This photo: For a couple's house in Paradise Valley, architect C.P. Drewett created a sleek modern kitchen with Caesarstone counters and tile backsplashes from Art Stone LLC. Porcelain-tile floors from Villagio Tile & Stone provide contrast to the dark-stained vertical-grain white-oak cabinetry fabricated by Reliance Custom Cabinets. Positioned near the base of iconic Camelback Mountain, “Outside In” is a modernist home celebrating the love of outdoor living Arizonans crave. The design inspiration was honoring early territorial architecture while applying modernist design principles. Dressed with undulating negra cantera stone, the massing elements of “Outside In” bring an artistic stature to the project’s design hierarchy. This home boasts a first (never seen before feature) — a re-entrant pocketing door which unveils virtually the entire home’s living space to the exterior pool and view terrace. A timeless chocolate and white palette makes this home both elegant and refined. Oriented south, the spectacular interior natural light illuminates what promises to become another timeless piece of architecture for the Paradise Valley landscape. Project Details | Outside In Architect: CP Drewett, AIA, NCARB, Drewett Works Builder: Bedbrock Developers Interior Designer: Ownby Design Photographer: Werner Segarra Publications: Luxe Interiors & Design, Jan/Feb 2018, "Outside In: Optimized for Entertaining, a Paradise Valley Home Connects with its Desert Surrounds" Awards: Gold Nugget Awards - 2018 Award of Merit – Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home – Custom The Nationals - 2017 Silver Award -- Best Architectural Design of a One of a Kind Home - Custom or Spec http://www.drewettworks.com/outside-in/

Observatory Park Contemporary Kitchen

Kitchen Distributors

The Kitchen has a very open feeling, aided by the wood beam lighting and very high ceilings. The island is beautifully warm with the Iroko wood insert on the honed Zebrino marble. Large windows over the sink allow natural light to fill the space and the white cabinetry lends a nice contrast to the dark walnut island. Marble and Stainless steel backsplash with open shelving is contemporary yet fuctional, giving the owner a beautiful backdrop to his professional Wolf range. The apron sink is also a wonderful touch under-mounted below the marble countertop.

Sand Point House

Lane Williams Architects

Maple cabinets and marble counters in the kitchen, with porcelain tile backsplash. Custom seating in breakfast nook overlooking back yard.
Inspiration for a large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured benchtop, marble benchtops, metal splashback and brown floor.

Linkwood - Harvey Reno

MMI Design

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Houston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, white benchtop and brown floor.

Wynkoop – French Country Redesign of Contemporary Home

The Art of Building

This is an example of a large traditional kitchen in New York with raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, beige floor, grey benchtop, granite benchtops and metal splashback.

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.

School House Eclectic

Third Coast Interiors

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, quartz benchtops and mirror splashback.

