Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, orange cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, with island, beige floor and beige benchtop.

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.

Brunswick Californian Bungalow

Jacqui Koska

Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

North Beach

Western Cabinets

This is an example of a mid-sized industrial galley eat-in kitchen in Perth with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, grey splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Engawa House, Ivanhoe

Inbetween Architecture

Inspiration for an asian single-wall open plan kitchen in Melbourne with open cabinets, wood benchtops, medium hardwood floors and exposed beam.

Dartmouth House

Shane Marsh Architects

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.

Point Lonsdale II

Stonehouse + Irons Architecture

Practical and durable but retaining warmth and texture as the hub of the family home.Rear works benches are stainless steel providing durable work surfaces while the timber island provides warmth when sitting around with a cuppa! The darker colours with timber accented shelves creates a recessive quality with earth and texture. Shelves used to highlight ceramic collections used daily.

Modern Farmhouse

Old Hillsboro Building Company

This is an example of a large country single-wall kitchen pantry in Nashville with wood benchtops, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Parkview

Warmington & North

Custom cabinetry by Warmington & North Architect: Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Photography: Haris Kenjar
This is an example of a traditional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Seattle with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops and white splashback.

Boscastle Road

Finkernagel Ross GmbH

This is an example of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in London with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, with island, a drop-in sink, panelled appliances, concrete floors, grey floor and brown benchtop.

Isle of Palms Modern Cottage Kitchen

Phillip Smith General Contractor, LLC

Photo by: Warren Lieb
Photo of a country kitchen in Charleston with stainless steel benchtops, white appliances and recessed-panel cabinets.

NOIR MAT & PAON | Une maison très tendance

Skéa - décoration et architecture d'intérieur

Avec son effet bois et son Fenix noir, cette cuisine adopte un style tout à fait contemporain. Les suspensions cuivrées et les tabourets en bois et métal noir mettent en valeur l'îlot central, devant le plan de travail principal.

Farmhouse Inspiration

Pamko Construction

Inspiration for a country l-shaped kitchen in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Farmhouse Kitchen

Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Barn Door Walk-In Pantry, Transitional Kitchen Remodel

MainStreet Design Build

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

Cupboard Kitchen and Bath Discounter

Cupboards Kitchen Bath Discounters

Photo of a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Mission Hills Farmhouse 2

Bill Bocken Architecture & Interior Design

Shelley Metcalf & Glenn Cormier Photographers
Photo of a large country l-shaped separate kitchen in San Diego with shaker cabinets, with island, a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Vernacular House Utility

British Standard by Plain English

Cupboards painted in "PP11-12-13WA" (Oil Eggshell) by Paper and Paints. Boarded wall panelling painted in "PP11-12-13AD" (Oil Eggshell) by Paper and Paints. White farmhouse sink by Villeroy & Boch. Tap in pewter finish by Perrin & Rowe.

Kitchen in Barn Conversion- Rutland, Leicestershire

Hill Farm Furniture Ltd

As featured in The Sunday Times. The owners of this period property wanted to add their own personal stamp without having to choose between design and functionality. Hill Farm offered practical solutions without compromising on style or space – side-by-side under counter fridges, bi-fold doors with adjustable shelves, maximum work space – created from solid wood and hand painted.

Bright English Beach Cottage

Alison Kandler Interior Design

Kitchen
This is an example of an eclectic open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with white cabinets, wood benchtops, ceramic splashback, painted wood floors, coloured appliances and shaker cabinets.

Kitchen with Wood Benchtops and Stainless Steel Benchtops 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!