Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Kitchen

Dennehy Builders Pty Ltd

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Geelong with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, with island, white benchtop, wood and grey floor.

Hidden Lake

Arcanum Architecture

Design ideas for a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, quartz benchtops, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop and wood.

Cliffside Farmhouse

Danze & Davis Architects, Inc.

This is an example of a mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and wood.

Organic Modern, Cordillera Ranch

NR Interiors

We furnished this Kitchen and Breakfast nook to provide the homeowner with stylish easy care leather seating. The streamlined style of furniture is to compliment the modern architecture and Kitchen designed by Lake Flato Architects.

Warren Terrace Hinsdale

Plain & Posh

These homeowners were ready to update the home they had built when their girls were young. This was not a full gut remodel. The perimeter cabinetry mostly stayed but got new doors and height added at the top. The island and tall wood stained cabinet to the left of the sink are new and custom built and I hand-drew the design of the new range hood. The beautiful reeded detail came from our idea to add this special element to the new island and cabinetry. Bringing it over to the hood just tied everything together. We were so in love with this stunning Quartzite we chose for the countertops we wanted to feature it further in a custom apron-front sink. We were in love with the look of Zellige tile and it seemed like the perfect space to use it in.

Manifold House

Oliver Custom Homes

Galley kitchen open to living and dining rooms with gray, flat panel custom cabinets, white walls, beige stone floors, and custom wood ceiling.
Photo of a large modern galley open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, limestone floors, with island, beige floor and wood.

Wine Cup Hill Kitchen & Living Room Remodel

Haven Design and Construction

Our clients desired an organic and airy look for their kitchen and living room areas. Our team began by painting the entire home a creamy white and installing all new white oak floors throughout. The former dark wood kitchen cabinets were removed to make room for the new light wood and white kitchen. The clients originally requested an "all white" kitchen, but the designer suggested bringing in light wood accents to give the kitchen some additional contrast. The wood ceiling cloud helps to anchor the space and echoes the new wood ceiling beams in the adjacent living area. To further incorporate the wood into the design, the designer framed each cabinetry wall with white oak "frames" that coordinate with the wood flooring. Woven barstools, textural throw pillows and olive trees complete the organic look. The original large fireplace stones were replaced with a linear ripple effect stone tile to add modern texture. Cozy accents and a few additional furniture pieces were added to the clients existing sectional sofa and chairs to round out the casually sophisticated space.

FULL KITCHEN AND BATHROOM REMODELING

American Home Improvement Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, grey floor, white benchtop and wood.

Our work

On The Ball Homes

Inspiration for a country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Modern Farmhouse New Build in Vienna

Olamar Interiors

A modern farmhouse dining space/breakfast area in a new construction home in Vienna, VA.
Photo of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and wood.

Hollywood Actor's Off Grid Tiny Home

Tru Form Tiny

Designed by Malia Schultheis and built by Tru Form Tiny. This Tiny Home features Blue stained pine for the ceiling, pine wall boards in white, custom barn door, custom steel work throughout, and modern minimalist window trim. The Cabinetry is Maple with stainless steel countertop and hardware. The backsplash is a glass and stone mix. It only has a 2 burner cook top and no oven. The washer/ drier combo is in the kitchen area. Open shelving was installed to maintain an open feel.

Küche

Jens Gerber Fotografie

Gartenhaus an der Tabaksmühle
Inspiration for a small modern single-wall open plan kitchen in Frankfurt with open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, timber splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor, beige benchtop and wood.

Wildwood - Kitchen

Giulietti Schouten Weber Architects

Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and wood.

French Country Florida Style

Waterview Kitchens

Gorgeous French Country style kitchen featuring a rustic cherry hood with coordinating island. White inset cabinetry frames the dark cherry creating a timeless design.

Kitchens III

Webber Coleman Woodworks

Farmhouse kitchen with black, white, and wood palette. Inset cabinets with glass doors; decorative feet on base cabinets. Appliance panels. Nickel gap-clad island with stained wood end supports. Custom metal and wood decorative range hood surround.

FOR SALE - Dream Home in Mont-Tremblant

BROKEREDBYJOSH - Josh Jagermann

Design ideas for a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Montreal with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, slate floors, with island, vaulted, wood, a farmhouse sink, grey splashback, panelled appliances, multi-coloured floor and black benchtop.

Custom Log Retreat

Woodland Designs, Inc.

Inspiration for a country galley open plan kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, metal splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, brown benchtop and wood.

Poppy 3

Sterling-Huddleson Architecture

This is an example of a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop, exposed beam and wood.

Ketchum Cabin Retreat

User

The living, dining, and kitchen opt for views rather than walls. The living room is encircled by three, 16’ lift and slide doors, creating a room that feels comfortable sitting amongst the trees. Because of this the love and appreciation for the location are felt throughout the main floor. The emphasis on larger-than-life views is continued into the main sweet with a door for a quick escape to the wrap-around two-story deck.

Open Plan Kitchen with Wood 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!