Brisbane CBD - Apartment

Kim Duffin for Sublime Luxury Kitchens & Bathrooms

This sky home with stunning views over Brisbane's CBD, the river and Kangaroo Point Cliffs captures the maturity now found in inner city living in Brisbane. Originally from Melbourne and with his experience gain from extensive business travel abroad, the owner of the apartment decided to transform his home to match the cosmopolitan lifestyle he has enjoyed whilst living in these locations. The original layout of the kitchen was typical for apartments built over 20 years ago. The space was restricted by a collection of small rooms, two dining areas plus kitchen that did not take advantage of the views or the need for a strong connection between living areas and the outdoors. The new design has managed to still give definition to activities performed in the kitchen, dining and living but through minimal detail the kitchen does not dominate the space which can often happen in an open plan. A typical galley kitchen design was selected as it best catered for how the space relates to the rest of the apartment and adjoining living space. An effortless workflow is created from the start point of the pantry, housing food stores as well as small appliances, and refrigerator. These are within easy reach of the preparation zones and cooking on the island. Then delivery to the dining area is seamless. There are a number of key features used in the design to create the feeling of spaces whilst maximising functionality. The mirrored kickboards reflect light (aided by the use of LED strip lighting to the underside of the cabinets) creating the illusion that the cabinets are floating thus reducing the footprint in the design. The simple design philosophy is continued with the use of Laminam, 3mm porcelain sheets to the vertical and horizontal surfaces. This material is then mitred on the edges of all drawers and doors extenuate the seamless, minimalist, cube look. A cantilevered bespoke silky oak timber benchtop placed on the island creates a small breakfast/coffee area whilst increasing bench space and creating the illusion of more space. The stain and other features of this unique piece of timber compliments the tones found in the porcelain skin of the kitchen. The half wall built behind the sinks hides the entry point of the services into the apartment. This has been clad in a complimentary laminate for the timber benchtop . Mirror splashbacks help reflect more light into the space. The cabinets above the cleaning zone also appear floating due to the mirrored surface behind and the placement of LED strip lighting used to highlight the perimeter. A fully imported FALMAC Stainless Rangehood and flyer over compliments the plasterboard bulkhead that houses the air conditioning whilst providing task lighting to the island. Lighting has been used throughout the space to highlight and frame the design elements whist creating illumination for all tasks completed in the kitchen. Achieving "fluid motion" has been a major influence in the choice of hardware used in the design. Blum servo drive electronic drawer opening systems have been used to counter act any issues that may be encounter by the added weight of the porcelain used on the drawer fronts. These are then married with Blum Intivo soft close drawer systems. The devil is in the detail with a design and space that is so low profile yet complicated in it's simplicity. Steve Ryan - Rix Ryan Photography

RD Henry Kitchens

Colorado Cabinetry

Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, with island, metallic splashback and matchstick tile splashback.

Beacon Hill

Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops

Eric Roth Photography Amy McFadden Interior Design Marcia Smith - Styling
Photo of a small contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

ZEN

KabCo Kitchens

Dark wood cabinets in Waypoint Living Spaces are accented with reflecting glass and mirror mosaics tile. Sleek quartz in Snow cover the counters. Photo Credit: Julie Lehite

Soapstone on metal cabinets

Asheville Kitchen Tops

This is an example of a modern kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, red cabinets, metallic splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Modern High Rise

Studio M Interiors

Lori Hamilton
This is an example of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Miami with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, porcelain floors and white floor.

Eclectic Stoke Newington Apartment

User

Three colourful custom-made colander lights add a splash of colour to this open-plan kitchen in a converted Victorian school house. The kitchen island is custom-made out of a vintage oak chest. Photography by Fisher Hart

Historic Adobe Remodel

Madera Builders LLC

Katie Johnson
Large l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Albuquerque with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, metallic splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

modern kitchen in piedmont

building Lab, inc.

photo: scott hargis
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, quartz benchtops, porcelain floors, with island, metallic splashback and grey floor.

Division Street

Emerick Architects

A machined hood, custom stainless cabinetry and exposed ducting harkens to a commercial vibe. The 5'x10' marble topped island wears many hats. It serves as a large work surface, tons of storage, informal seating, and a visual line that separates the eating and cooking areas. Photo by Lincoln Barber

Massachusetts Farm House

Crisp Architects

Rob Karosis
Photo of a country kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Contemporary Kitchen

Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, an undermount sink, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, metal splashback and dark wood cabinets.

Tribeca Loft

nC2 architecture llc

Renovation and reconfiguration of a 4500 sf loft in Tribeca. The main goal of the project was to better adapt the apartment to the needs of a growing family, including adding a bedroom to the children's wing and reconfiguring the kitchen to function as the center of family life. One of the main challenges was to keep the project on a very tight budget without compromising the high-end quality of the apartment. Project team: Richard Goodstein, Emil Harasim, Angie Hunsaker, Michael Hanson Contractor: Moulin & Associates, New York Photos: Tom Sibley

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!