Located in the up and coming neighbourhood of Forest Hill, this renovation demonstrates that being smart with your money doesn’t have to come at the expense of quality. For the first stage of the renovation, we opened up their ground floor space, creating an open-plan layout for both their kitchen, dining room, and living area. But there’s more to this space than meets the eye. Interior fans will admire the concrete floor used throughout, but rather than the real deal, these savvy homeowners have opted for concrete tiles. This slashed the price of flooring in half, and avoided a time consuming process of laying fresh concrete. On top of this, the tiles are easier to heat, meaning no cold feet in the morning. But this isn’t the only trick they’ve employed. One of the stand out features of this kitchen is easily the wonderful crittall style doors and windows - notice we said 'style'? That’s because this home opted for aluminium frames, rather than steel. Crittall steel is trademarked, and can only be produced by one company, this means premium prices and a long waiting list. By opting for a top notch fake, this kitchen still gets the WOW factor, but without the price tag. For the rest of home, we helped lay out new floor plans for each level. Moving the bedrooms and main bathroom from the ground floor and up to the top of the house. We added in recessed storage into the showers to save on space, and included a walk in closet for the master bedroom. And finally, for those rainy days, we created two open, yet separate, living areas. Perfect for when these homeowners want to do their own thing to wind down.

Villa Sud Ouest

JPEG Studio

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen in Paris with a triple-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, wood benchtops, brown splashback, timber splashback, panelled appliances, with island, grey floor and brown benchtop.

Modernité et convivialité

Hemea

floating shelves hexagon floor
This is an example of a contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances, no island, grey floor and brown benchtop.

Stadtvilla L

Anja Lehne interior design

This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in Hamburg with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, with island, grey floor and beige benchtop.

RV Kitchen Makeover

Joyfully Growing Blog, LLC

Design ideas for a small country galley kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, no island and grey floor.

Corner Cottage

N&K Interiors

Inspiration for a country galley eat-in kitchen in London with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, grey floor and brown benchtop.

Elmhurst Cottage

DESIGN LAB 444

Stephanie Russo Photography
Photo of a small country single-wall open plan kitchen in Phoenix with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, a peninsula and grey floor.

Avant/ Apres transformation d'un F3 par un jeune couple

QUALIRENOVATION

Photo of a scandinavian l-shaped separate kitchen in Paris with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, black appliances, no island, grey floor and beige benchtop.

Guernsey

Arnolds Kitchens

Inspiration for a mid-sized country single-wall kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, red splashback, brick splashback, concrete floors, with island, grey floor, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances and beige benchtop.

Ridgemont Residence

Ed Hughey, Architect & Realtor

This is an example of a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and recessed-panel cabinets.

Brighton Cottage

Field Day Studio

Christoffer Rudquist
Small country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sussex with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, wood benchtops, coloured appliances and grey floor.

CHEZ CATHERINE

Jours & Nuits

Jours & Nuits © 2017 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic u-shaped kitchen in Paris with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and grey floor.

Simple and modern apartment

Marcin Wyszomirski Design

Marcin Wyszomirski
Photo of a small contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey floor.

New York Loft

Casa Mia USA Inc.

Design ideas for a large industrial galley open plan kitchen in New York with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, concrete floors, multiple islands and grey floor.

Armani Fine Woodworking Walnut Butcher Block Countertop

Armani Fine Woodworking

Walnut Butcher Block Countertop by Armani Fine Woodworking in Denver, CO. Armanifinewoodworking.com. Custom Made-to-Order. Shipped Nationwide. Remodel by Reconstruct (ReconstructKC.com) in Kansas City, MO

Bovina House

kimberly peck architect

The goal of this project was to build a house that would be energy efficient using materials that were both economical and environmentally conscious. Due to the extremely cold winter weather conditions in the Catskills, insulating the house was a primary concern. The main structure of the house is a timber frame from an nineteenth century barn that has been restored and raised on this new site. The entirety of this frame has then been wrapped in SIPs (structural insulated panels), both walls and the roof. The house is slab on grade, insulated from below. The concrete slab was poured with a radiant heating system inside and the top of the slab was polished and left exposed as the flooring surface. Fiberglass windows with an extremely high R-value were chosen for their green properties. Care was also taken during construction to make all of the joints between the SIPs panels and around window and door openings as airtight as possible. The fact that the house is so airtight along with the high overall insulatory value achieved from the insulated slab, SIPs panels, and windows make the house very energy efficient. The house utilizes an air exchanger, a device that brings fresh air in from outside without loosing heat and circulates the air within the house to move warmer air down from the second floor. Other green materials in the home include reclaimed barn wood used for the floor and ceiling of the second floor, reclaimed wood stairs and bathroom vanity, and an on-demand hot water/boiler system. The exterior of the house is clad in black corrugated aluminum with an aluminum standing seam roof. Because of the extremely cold winter temperatures windows are used discerningly, the three largest windows are on the first floor providing the main living areas with a majestic view of the Catskill mountains.

North Mountain Asheville Residence

Altura Architects

This custom mountain modern home in north Asheville is a unique interpretation of mountain modern architecture with a Japanese influence. Spectacular views of the Blue Ridge mountains and downtown Asheville are enjoyed from many rooms. Thoughtful attention was given to materials, color selection and landscaping to ensure the home seamlessly integrates with its natural surroundings. The home showcases custom millwork, cabinetry, and furnishings by Asheville artists and craftsmen.

Cuisine style industriel

Mon Plan Ma Cuisine

Inspiration for a mid-sized industrial u-shaped open plan kitchen in Lyon with a peninsula, an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, panelled appliances, ceramic floors, grey floor and beige benchtop.

Black and Walnut Modern Industrial Design Kitchen in DC

USA Cabinet Store Fairfax

This is an example of a mid-sized industrial galley eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor, wood benchtops and brown benchtop.

west Hollywood remodel

CALIFORNIA KITCHEN GALLERY

complete kitchen remodeling using porcelain counter tops Calcutta gold, subway tiles in chevron pattern installation ,spc waterproof flooring and off white shaker cabinets

Kitchen with Wood Benchtops and Grey 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!