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.

River Oaks Federal Colonial

Windham Builders

River Oaks, 2014 - Remodel and Additions

Soothing White and Gray Kitchen Remodel

Normandy Remodeling

Open shelving at the end of this large island helps lighten the visual weight of the piece, as well as providing easy access to cookbooks and other commonly used kitchen pieces. Learn more about the Normandy Remodeling Designer, Stephanie Bryant, who created this kitchen: http://www.normandyremodeling.com/stephaniebryant/

Brooklyn Townhouse Renovation

Studio Geiger Architecture

Sunset Blvd. Pacific Palisades CA.

Tim Reid GC

Everything for the baker

Plain & Posh

Kitchen in Sherman Oaks, CA

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design

Beautiful traditional kitchen with white cabinets and black Caesar Stone counter tops.Backsplash is blue subway tile. Center island is custom walnut stain. Designers: Lauren Jacobsen and Kathy Hartz. Photographer:Terrance Williams

Transitional White Kitchen

Studio M Kitchen & Bath

A sophisticated yet relaxed home for a busy family. Designed with the goal of unifying the spaces, the kitchen, family room, and dining rooms are the heart of this home. White cabinetry and a gorgeous tile pattern are easily blended with stainless accents to create a fresh, easy home, great for entertaining family and friends. Landmark Photography Learn more about our showroom and kitchen and bath design: http://www.mingleteam.com

Ultimate Entertaining Space

Justina Auer

Tall wall of storage and built in appliances adore the main passageway between sun room and great room.

Teddy Edwards Brooklands Range

Kitchen Architecture Ltd

Delaware Beach House with Reclaimed Wood Beams

Barron Designs

Reclaimed wood beams are used vertically to both cover support beams and to visually separate the breakfast bar and kitchen from the rest of the beach house great room.

Armonk Residence

Gallin Beeler Design Studio

Christopher Galluzzo

Kitchen Portfolio

Ulrich Inc

Ulrich Designer: Jeannie Fulton Photography by Peter Rymwid This modern/transitional kitchen was designed to meld comfortably with a 1910 home. This photo highlights the lovely custom-designed and built cabinets by Draper DBS that feature a gray pearl finish that brings an understated elegance to the semblance of a "white kitchen". White calcutta marble tops and backsplashes add to the clean feel and flow of the space. Also featured is a custom designed and manufactured stainless steel range hood by Rangecraft. Contact us at Ulrich for more of the secrets that we hid in this lovely kitchen - there is much much more than meets the eye!

KraftMaid: Maple Cabinetry in Sage and Mushroom with Cocoa Glaze

KraftMaid

Customized panels blend the appliances into a graceful wall of storage, setting off the center workstation and heart of this kitchen in a contrasting glazed paint finish.

narrow shotgun house

Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects LLC

Jon Miller Hedrich Blessing

Muirfield Interior Renovation 22024

J.S. Brown & Co.

With a wall full of windows and gorgeous barrel vaulted ceilings, this space needed grand finishes to live up to the architecture. J.S. Brown & Co. remodeled this kitchen, hearth room, and butler's pantry to with understated elegance and warm details.

【リノベ】K PROJECT, TOKYO

Authentic Collection

Manor Makeover: Kitchen

Charla Ray Interior Design

Galley Kitchen with Recessed-panel 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!