Custom brass pulls with maple inserts add a unique touch to the simple white cabinetry. A marble counter and subway tile backsplash allow the pulls and island to stand out and make a statement. Summer Thornton Design, Inc.

Taj Mahal Quartzite in a Contemporary Kitchen

Granite Grannies

Taj Mahal Quartzite with a clean eased edge in a luxurious modern Annapolis, Maryland home. Quartzite is a 100% natural, quarried stone that looks like marble, but is durable and scratch resistant like granite. Taj Mahal Quartzite is one of the hardest natural countertop stones on the market.

Kitchens

Bradford & Kent Home Remodeling

This transitional style kitchen incorporates a load-bearing beam into the design of the island. The island is large and serves as a breakfast area, as well as housing for a dishwasher. The openness of the space allows for social gatherings and family friendliness. The dark flooring works well with the lighter walls and counter-top to create visual appeal through contrast. The hanging glass lights provide not only the functionality of lighting the area but also elevate the room by adding layers to it. They also draw attention to the center of the room and create a focal point around the island that draw attention to keep the room open and keep all inhabitants connected.

Santa Barbara Style Home

Platinum Homes by Mark Molthan

Page Agency

Steven Paul Whitsitt Photography

Lincoln, RI - Kitchen Remodel

INSPERIORS, LLC

Complete Kitchen Remodel Designed by Interior Designer Nathan J. Reynolds and Installed by RI Kitchen & Bath. phone: (508) 837 - 3972 email: nathan@insperiors.com www.insperiors.com Photography Courtesy of © 2012 John Anderson Photography.

Calacatta 19

Marazzi Design

Calacatta Marble Calacatta Marble Finish in Base Island Units and Worktop 45degree edge, overlaping Sides. Lacquered Concrete Finish to Tall Units.

Ladue New Build

Detailed Designs By Denise

New Home Construction by Freeman Homes, LLC. Interior Design by Joy Tribout Interiors. Cabinet Design by Detailed Designs by Denise Cabinets Provided by Wright Cabinet Shop

Deer Hollow Drive Napa CA

Jane Ellison

“With the open-concept floor plan, this kitchen needed to have a galley layout,” Ellison says. A large island helps delineate the kitchen from the other rooms around it. These include a dining area directly behind the kitchen and a living room to the right of the dining room. This main floor also includes a small TV lounge, a powder room and a mudroom. The house sits on a slope, so this main level enjoys treehouse-like canopy views out the back. The bedrooms are on the walk-out lower level.“These homeowners liked grays and neutrals, and their style leaned contemporary,” Ellison says. “They also had a very nice art collection.” The artwork is bright and colorful, and a neutral scheme provided the perfect backdrop for it. They also liked the idea of using durable laminate finishes on the cabinetry. The laminates have the look of white oak with vertical graining. The galley cabinets are lighter and warmer, while the island has the look of white oak with a gray wash for contrast. The countertops and backsplash are polished quartzite. The quartzite adds beautiful natural veining patterns and warm tones to the room.

Cocina abierta al salón

MAJO FLORES - Interior Design Studio

Falls Church Project

Making Room for Peace

When it came to the inspiration for the Falls Church project, a good deal of it came from our client’s love for Heath Ceramics. Located out in Sausalito, California, this company is best-known for their handcrafted ceramic tableware and architectural tile in distinctive glazes. Further down (if you scroll) there is a photo of the growing client’s collection! Taking cue from these pieces (the color, style and story); we also took note of the Heath store itself, and how it tied in (in regards to the finishes/style) perfectly with our vision for the home.

Ultramodern German Kitchen in Findon Valley, West Sussex

Alexander Kitchens

Ultramodern German Kitchen in Findon Valley, West Sussex Our contracts team make the most of a wonderful open plan space with an ultramodern kitchen design & theme. The Brief For this kitchen project in Findon Valley a truly unique design was required. With this property recently extensively renovated, a vast ground floor space required a minimalist kitchen theme to suit the style of this client. A key desirable was a link between the outdoors and the kitchen space, completely level flooring in this room meant that when bi-fold doors were peeled back the kitchen could function as an extension of this sunny garden. Throughout, personal inclusions and elements have been incorporated to suit this client. Design Elements To achieve the brief of this project designer Sarah from our contracts team conjured a design that utilised a huge bank of units across the back wall of this space. This provided the client with vast storage and also meant no wall units had to be used at the client’s request. Further storage, seating and space for appliances is provided across a huge 4.6-meter island. To suit the open plan style of this project, contemporary German furniture has been used from premium supplier Nobilia. The chosen finish of Slate Grey compliments modern accents used elsewhere in the property, with a dark handleless rail also contributing to the theme. Special Inclusions An important element was a minimalist and uncluttered feel throughout. To achieve this plentiful storage and custom pull-out platforms for small appliances have been utilised to minimise worktop clutter. A key part of this design was also the high-performance appliances specified. Within furniture a Neff combination microwave, Neff compact steam oven and two Neff Slide & Hide ovens feature, in addition to two warming drawers beneath ovens. Across the island space, a Bora Pure venting hob is used to remove the need for an overhead extractor – with a Quooker boiling tap also fitted. Project Highlight The undoubtable highlight of this project is the 4.6 metre island – fabricated with seamless Corian work surfaces in an Arrow Root finish. On each end of the island a waterfall edge has been included, with seating and ambient lighting nice additions to this space. The End Result The result of this project is a wonderful open plan kitchen design that incorporates several great features that have been personalised to suit this client’s brief. This project was undertaken by our contract kitchen team. Whether you are a property developer or are looking to renovate your own home, consult our expert designers to see how we can design your dream space. To arrange an appointment visit a showroom or book an appointment now.

Classic Design on Rolling Hills

Nathan Taylor for Obelisk Home

Lucas Ranch - Mediterranean Great Room & Kitchen

In the Deets

Modern Mediterranean new construction home featuring custom finishes throughout. A warm, Mediterranean palette, brass fixtures, colorful accents make this home a one-of-a-kind.

PK17 - Designer Kitchen

Cascade West Development

This Modern Multi-Level Home Boasts Master & Guest Suites on The Main Level + Den + Entertainment Room + Exercise Room with 2 Suites Upstairs as Well as Blended Indoor/Outdoor Living with 14ft Tall Coffered Box Beam Ceilings!

Colorado Homes Magazine Denver Kitchen Remodel

JM Kitchen & Bath Design

Omega Cabinetry Large Gourmet Kitchen Large European Modern Kitchen Large White and Gray painted kitchen White painted shaker transom cabinetry Gray painted islands, shaker cabinetry Large island Wolf and Sub Zero appliances Large custom SS Vent a Hood vent Modern subway tile Modern hardware from Top Knobs Built in Kitchen table and bench seating quartz countertops

Boca Raton Luxury Mansion

User

Kitchen, White High Gloss Glass Laminates and American walnut veneers

Amarra Estate

Marion Interior Design

Linden Plan

King's Court Builders, Inc.

Spacious kitchen to welcome your family and friends. The black and white contrast and fixtures over the island are great touches!

Expansive Open Plan Kitchen 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!