Periscope House draws light into a young family’s home, adding thoughtful solutions and flexible spaces to 1950s Art Deco foundations. Our clients engaged us to undertake a considered extension to their character-rich home in Malvern East. They wanted to celebrate their home’s history while adapting it to the needs of their family, and future-proofing it for decades to come. The extension’s form meets with and continues the existing roofline, politely emerging at the rear of the house. The tones of the original white render and red brick are reflected in the extension, informing its white Colorbond exterior and selective pops of red throughout. Inside, the original home’s layout has been reimagined to better suit a growing family. Once closed-in formal dining and lounge rooms were converted into children’s bedrooms, supplementing the main bedroom and a versatile fourth room. Grouping these rooms together has created a subtle definition of zones: private spaces are nestled to the front, while the rear extension opens up to shared living areas. A tailored response to the site, the extension’s ground floor addresses the western back garden, and first floor (AKA the periscope) faces the northern sun. Sitting above the open plan living areas, the periscope is a mezzanine that nimbly sidesteps the harsh afternoon light synonymous with a western facing back yard. It features a solid wall to the west and a glass wall to the north, emulating the rotation of a periscope to draw gentle light into the extension. Beneath the mezzanine, the kitchen, dining, living and outdoor spaces effortlessly overlap. Also accessible via an informal back door for friends and family, this generous communal area provides our clients with the functionality, spatial cohesion and connection to the outdoors they were missing. Melding modern and heritage elements, Periscope House honours the history of our clients’ home while creating light-filled shared spaces – all through a periscopic lens that opens the home to the garden.

Coastal Kitchen and Breakfast Room

Frank Pitman Designs

Martin King Photography
Design ideas for a large beach style kitchen in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Lake of the Isles Kitchen

M. Victoria Johnson Interiors

Design ideas for a beach style u-shaped open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and vaulted.

New House in Chatswood Heritage Area

Danny Broe Architect

Mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, black splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Scarsdale home

Lucy Harris Studio

Key decor elements include: Pendants: Grain pendants by Brendan Ravenhill Studio Stools: Beetle counter chair by Gubi from Design Public Group Large brass bowl: Michael Verheyden Marble Cannister: Michael Verheyden Art: Untitled (1010) by Bo Joseph from Sears Peyton Gallery

Neutral Coastal Style Home Remodel

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | Interiors

We took a builder basic home and did what others said could not be done. We removed a structural wall that divided the family room -dining area with the living room. Moved the kitchen from its original layout to face the backyard with a view the whole family could enjoy. We focus on clean, simple lines, minimalism, and functionality without sacrificing beauty. White walls, wood floors, modern furniture, and minimalist decor are all hallmark traits of a California aesthetic. A lot of cost were invested into changing the structure so we keep the materials simple, but we were still able to add wood features in the home like the island, the warm toned light fixture centered over the island adds depth to this personal home. Designer Bonnie Bagley Catlin Builder Artistic Design and Remodeling Photographer James Furman

A Scottsdale Residence Contemporary Remodel

Affordable Chic

This is an example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Rustic Home

Mette's Cabinet Corner

Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in St Louis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Plano | Normandy Estates | Kitchen & Butler Cabinets (Partner)

Kitchen Design Concepts

The builder we partnered with for this beauty original wanted to use his cabinet person (who builds and finishes on site) but the clients advocated for manufactured cabinets - and we agree with them! These homeowners were just wonderful to work with and wanted materials that were a little more "out of the box" than the standard "white kitchen" you see popping up everywhere today - and their dog, who came along to every meeting, agreed to something with longevity, and a good warranty! The cabinets are from WW Woods, their Eclipse (Frameless, Full Access) line in the Aspen door style - a shaker with a little detail. The perimeter kitchen and scullery cabinets are a Poplar wood with their Seagull stain finish, and the kitchen island is a Maple wood with their Soft White paint finish. The space itself was a little small, and they loved the cabinetry material, so we even paneled their built in refrigeration units to make the kitchen feel a little bigger. And the open shelving in the scullery acts as the perfect go-to pantry, without having to go through a ton of doors - it's just behind the hood wall!

Elegant Oak

Rencraft Ltd

Clean, simple, uncluttered. This elegant oak and hand-painted kitchen features an understated bevelled door detail which lends the room a classic, timeless style. The layout flows around the central island which houses a built-in wine cooler and has a circular prep sink at one end balanced by a larger, circular solid oak dining area at the other. These curves complement the two arched doorways at the far end of the room, filling the space with light. Plenty of storage has been provided thanks to a traditional larder with oak interiors and twin double-door butler cupboards. Finishing touches include Miele appliances, quartz worktops with a profiled edge detail, a mirrored glass splashback and polished stainless steel handles.

Hacienda Ranch House

C-Reese Architectural Design

This is an example of a mediterranean u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island, orange floor and beige benchtop.

O'Brien Harris Chathem Oak Kitchen

O'Brien Harris LLC

This bright urban oasis is perfectly appointed with O'Brien Harris Cabinetry in Chicago's bespoke Chatham White Oak cabinetry. The scope of the project included a kitchen that is open to the great room and a bar. The open-concept design is perfect for entertaining. Countertops are Carrara marble, and the backsplash is a white subway tile, which keeps the palette light and bright. The kitchen is accented with polished nickel hardware. Niches were created for open shelving on the oven wall. A custom hood fabricated by O’Brien Harris with stainless banding creates a focal point in the space. Windows take up the entire back wall, which posed a storage challenge. The solution? Our kitchen designers extended the kitchen cabinetry into the great room to accommodate the family’s storage requirements. obrienharris.com

Brookline

Reid Design

Design ideas for a contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Sunset Residence

Hoke Ley

Blake Worthington, Rebecca Duke
Design ideas for a large country galley eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor, light wood cabinets and with island.

Farmhouse Kitchen

Photo of a large country single-wall eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, beige floor and light wood cabinets.

Treehouse atop Madison Valley I Seattle, Washington

Syltebo Wight Homes & Jon Syltebo Painting Company

This is an example of a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Casa di campagna in Salento

Flavio Massari You360

Foto © Flavio Massari
Design ideas for a mid-sized mediterranean galley eat-in kitchen in Bari with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances and beige floor.

Rustic Wood Kitchen

Miller Woodworks

This is an example of a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Cincinnati with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, metallic splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Berwyn Pa Kitchen Renovation

EC Spiro Inc

Scott Frederick
This is an example of a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and with island.

Апартаменты Щукино

Красюк Сергей

Contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Moscow with recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances and with island.

Kitchen with Recessed-panel Cabinets and Light Wood Cabinets 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!