Contemporary Cottage Kitchen: Where Functionality Meets Fine Living

Step into this contemporary cottage kitchen with its inviting U-shaped layout, boasting a blend of modern functionality and rustic charm. The centrepiece is a stunning white oak kitchen island, offering ample storage and a warm, natural aesthetic. Stainless steel appliances seamlessly complement the space, while flat panel cabinets add a sleek, minimalist touch, creating a harmonious balance between tradition and modernity.

Fishtown Row

Wyant Architecture

A rich palette of color and natural materials adds warmth and visual drama to the new kitchen.

Lake Travis Overlook

Marion Interior Design

Beach Street Residence

TINEKE TRIGGS

Suzanne Scott

New England Family Style House with an Eclectic Twist

Shelley Morris Interiors

Photography by Michael Biondo

The 1790 Garvin-Weeks Farmstead

Cummings Architecture + Interiors

The 1790 Garvin-Weeks Farmstead is a beautiful farmhouse with Georgian and Victorian period rooms as well as a craftsman style addition from the early 1900s. The original house was from the late 18th century, and the barn structure shortly after that. The client desired architectural styles for her new master suite, revamped kitchen, and family room, that paid close attention to the individual eras of the home. The master suite uses antique furniture from the Georgian era, and the floral wallpaper uses stencils from an original vintage piece. The kitchen and family room are classic farmhouse style, and even use timbers and rafters from the original barn structure. The expansive kitchen island uses reclaimed wood, as does the dining table. The custom cabinetry, milk paint, hand-painted tiles, soapstone sink, and marble baking top are other important elements to the space. The historic home now shines. Eric Roth

Soapstone Werks Custom sinks

Soapstone Werks

Soapstone Werks makes custom soapstone sinks that look beautiful in every home.

Miller Kitchen

Turan Designs, Inc.

Transitional White Kitchen with Farmhouse Sink

Mountain Eclectic

Colossus Mfg.

Rustic industrial kitchen with textured dark wood cabinetry, black countertops and backsplash, an iron wrapped hood, and milk globe sconces lead into the dining room that boasts a table for 8, wrapped beams, oversized wall tapestry, and an Anders pendant.

Beautiful + Functional Family Kitchen

User

Built in walnut coffee station sits behind a pocket door. Pull out walnut tray makes it easy to access the coffee maker and a drawer below holds all the supplies. Photography by Eric Roth

Designer’s Own Kitchen – Lower Manhattan

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

This kitchen was designed by Bilotta senior designer, Randy O’Kane, CKD with (and for) interior designer Blair Harris. The apartment is located in a turn-of-the-20th-century Manhattan brownstone and the kitchen (which was originally at the back of the apartment) was relocated to the front in order to gain more light in the heart of the home. Blair really wanted the cabinets to be a dark blue color and opted for Farrow & Ball’s “Railings”. In order to make sure the space wasn’t too dark, Randy suggested open shelves in natural walnut vs. traditional wall cabinets along the back wall. She complemented this with white crackled ceramic tiles and strips of LED lights hidden under the shelves, illuminating the space even more. The cabinets are Bilotta’s private label line, the Bilotta Collection, in a 1” thick, Shaker-style door with walnut interiors. The flooring is oak in a herringbone pattern and the countertops are Vermont soapstone. The apron-style sink is also made of soapstone and is integrated with the countertop. Blair opted for the trending unlacquered brass hardware from Rejuvenation’s “Massey” collection which beautifully accents the blue cabinetry and is then repeated on both the “Chagny” Lacanche range and the bridge-style Waterworks faucet. The space was designed in such a way as to use the island to separate the primary cooking space from the living and dining areas. The island could be used for enjoying a less formal meal or as a plating area to pass food into the dining area.

Croton On Hudson Kitchen

Joan Bigg Design LLC

Working within a set of constraints, whether of space or budget, challenges my creativity and leads to a beautiful end result. The old kitchen used the space very poorly. The intent was just to replace the countertop. But once we investigated, the inferior cabinets needed replacing, too, so a rethink of space usage created a small and stylish kitchen of lasting quality.

Country Club Residence

Regas Interiors

photo: Woodie Williams

Remodel- Polo Club

Brekhus Tile & Stone

Raul Garcia

Farmhouse Maple Kitchen Island

Brooks Custom

Premium Wide Plank Maple kitchen island counter top with sealed and oiled finish. Designed by Rafe Churchill, LLC

Clayton

Karen Korn Interiors

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen

Castleman Carpentry, LLC

A Modern Farmhouse Kitchen remodel with subtle industrial styling, clean lines, texture and simple elegance Custom Cabinetry by Castleman Carpentry - custom utensil / cutting board pull out

White Kitchen with Reclaimed Wood Accents and Dash of Blue

Normandy Remodeling

This white painted kitchen features a splash of color in the blue backsplash tile and reclaimed wood beams that add more character and a focal point to the entire kitchen.

Casey Key Coastal

Perrone Construction Custom Homes

Black Kitchen with Soapstone 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!