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.

Quindalup Residence

Retreat Design

Photo of a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Perth with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, green splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Pi_Pad

Mcmahon and Nerlich

Light filled kitchen and dining space, with bespoke dining table and featuring Australian artists.
Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, glass sheet splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Cremorne Residence

Jodie Carter Design

Coastal Luxe style kitchen in our Cremorne project features cabinetry in Dulux Blue Rapsody and Snowy Mountains Quarter, and timber veneer in Planked Oak.

Hill House

Kaiko Design Interiors

Kitchen design - Navy base cabinets with timber cabinets above. Black met arch with polished Venetian plaster finish. Handmade tiles to splash back . Curved island bench with wicker counter stools. Hardwood floor.

Engawa House

Arcke Pty Ltd

Design ideas for a small tropical single-wall kitchen in Brisbane with an integrated sink, white cabinets, laminate benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, no island, grey floor and green benchtop.

Wheelers Hill home

Jasmine McClelland Design

Green vertical tiles and feature round lights and a sneak peak of the walk in pantry.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, green splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and black benchtop.

Sorrento House by Meredith Lee

Elizabeth Schiavello Photography

White kitchen with timber features and striking green tiled splashback
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with white cabinets, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Lake Las Vegas

Monticello Cabinets & Doors

World Class kitchen, made from true antique woods, our Provence Collection
Large mediterranean u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Las Vegas with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, green cabinets, with island, wood benchtops, green splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and terra-cotta floors.

Walnut and Turquoise Allure

CraftedWild Cabinetry

Staging: Jaqueline with Tweaked Style Photography: Tony Diaz General Contracting: Big Brothers Development
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped kitchen pantry in Chicago with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, green splashback, panelled appliances, no island and white benchtop.

Mid-Century Modern Deck House

The Design Gallery

Mid-sized midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Other with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, green splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

2019 NARI CotY Award-Winning Kitchens

National Association of the Remodeling Industry

Craftsman Design & Renovation, LLC, Portland, Oregon, 2019 NARI CotY Award-Winning Residential Kitchen $100,001 to $150,000
Large arts and crafts galley separate kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, soapstone benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, medium wood cabinets, brown floor and black benchtop.

Rénovation totale d’un 90m² à Neuilly-sur-Seine

Gommez-Vaëz Architecte

Projet de rénovation totale d’un appartement de 90m² à Neuilly-sur-Seine. Appartement très contemporain, aux touches artistiques. Ici, toute la conception, le suivi de chantier ainsi que le choix du mobilier a été réalisé.

Kitchen Remodeling

Building Solutions DC &R

Photo of a mid-sized traditional kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, green splashback, subway tile splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Traditional Kitchen

CHARLES STREET DESIGN, LLC

The new kitchen space was once the ill-conceived location of a guest bath and a closet for the master bedroom. We solved the layout issue by placing the kitchen where the guest bath was and a new guest bath in the former location of the kitchen. This opened the living, dining and kitchen area of the home to create a space that is ideal for entertaining.

Mid Century Kitchen

DDK Kitchen Design Group

Kitchens are a part of our personality. Sophisticated yet so simple. The cabinets are maple with nothing but a natural finish. Highlighting the beautiful character of maple wood. Slab doors on frameless construction. Simple hardware and a long butcher block island. Tile that really draws your eye to the shelves. The white tile on the range wall sets the stage to admire the hood. Designed by Jean Thompson for DDK Kitchen Design Group. Photographs @michaelakaskel

Maison - Bagnolet

Cécile Humbert - Design d'intérieur

This is an example of a large single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, green splashback, cement tiles, no island and multi-coloured floor.

Kitchen

Donna Guyler Design

Donna Guyler Design
Large beach style l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Gold Coast - Tweed with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, with island, white benchtop, a single-bowl sink, quartz benchtops, green splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and beige floor.

Saussaye

ARCHIPELLES

Crédits photo: Alexis Paoli
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Paris with white cabinets, green splashback, white appliances, porcelain floors, white benchtop, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets and multi-coloured floor.

Caputuring Craftsman

Creative Design Construction, Inc.

Embracing an authentic Craftsman-styled kitchen was one of the primary objectives for these New Jersey clients. They envisioned bending traditional hand-craftsmanship and modern amenities into a chef inspired kitchen. The woodwork in adjacent rooms help to facilitate a vision for this space to create a free-flowing open concept for family and friends to enjoy. This kitchen takes inspiration from nature and its color palette is dominated by neutral and earth tones. Traditionally characterized with strong deep colors, the simplistic cherry cabinetry allows for straight, clean lines throughout the space. A green subway tile backsplash and granite countertops help to tie in additional earth tones and allow for the natural wood to be prominently displayed. The rugged character of the perimeter is seamlessly tied into the center island. Featuring chef inspired appliances, the island incorporates a cherry butchers block to provide additional prep space and seating for family and friends. The free-standing stainless-steel hood helps to transform this Craftsman-style kitchen into a 21st century treasure.

Kitchen with Green Splashback 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!