This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, window splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors, with island, grey floor, brown benchtop and exposed beam.

A Modern Kitchen for a Retreat in the Woods

Amazing Spaces

This is a great house. Perched high on a private, heavily wooded site, it has a rustic contemporary aesthetic. Vaulted ceilings, sky lights, large windows and natural materials punctuate the main spaces. The existing large format mosaic slate floor grabs your attention upon entering the home extending throughout the foyer, kitchen, and family room. Specific requirements included a larger island with workspace for each of the homeowners featuring a homemade pasta station which requires small appliances on lift-up mechanisms as well as a custom-designed pasta drying rack. Both chefs wanted their own prep sink on the island complete with a garbage “shoot” which we concealed below sliding cutting boards. A second and overwhelming requirement was storage for a large collection of dishes, serving platters, specialty utensils, cooking equipment and such. To meet those needs we took the opportunity to get creative with storage: sliding doors were designed for a coffee station adjacent to the main sink; hid the steam oven, microwave and toaster oven within a stainless steel niche hidden behind pantry doors; added a narrow base cabinet adjacent to the range for their large spice collection; concealed a small broom closet behind the refrigerator; and filled the only available wall with full-height storage complete with a small niche for charging phones and organizing mail. We added 48” high base cabinets behind the main sink to function as a bar/buffet counter as well as overflow for kitchen items. The client’s existing vintage commercial grade Wolf stove and hood commands attention with a tall backdrop of exposed brick from the fireplace in the adjacent living room. We loved the rustic appeal of the brick along with the existing wood beams, and complimented those elements with wired brushed white oak cabinets. The grayish stain ties in the floor color while the slab door style brings a modern element to the space. We lightened the color scheme with a mix of white marble and quartz countertops. The waterfall countertop adjacent to the dining table shows off the amazing veining of the marble while adding contrast to the floor. Special materials are used throughout, featured on the textured leather-wrapped pantry doors, patina zinc bar countertop, and hand-stitched leather cabinet hardware. We took advantage of the tall ceilings by adding two walnut linear pendants over the island that create a sculptural effect and coordinated them with the new dining pendant and three wall sconces on the beam over the main sink.

Toorak Gardens

Space Craft Joinery

Jonathan VDK
Photo of a large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Adelaide with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors, with island and multi-coloured floor.

Pantry

The Organized Home

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen pantry in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, grey floor, no island, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback and slate floors.

Alberta Kitchen Remodel--Holliston, Massachusetts

Masters Touch Design Build

Inspiration for a large transitional open plan kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors, with island, grey floor and recessed-panel cabinets.

Parkwood Road Residence Kitchen

O’Hara Interiors

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Selections & Furnishings | Charles Cudd De Novo, Architecture | Troy Thies Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling

Mukilteo Gem

Interiors by Popov

When we drove out to Mukilteo for our initial consultation, we immediately fell in love with this house. With its tall ceilings, eclectic mix of wood, glass and steel, and gorgeous view of the Puget Sound, we quickly nicknamed this project "The Mukilteo Gem". Our client, a cook and baker, did not like her existing kitchen. The main points of issue were short runs of available counter tops, lack of storage and shortage of light. So, we were called in to implement some big, bold ideas into a small footprint kitchen with big potential. We completely changed the layout of the room by creating a tall, built-in storage wall and a continuous u-shape counter top. Early in the project, we took inventory of every item our clients wanted to store in the kitchen and ensured that every spoon, gadget, or bowl would have a dedicated "home" in their new kitchen. The finishes were meticulously selected to ensure continuity throughout the house. We also played with the color scheme to achieve a bold yet natural feel.This kitchen is a prime example of how color can be used to both make a statement and project peace and balance simultaneously. While busy at work on our client's kitchen improvement, we also updated the entry and gave the homeowner a modern laundry room with triple the storage space they originally had. End result: ecstatic clients and a very happy design team. That's what we call a big success! John Granen.

10th Street Renovation

West End Interiors

Kitchen Renovation, concrete countertops, herringbone slate flooring, and open shelving over the sink make the space cozy and functional. Handmade mosaic behind the sink that adds character to the home.

Olathe MCM

Stumpff HomeWorks, LLC

Photo of a midcentury single-wall eat-in kitchen in Kansas City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, granite splashback, panelled appliances, slate floors, with island, black floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

STUDIO 30m2

DOMOKA

Une cuisine tout équipé avec de l'électroménager encastré et un îlot ouvert sur la salle à manger.
Small scandinavian galley eat-in kitchen in Paris with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, black splashback, panelled appliances, painted wood floors and grey floor.

Steel Windows & Doors by FireRock

FireRock Building Materials

This is an example of a large country l-shaped kitchen in Dallas with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, with island, multi-coloured splashback, black floor, white benchtop, a farmhouse sink, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, slate floors and window splashback.

St James' Drive

David Butler Photography

David Butler
This is an example of a contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in London with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors and a peninsula.

Seaside Farmhouse

Gabriel Holland Interior Design

Lara Jane Thorpe
Design ideas for a country eat-in kitchen in Kent with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink, painted wood floors and no island.

1920's Two Family Outside Davis Sq

Venegas and Company

Michael J. Lee
Traditional kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors and grey floor.

Winden Estate - Ourimbah

Penman Brown Interior Design

Design ideas for an expansive country separate kitchen in Sydney with shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, blue cabinets, blue splashback, timber splashback, painted wood floors, marble benchtops, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Studio : coin cuisine

Marielle Tesson Agence 5070

Vue du coin cuisine. Situé dès l'arrivée de l'escalier, sa hauteur a été calculée au plus juste pour garantir une utilisation confortable, sans perte de place.

Proline PLJW 109 Series Stainless Steel Wall/Under Cabinet Range Hood

ProHoods

The PLJW 109 wall mount range hood can also double as an under cabinet hood! That's not the only way this hood is versatile. It features a 4-speed blower, adapting to a wide variety of cooking styles. Just push the button to set the blower to the higher speed for more intense cooking, and vice versa for your less demanding food in the kitchen. Easy! This wall range hood includes two heat lamp sockets to warm your food before it's served. And if you don't need these, they also double as additional lighting. Once you're done cooking, you can easily remove the stainless steel baffle filters. Wash these by hand with soap and warm water or toss them in the dishwasher – they won't become damaged. For more specs and features, visit the product page below: https://www.prolinerangehoods.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=pljw%20109

Treetop

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.

Connecticut Beach Cottage

Kim Ronemus Interiors

Photo of a beach style l-shaped kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, painted wood floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Fitler Square Trinity

Kaminski + Pew

Compact galley kitchen. All appliances are under-counter. Slate tile flooring, hand-glazed ceramic tile backsplash, custom walnut cabinetry, and quartzite countertop.

Kitchen with Painted Wood Floors and Slate Floors 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!