This 1920 Craftsman home was remodeled in the early 80’s where a large family room was added off the back of the home. This remodel utilized the existing back porch as part of the kitchen. The 1980’s remodel created two issues that were addressed in the current kitchen remodel: 1. The new family room (with 15’ ceilings) added a very contemporary feel to the home. As one walked from the dining room (complete with the original stained glass and built-ins with leaded glass fronts) through the kitchen, into the family room, one felt as if they were walking into an entirely different home. 2. The ceiling height change in the enlarged kitchen created an eyesore. The designer addressed these 2 issues by creating a galley kitchen utilizing a mid-tone glazed finish on alder over an updated version of a shaker door. This door had wider styles and rails and a deep bevel framing the inset panel, thus incorporating the traditional look of the shaker door in a more contemporary setting. By having the crown molding stained with an espresso finish, the eye is drawn across the room rather than up, minimizing the different ceiling heights. The back of the bar (viewed from the dining room) further incorporates the same espresso finish as an accent to create a paneled effect (Photo #1). The designer specified an oiled natural maple butcher block as the counter for the eating bar. The lighting over the bar, from Rejuvenation Lighting, is a traditional shaker style, but finished in antique copper creating a new twist on an old theme. To complete the traditional feel, the designer specified a porcelain farm sink with a traditional style bridge faucet with porcelain lever handles. For additional storage, a custom tall cabinet in a denim-blue washed finish was designed to store dishes and pantry items (Photo #2). Since the homeowners are avid cooks, the counters along the wall at the cook top were made 30” deep. The counter on the right of the cook top is maple butcher block; the remainder of the countertops are Silver and Gold Granite. Recycling is very important to the homeowner, so the designer incorporated an insulated copper door in the backsplash to the right of the ovens, which allows the homeowner to put all recycling in a covered exterior location (Photo #3). The 4 X 8” slate subway tile is a modern play on a traditional theme found in Craftsman homes (Photo #4). The new kitchen fits perfectly as a traditional transition when viewed from the dining, and as a contemporary transition when viewed from the family room.

Beaded inset Cabinetry

Wende Woodworking LLC

Main shot of kitchen with Rustic Alder stained perimeter cabinetry and painted and glazed finish on island. Kern Group

Showplace Wood Cherry Kitchen

Swanson Kitchens, Inc.

Contractor: Mitchell Construction Photographer: Daniel Cronin

Jones Design Build

Gigi Olive Interiors Rat Race Studios photography

New Canaan, Ct. Kitchen

Cugno Architecture

Colonial Kitchen Makeover

Davida's Kitchen & Tiles

Bob Narod

Modern Portland New Construction - Kitchen

Kraft Custom Construction

Built from the ground up on 80 acres outside Dallas, Oregon, this new modern ranch house is a balanced blend of natural and industrial elements. The custom home beautifully combines various materials, unique lines and angles, and attractive finishes throughout. The property owners wanted to create a living space with a strong indoor-outdoor connection. We integrated built-in sky lights, floor-to-ceiling windows and vaulted ceilings to attract ample, natural lighting. The master bathroom is spacious and features an open shower room with soaking tub and natural pebble tiling. There is custom-built cabinetry throughout the home, including extensive closet space, library shelving, and floating side tables in the master bedroom. The home flows easily from one room to the next and features a covered walkway between the garage and house. One of our favorite features in the home is the two-sided fireplace – one side facing the living room and the other facing the outdoor space. In addition to the fireplace, the homeowners can enjoy an outdoor living space including a seating area, in-ground fire pit and soaking tub.

A Flair for Detail

Kitchen Encounters

Michael Gullon, Phoenix Photographic

The Boulevard

Urban Development Inc

Lisa Petrole Photography Elsa Santos Stylist

Locust Hills Drive Residence

O’Hara Interiors

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design | Stonewood LLC, Builder | Peter Eskuche, Architect | Troy Thies Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling

Beach House Renovation

Judy Cook Interiors, LLC

Photo Credits: Alex Donovan, asquaredstudio.com

Walnut and White Kitchen

Glen Alspaugh Kitchens and Baths

Alise O'Brien

Lake Side Luxury`

Parkyn Design

White and black distressed kitchen cabinets in this large traditional kitchen.

Handmade In-Frame Kitchen in Old White

BP Kitchens & Interiors

This kitchen used an in-frame design with mainly one painted colour, that being the Farrow & Ball Old White. This was accented with natural oak on the island unit pillars and on the bespoke cooker hood canopy. The Island unit features slide away tray storage on one side with tongue and grove panelling most of the way round. All of the Cupboard internals in this kitchen where clad in a Birch veneer. The main Focus of the kitchen was a Mercury Range Cooker in Blueberry. Above the Mercury cooker was a bespoke hood canopy designed to be at the correct height in a very low ceiling room. The sink and tap where from Franke, the sink being a VBK 720 twin bowl ceramic sink and a Franke Venician tap in chrome. The whole kitchen was topped of in a beautiful granite called Ivory Fantasy in a 30mm thickness with pencil round edge profile.

Chelsea Home Renovation

Terracotta Design Build

Jeff Herr

411 Long Ridge - Kitchen

Pinnacle Mountain Homes

Sophisticated Key West Style

Pinto Designs and Associates

Interior Design: Pinto Designs Architect: Robert Wade Landscape Architect: Raymond Jungles Photography: Kim Sargent

Kitchen

Synthesis Design Inc.

Atherton, California Estate by Markay Johnson Construction

Markay Johnson Construction

Builder: Markay Johnson Construction visit: www.mjconstruction.com Project Details: Located on a beautiful corner lot of just over one acre, this sumptuous home presents Country French styling – with leaded glass windows, half-timber accents, and a steeply pitched roof finished in varying shades of slate. Completed in 2006, the home is magnificently appointed with traditional appeal and classic elegance surrounding a vast center terrace that accommodates indoor/outdoor living so easily. Distressed walnut floors span the main living areas, numerous rooms are accented with a bowed wall of windows, and ceilings are architecturally interesting and unique. There are 4 additional upstairs bedroom suites with the convenience of a second family room, plus a fully equipped guest house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Equally impressive are the resort-inspired grounds, which include a beautiful pool and spa just beyond the center terrace and all finished in Connecticut bluestone. A sport court, vast stretches of level lawn, and English gardens manicured to perfection complete the setting. Photographer: Bernard Andre Photography

MacGibbon Kitchen 4

Cameo Kitchens, Inc.

Features: Custom Wood Hood with Pull Out Spice Racks, Mantel, Motif, and Corbels; Varied Height Cabinetry; Art for Everyday Turned Posts # F-1; Art for Everyday Corbels # CBL-TCY1, Beadboard; Wood Mullion and Clear Beveled Glass Doors; Bar Area; Double Panel Doors;Coffered Ceiling; Enhancement Window; Art for Everyday Mantels # MTL-A1 and # MTL-A0; Desk Area Cabinets- Main Kitchen: Honey Brook Custom in Maple Wood with Seapearl Paint and Glaze; Voyager Full Overlay Door Style with C-2 Lip Cabinets- Island & Bar Area: Honey Brook Custom in CherryWood with Colonial Finish; Voyager Full Overlay Door Style with C-2 Lip Countertops- Main Kitchen: Golden Beach Granite with Double Pencil Edge Countertops- Island and Bar Area: Golden Beach Granite with Waterfall Edge Kitchen Designer: Tammy Clark Photograph: Kelly Keul Duer

Kitchen with Granite 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!