Contemporary Kitchens

Hurst Design Build Remodeling

Darren Sinnett

Beautiful hardwood floors and painted cabinets

Marvista Design + Build

The hardwood floors are a perfect contrast to the smooth painted finished of the cabinets.

Contemporary Kitchen with Warm Timber Accents

Premier Kitchens

As the residence’s original kitchen was becoming dilapidated, the homeowners decided to knock it down and place it in a different part of the house prior to designing and building the gorgeous kitchen pictured. The homeowners love to entertain, so they requested the kitchen be the centrepiece of the entertaining area at the rear of the house. Large sliding doors were installed to allow the space to extend seamlessly out to the patio, garden, barbecue and pool at the rear of the home, forming one large entertaining area. Given the space’s importance within the home, it had to be aesthetically pleasing. With this in mind, gorgeous Ross Gardam pendants were selected to add an element of luxe to the space. Byron Blackbutt veneer, polyurethane in Domino and gorgeous quartz were chosen as the space’s main materials to add warmth to what is predominantly a very modern home.

Schroeder MN Lake Home

NORTH STAR KITCHENS

A modern rustic black and white kitchen on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota. Complete with a French Le CornuFe cooking range & Sub-Zero refrigeration and wine storage units. The sink is made by Galley and the decorative hardware and faucet by Waterworks. photo credit: Alyssa Lee

Lake Home Retreat

Projects Contemporary Furniture

Apartamento en Sarrià, Barcelona

BCA Interiors SL

Modern-Industrial Kitchen

Next Stage Design + Build

Innovative Entertainer's Kitchen

User

A unique and innovative design, combining the requirements of regular entertainers with busy family lives looking for style and drama in what was a compact space. The redesigned kitchen has space for sit-down meals, work zones for laptops on the large table, and encourages an open atmosphere allowing of lively conversation during food prep, meal times or when friends drop by. The new concept creates space by not only opening up the initial floor plan, but through the creative use of a two-tiered island benchtop, a stylish solution that further sets this kitchen apart. The upper work bench is crafted from Quantum Quartz Gris Fuma stone, utilizing man made stone’s practicality and durability, while the lower custom designed timber table showcases the beauty of Natural Calacatta Honed Marble.

Two toned kitchen with Blum charging drawer

Improva

Decorative and gold pot filler over a profession grade range

Marvista Design + Build

This 48" professional range is perfectly placed under a black decorative hood and gold pot filler. This kitchen is fit for a chef.

Woodland

Buildhaus

Schroeder MN Lake Home

NORTH STAR KITCHENS

Manhattan Apartment

NY Loft

Contemporary Kitchen with Warm Timber Accents

Premier Kitchens

Nomadic Nest

Andrew Mikhael Architect

Kitchen is Center In our design to combine the apartments, we centered the kitchen - making it a dividing line between private and public space; vastly expanding the storage and work surface area. We discovered an existing unused roof penetration to run a duct to vent out a powerful kitchen hood. The original bathroom skylight now illuminates the central kitchen space. Without changing the standard skylight size, we gave it architectural scale by carving out the ceiling to maximize daylight. Light now dances off the vaulted, sculptural angles of the ceiling to bathe the entire space in natural light.

New York Contemporary

Karen Berkemeyer Home

Kitchen with Black Cabinets and Stone Slab Splashback 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!