Polished aggregate flooring, with satin lacquered slabbed doors warmed with stained oak timber paneling and marbled benches.

Manningtree Road Hawthorn

Open kitchen, dining, living

New Build Transitional Style Kitchen

Svelte Kitchens

This kitchen was a perfect blend of modern and traditional. Shaker doors contrasting with modern fixtures gave the space the timeless elegance the client wanted.

N28 Tudor

Heidi Caillier Design

brass hardware, sage green cabinets, inset hood, old house, soapstone countertops, terra cotta floor tile, tudor house, vintage lighting

Large gold and black pendant lights for function and form

Marvista Design + Build

The beautiful pendants over this island provide general lighting but also add a unique element to this transitional kitchen.

Transitional Kitchen

Kenthurst - Kitchen

Patterson Built Pty Ltd

Penthouse Apartment Renovation

Mal Corboy Design

This penthouse apartment has glorious 270-degree views, and when we engaged to complete the extensive renovation, we knew that this apartment would be a visual masterpiece once finished. So we took inspiration from the colours featuring in many of their art pieces, which we bought into the kitchen colour, soft furnishings and wallpaper. We kept the bathrooms a more muted palette using a pale green on the cabinetry. The MC Lozza dining table, custom-designed wall units and make-up area added uniqueness to this space.

Classic bungalow renovation & extension creates an earthy toned sanctuary.

Alpha 1 Builders

This light bright kitchen suits the home perfectly with a stone waterfall island at it's heart. The stone is continued on the backsplash and cover for the rangehood giving a lovely clean wrap around effect. The traditional style shaker cabinetry ties it all into the age of the home beautifully. With the skylights allowing bursts of ligt to come down. The pendant lights are also a thing of beauty adding a softness that ties in so perfectly with the other dressings and the larger version in the dining area.

Queenstown Stunner

Trends Kitchens

This Queenstown home features Trends Kitchens joinery throughout, including all storage, robes, a bar and a coffee station. The kitchen boasts a spectacular stone benchtop, with battened American Oak to the underside of the curved island. The negative details feature a brass laminate detail to tie in the marble in the stone, alongside the stunning Archant Berkley handles.

Mellons Bay Residence - Kitchen

Melanie Sa'u Design Studio

Onetangi New Home

Mal Corboy Design

Contemporary new home situated absolute waterfront on the magnificent Waiheke Island. The expansive kitchen, scullery, and dining areas are positioned above the sunken lounge and provided a platform to create a feature of the kitchen. Simple white cabinetry was used, which is paired with Petra Grey Granite and finished with blue glass splashbacks and island features. LED lighting features extensively under the shelves plus within the island; not only provides light to the area but imparts drama in the evening.

Doake Road, Canterbury

Dimension Building

With its gabled rectangular form and black iron cladding, this clever new build makes a striking statement yet complements its natural environment. Internally, the house has been lined in chipboard with negative detailing. Polished concrete floors not only look stylish but absorb the sunlight that floods in, keeping the north-facing home warm. The bathroom also features chipboard and two windows to capture the outlook. One of these is positioned at the end of the shower to bring the rural views inside. Floor-to-ceiling dark tiles in the shower alcove make a stunning contrast to the wood. Made on-site, the concrete vanity benchtops match the imported bathtub and vanity bowls. Doors from each of the four bedrooms open to their own exposed aggregate terrace, landscaped with plants and boulders. Attached to the custom kitchen island is a lowered dining area, continuing the chipboard theme. The cabinets and benchtops match those in the bathrooms and contrast with the rest of the open-plan space. A lot has been achieved in this home on a tight budget.

Sandalwood transitional

Jamestown Estate Homes

Daniel Island Drive

Delpino Custom Homes

Photography by Patrick Brickman

Large island with a blunt nose countertop

Marvista Design + Build

The large island in this kitchen hosts seating for your guests without scrimping on storage.

Storage aplenty with this well planned Walk In Pantry

Ultimate Kitchens & Bathrooms

Most people would relate to the typical floor plan of a 1980's Brick Veneer home. Disconnected living spaces with closed off rooms, the original layout comprised of a u shaped kitchen with an archway leading to the adjoining dining area that hooked around to a living room behind the kitchen wall. The client had put a lot of thought into their requirements for the renovation, knowing building works would be involved. After seeing Ultimate Kitchens and Bathrooms projects feature in various magazines, they approached us confidently, knowing we would be able to manage this scale of work alongside their new dream kitchen. Our designer, Beata Brzozowska worked closely with the client to gauge their ideals. The space was transformed with the archway wall between the being replaced by a beam to open up the run of the space to allow for a galley style kitchen. An idealistic walk in pantry was then cleverly incorporated to the design, where all storage needs could be concealed behind sliding doors. This gave scope for the bench top to be clutter free leading out to an alfresco space via bi-fold bay windows which acted as a servery. An island bench at the living end side creates a great area for children to sit engaged in their homework or for another servery area to the interior zone. A lot of research had been undertaken by this client before contacting us at Ultimate Kitchens & Bathrooms. Photography: Marcel Voestermans

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!