Nearly two decades ago now, Susan and her husband put a letter in the mailbox of this eastside home: "If you have any interest in selling, please reach out." But really, who would give up a Flansburgh House? Fast forward to 2020, when the house went on the market! By then it was clear that three children and a busy home design studio couldn't be crammed into this efficient footprint. But what's second best to moving into your dream home? Being asked to redesign the functional core for the family that was. In this classic Flansburgh layout, all the rooms align tidily in a square around a central hall and open air atrium. As such, all the spaces are both connected to one another and also private; and all allow for visual access to the outdoors in two directions—toward the atrium and toward the exterior. All except, in this case, the utilitarian galley kitchen. That space, oft-relegated to second class in midcentury architecture, got the shaft, with narrow doorways on two ends and no good visual access to the atrium or the outside. Who spends time in the kitchen anyway? As is often the case with even the very best midcentury architecture, the kitchen at the Flansburgh House needed to be modernized; appliances and cabinetry have come a long way since 1970, but our culture has evolved too, becoming more casual and open in ways we at SYH believe are here to stay. People (gasp!) do spend time—lots of time!—in their kitchens! Nonetheless, our goal was to make this kitchen look as if it had been designed this way by Earl Flansburgh himself. The house came to us full of bold, bright color. We edited out some of it (along with the walls it was on) but kept and built upon the stunning red, orange and yellow closet doors in the family room adjacent to the kitchen. That pop was balanced by a few colorful midcentury pieces that our clients already owned, and the stunning light and verdant green coming in from both the atrium and the perimeter of the house, not to mention the many skylights. Thus, the rest of the space just needed to quiet down and be a beautiful, if neutral, foil. White terrazzo tile grounds custom plywood and black cabinetry, offset by a half wall that offers both camouflage for the cooking mess and also storage below, hidden behind seamless oak tambour. Contractor: Rusty Peterson Cabinetry: Stoll's Woodworking Photographer: Sarah Shields

Clovelly House

TomMarkHenry

Photography: Damian Bennett Styling: Jack Milenkovic
This is an example of a contemporary galley kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, window splashback, terrazzo floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Salt Lake Mid Mod

cityhomeCOLLECTIVE

Fully custom kitchen remodel with red marble countertops, red Fireclay tile backsplash, white Fisher + Paykel appliances, and a custom wrapped brass vent hood. Pendant lights by Anna Karlin, styling and design by cityhomeCOLLECTIVE

Retroactive

C K Cabinetry and Design, LLC

Jeff Volker
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury galley separate kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, terrazzo floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Delray Beach Villa Renovation

Flourish Delray Design

FLOURISH Delray Design
This is an example of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Miami with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island, green splashback, beige floor, terrazzo floors and white benchtop.

Bath Georgian Townhouse

Rebecca Morgan Designs

We replumbed and brought the kitchen to the front room of the house where the natural light is brighter and utilises the larger connecting room space. The back room became a family chill-out zone and the contemporary kitchen sat well juxtaposed with the beautiful original moulding details and firesurround. We laid porcelain terrazzo tiles throughout the ground floor adding a different tile for the splashback. The worktop is a pitted African Moak Granite. lighting was removed and replaced with contemporary fixtures to suit the contemporary kitchen.

Cucina Arrex mod. Urban

EXPO MOBILI SRL Unipersonale

Cucina Arrex- mod Urban. Basi e pensili con ante rivestite in laminato HPL su entrambi i lati in finitura Dark Stone, con gola e zoccolo in metallo verniciato antracite. Piano lavoro e schienale in Gres Laminam colore Nero Belfast sp. 12mm. con fianco in appoggio a terra su penisola. La cucina è composta da una pratica zona snack che divide l'ambiente dalla zona pranzo e aumenta notevolmente l'area del piano lavoro. La luce della barra led sottopensile è regolabile di intensità a seconda delle esigenze. A completare il tutto abbiamo abbinato sgabelli e sedie in ecopelle nero nuvolato, e tavolo con struttura in acciaio verniciato e piano laminato HPL allungabile. Nonostante i colori scuri, il tutto risulta essere molto luminoso, grazie ai finestroni e anche alle linee pulite e regolari della cucina.

Full Home Renovation St. Petersburg

DCI Home Improvements

Full home renovation including kitchen, bathrooms, lanai, and door installations. Mid-century modern and beach styles.
Mid-sized midcentury galley open plan kitchen in Tampa with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, terrazzo floors, with island and white benchtop.

Un intérieur doux tout en pastel - Projet Alleray

Mon Concept Habitation

Ce projet de rénovation est sans doute un des plus beaux exemples prouvant qu’on peut allier fonctionnalité, simplicité et esthétisme. On appréciera la douce atmosphère de l’appartement grâce aux tons pastels qu’on retrouve dans la majorité des pièces. Notre coup de cœur : cette cuisine, d’un bleu élégant et original, nichée derrière une jolie verrière blanche.

Muswell Hill N10

Martins Camisuli Architects

Alex Maguire Photography One of the nicest thing that can happen as an architect is that a client returns to you because they enjoyed working with us so much the first time round. Having worked on the bathroom in 2016 we were recently asked to look at the kitchen and to advice as to how we could extend into the garden without completely invading the space. We wanted to be able to "sit in the kitchen and still be sitting in the garden".

Wayzata Mid-Century Modern Whole Home Restoration

Thompson Construction

Mid-Century Modern Restoration
Mid-sized midcentury eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, terrazzo floors, with island, white floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Anna Maria Island Mid-Century

Coastal Life Design

Large midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Tampa with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, terrazzo floors, with island and white benchtop.

Trigg Beach House

David Wilkes Design

This is an example of a large beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Perth with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, mosaic tile splashback, black appliances, terrazzo floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Duncairn Lane Bray

Culligan Architects

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, terrazzo benchtops, metallic splashback, glass sheet splashback, black appliances, terrazzo floors, with island, white floor, white benchtop and coffered.

Arcadia Heights Renovation

DFS Construction Inc.

Photo of a large midcentury kitchen in Salt Lake City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, terrazzo floors and with island.

Post Modern Bungalo

REDinterior

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury galley separate kitchen in San Diego with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, terrazzo floors, a peninsula, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Sonoma Hillside

Euro Design Studio

High Gloss finish Cabinets, Quartz Counters, Terrazo Flooring,
Large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Las Vegas with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, terrazzo floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Bright and quaint Kitchen

Cranberry Hill Kitchens

Inspiration for a small transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, white appliances, terrazzo floors, red floor, white benchtop, no island and mosaic tile splashback.

Bernier

SINGER BIEDER Architecture

This is an example of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, green cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, terrazzo floors, white floor and white benchtop.

42 m2 coloré

Emilie Melin architecte DPLG

Small contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, terrazzo floors, multi-coloured floor and brown benchtop.

All Backsplash Materials Kitchen with Terrazzo 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!