray tap over a Sterling stainless steel sink. Designer Jane Stewart says, “The beautiful old rectory building itself was a key inspiration for the design, which needed to have full contemporary functionality while honouring the architecture and personality of the property. We wanted to pay homage to influences such as the Arts & Crafts movement and Lutyens while making this a unique scheme tailored carefully to the needs and tastes of a busy modern family.”

Sharon, MA

Latitude Architecture

Traditional l-shaped kitchen in Boston with glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

All Backsplash Materials Kitchen with Metallic Splashback 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!