An inviting kitchen and living space for family and friends to gather.
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island and beige floor.

Blue Kitchen with Terrazzo Benchtops

Improva

A kitchen that combines sleek modern design with natural warmth. This beautifully crafted space features a curved island as its centrepiece, creating a dynamic flow that enhances both functionality and aesthetics. The island is clad with elegant terrazzo stone adding a touch of contemporary charm. The combination of the Dulux Albeit-coloured joinery and the Milano oak wall cabinets creates a captivating interplay of colours and textures, elevating the visual impact of the kitchen.

Camp Hill

Lindon Homes Pty Ltd

Galley Kitchen with Brass Planter Box/ice and drinks sink
Inspiration for a large modern galley kitchen pantry in Brisbane with a drop-in sink, white cabinets, marble benchtops, black appliances, porcelain floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Park Orchards

Direct Kitchens

Photo of a large transitional open plan kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

City Beach

Glenda Roff

Photo of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Perth with an integrated sink, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Hindley & Co - Kitchen

Hindley & Co Architecture & Interior Design

Blue-green and white kitchen with timber details. recessed pull handles and kickers in contrasting colours.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Dual Occupancy: Brighton East townhouses

First Avenue Homes

Mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

The Dunes

Renovation Angel Interior Design Noosa

VJ two pack kitchen featuring handmade spanish aged subway tiles. Miele appliances, integrated fridge, induction cooking. Designer handles, feature shelving for cookbooks and crockery. Distinctive pendant lighting, above an amazing breakfast bar feature in the hub of this home.

Contemporary Australian Cabin Kitchen

Element Design Studio

A modern Australian design with finishes that change over time. Connecting the bushland to the home with colour and texture.
This is an example of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Perth with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, grey benchtop and vaulted.

Minimalist White Queenslander Renovation

Ethos Interiors

Lovingly called the ‘white house’, this stunning Queenslander was given a contemporary makeover with oak floors, custom joinery and modern furniture and artwork. Creative detailing and unique finish selections reference the period details of a traditional home, while bringing it into modern times.

South Yarra Residence

MR.MITCHELL

This is an example of a large contemporary kitchen pantry in Melbourne with flat-panel cabinets, marble benchtops, medium hardwood floors and with island.

YORK RESIDENCE

Kitchens by Emanuel

CURVES & TEXTURE - Custom designed & manufactured cabinetry in 'matte black' polyurethane - Large custom curved cabinetry - Feature vertical slates around the island - Curved timber grain floating shelf with recessed LED strip lighting - Large bifold appliance cabinet with timber grain internals - 20mm thick Caesarstone 'Jet Black' benchtop - Feature textured matte black splashback tile - Lo & Co matte black hardware - Blum hardware Sheree Bounassif, Kitchens by Emanuel

Kitchens

O'Meara Jones

Photo of an expansive transitional open plan kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

Kitchen | Project Coolum

desculpto

This kitchen design effortlessly marries reimagined traditional elements with a touch of postmodern flair, crafting a truly one-of-a-kind and personalized space. One cannot help but be drawn to the unique brushed brass rangehood, a true hero piece in this design. It not only adds a powerful stroke of creativity but also serves as a sturdy anchor, grounding the entire space with its commanding presence.

Wembley Renovation

DS Grinding

A stunning addition to a Wembley home featuring Industrial Polished Concrete flooring amongst raw recycled brick and modern cabinetry and furnishings throughout. The idea was to keep the feel of the exiting home and allow it to flow through to the rear of the property while still giving it a modern edge overall.

Extension | The Ponds

iBuild Group Pty Ltd

Design ideas for a large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Sydney with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, vinyl floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Glebe Kitchen - Front

Matter Design & Make Pty Ltd

Our client approached Matter in late 2019 for a new kitchen. While the existing kitchen had a reasonable layout and some great features, the cupboards weren’t optimising the space to its full potential, particularly for storage. Noting that the old kitchen aged very quickly, our client wanted the new kitchen to be constructed entirely from plywood—liking the appearance and strength of the material. They also loved vibrant use of colour and suggested we look at the kitchens featured in films by the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar for inspiration. The result was a playful mix of hand painted navy, light blue and retro orange in combination with a ‘raw’ effect from the birch plywood. To save on cost and waste, we decided to keep certain components of the kitchen that have remained in very good condition. Some of these included the stainless steel bench tops and oven/range hood stack, as well as a polished concrete island bench top. We replaced most of the cupboards with drawer units specifically tailored to fit our client's extensive collection of cookware and appliances with adjustable partitions. An integrated Hideaway rubbish bin free’s up circulation space and a Kesseböhmer pull-out pantry will ensure no bottle of spice is ever lost to the back of a cupboard again.

Teneriffe Kitchen & Living Area Project

New Leaf Design Studios

A bold and contemporary kitchen with extension of cabinetry into the living area creates a seemless look for this high end inner city apartment.
This is an example of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, ceramic floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

TOWNHOUSE LUXURY IN DULWICH/RESIDANCE 1

Claridge Construction

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern galley eat-in kitchen in Adelaide with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, grey splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, grey benchtop, an undermount sink, stone slab splashback, black appliances and beige floor.

Rosebud beach side home

Jasmine McClelland Design

Contemporary open plan spacious mixed surfaces kitchen with black steel island bench framing, feature window, feature shelving above window, contrast blue overheads and warm wood tones.

Kitchen with with Island 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!