Albert, Righter & Tittmann Architects, Inc.

Our client, with whom we had worked on a number of projects over the years, enlisted our help in transforming her family’s beloved but deteriorating rustic summer retreat, built by her grandparents in the mid-1920’s, into a house that would be livable year-‘round. It had served the family well but needed to be renewed for the decades to come without losing the flavor and patina they were attached to. The house was designed by Ruth Adams, a rare female architect of the day, who also designed in a similar vein a nearby summer colony of Vassar faculty and alumnae. To make Treetop habitable throughout the year, the whole house had to be gutted and insulated. The raw homosote interior wall finishes were replaced with plaster, but all the wood trim was retained and reused, as were all old doors and hardware. The old single-glazed casement windows were restored, and removable storm panels fitted into the existing in-swinging screen frames. New windows were made to match the old ones where new windows were added. This approach was inherently sustainable, making the house energy-efficient while preserving most of the original fabric. Changes to the original design were as seamless as possible, compatible with and enhancing the old character. Some plan modifications were made, and some windows moved around. The existing cave-like recessed entry porch was enclosed as a new book-lined entry hall and a new entry porch added, using posts made from an oak tree on the site. The kitchen and bathrooms are entirely new but in the spirit of the place. All the bookshelves are new. A thoroughly ramshackle garage couldn’t be saved, and we replaced it with a new one built in a compatible style, with a studio above for our client, who is a writer.

Southside Residence

Studio Architects

Photo of a mid-sized traditional single-wall separate kitchen in Other with white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, mosaic tile splashback, recessed-panel cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured floor and with island.

Bright English Beach Cottage

Alison Kandler Interior Design

Kitchen
Inspiration for a beach style kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, ceramic splashback, painted wood floors, with island, coloured appliances and multi-coloured floor.

Yardley Street

Marsh & Parsons

This is an example of a mid-sized eclectic u-shaped kitchen in London with glass-front cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, no island and multi-coloured floor.

MULTICOLOURED HERRINGBONE

Turgon Flooring

Eclectic galley open plan kitchen in London with multi-coloured floor, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, black appliances, painted wood floors and with island.

Apartment Renovation

JV Design

This used to be a dark stained wood kitchen and with dark granite countertops and floor. We painted the cabinets, changed the countertops and back splash, appliances and added floating floor.

Farmhouse Kitchen

This is an example of a country l-shaped kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, painted wood floors, with island and multi-coloured floor.

Kitchens

Michael Alan Kaskel

Inspiration for a traditional l-shaped kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, no island, multi-coloured floor and brown benchtop.

Sea Cliff Vintage Twist

Packard Cabinetry of Sea Cliff

charming Sea cliff turn of century victorian needed a renovation that was appropriate to the vintage yet, edgy styling. a textured natural oak farm sink base juxtaposed a soft gray, with the heavy shelves on the wall made this kitchen unique.

Renovering av övernattningslägenhet i Göteborg

Studio A3

Anders Bergstedt
Design ideas for a mid-sized scandinavian single-wall eat-in kitchen in Gothenburg with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, green splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, no island, marble benchtops, painted wood floors and multi-coloured floor.

The Earnst Kitchen

The Creative Kitchen Company

This kitchen is stocked full of personal details for this lovely retired couple living the dream in their beautiful country home. Terri loves to garden and can her harvested fruits and veggies and has filled her double door pantry full of her beloved canned creations. The couple has a large family to feed and when family comes to visit - the open concept kitchen, loads of storage and countertop space as well as giant kitchen island has transformed this space into the family gathering spot - lots of room for plenty of cooks in this kitchen! Tucked into the corner is a thoughtful kitchen office space. Possibly our favorite detail is the green custom painted island with inset bar sink, making this not only a great functional space but as requested by the homeowner, the island is an exact paint match to their dining room table that leads into the grand kitchen and ties everything together so beautifully.

Ballard Residence

Zinc Art + Interiors

Oversize floor stencil used here to echo the oversize flower pattern used in the adjacent hall. Drawer faces are cut to mimic the openings on the salvaged pantry doors. Counters and backsplash are recycled chalkboards from Ballard High School fit with a stainless edge.

River Oaks

YSL Builders

Traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Houston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, painted wood floors, with island and multi-coloured floor.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen

Lehman Associates, P.C.

Photo by Kenneth M. Winer Photography Inc.
Design ideas for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Baltimore with glass-front cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors and multi-coloured floor.

Summer Lovin'

CATO creative

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Surrey with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, black appliances, painted wood floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Basing Street Rooms

Alma-nac

Jack Hobhouse
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in London with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, yellow cabinets, white splashback, painted wood floors and multi-coloured floor.

LAKESHORE DRIVE

New England Design Elements

Seacoast Real Estate Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Manchester with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, glass benchtops, yellow splashback, ceramic splashback, painted wood floors and multi-coloured floor.

Kitchen, Pantry, Bathrooms & Garden Level Renovation

Studio Geiger Architecture

Trevor Tondro
Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, with island and multi-coloured floor.

Santa Rosa

Hakes Brothers

Photo of a transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, brown cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Of Architecture | Beachfield House

Of Architecture

Mid-sized beach style l-shaped separate kitchen in Cornwall with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, multi-coloured floor and black benchtop.

Kitchen with Painted Wood Floors and Multi-Coloured Floor 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!