By raising the ceiling in this newly remodeled kitchen, the space simply opened up. The large island is able to accommodate conversational seating to be near the cook, but does not interrupt the traffic path to the cooktop, sink, and refrigerator. White painted periphery cabinets with a rich countertop creates a larger outline, while the dark stained island cabinets and lighter countertop grounds the center of the space. Beautiful veined tile adds depth and interest to the solid surfaces. On the opposite side of the island, the open space allowed for a dog feeding station to be imbedded.

Kitchen Range & Hood

Williams Partnership: Architecture

Traditional Estate Home

David Charlez Designs

An expansive prep kitchen does the heavy lifting and storage for the main kitchen. It features ample storage with cabinetry and counter space on three walls plus a prep sink. A cabinet front refrigerator is neatly hidden. Photo by Spacecrafting

Kinsale | Home Design

Meriwether Design Group

Jeff Herr

French Creek Chateau

Steiner-Houck & Associates, LLC

Detail shot of cast stone fireplace hearth. Peter Leach Photography

River's End

Pineapple House Interior Design

There is abundant storage in this kitchen. It offers a wall of decorative cabinetry and two islands. The wall of cabinets include a door into a large walk-in pantry located behind the cabinetry’s façade, which is a fun surprise for visitors. Antique, mirrored glass-door cabinets flank the kitchen hood and a pop-up television raises from front island’s quartzite countertop when the cook or guests want to engage. In this photo, the vase and bowl are covering the tv's quartzite cover.

Charlotte Street - Shoreditch

Roushka Boyd

Photographer - Billy Bolton

NEWTOWN CT - Treasured Islands

DEANE Inc | Distinctive Design & Cabinetry

This beautifully designed custom kitchen has everything you need. From the blue cabinetry and detailed woodwork to the marble countertops and black and white tile flooring, it provides an open workspace with ample space to entertain family and friends.

Oceanfront Penthouse

Rogers Design Group

This contemporary kitchen in a luxury condominium is state of the art. The stained *cabinets are contrasted by white glass appliances, stainless steel accents and recycled glass countertops. The floating wall houses the ovens, microwave, warming steamer on the kitchen side. On the opposite side there is a continuation of the fine woodwork throughout the space . Refrigerators are completely built-in and clad in the same wood as to appear to be a cabinet. Stainless drawers complete the base cabinet below the cooktop and create the detail at the corners of the center island. Dishwashers flank the sink and are covered in the same cabinetry forming a seamless effect. The stone top on the outside island had a waterfall detail and additional storage. Three pendent lights illuminate the leather swivel barstools with bronze iron bases. •Photo by Argonaut Architectural•

A Modern Kitchen with Contemporary Styling

J&J Carpet One Floor & Home

Being that the homeowners enjoy entertaining and have such a large space to do so, a wet bar with plenty of storage was added. A copper wine glass rack was custom made for the bar and display’s wine glasses in a decorative way. Designer Brittany Hutt specified Homecrest Cabinetry’s Rainer door style in the color Maple Ginger with a Wheat Finish. The kitchen and wet bar include stacked upper cabinets with lift up glass door fronts and inside LED lighting to highlight the décor displayed inside. For the countertops Pompeii Quartz in the color Black Magic was chosen. The cabinets were complete with sleek Off Center Pulls in a Matte Chrome Finish from Atlas Hardware. To integrate a contemporary coastal design element, the Caicos Blue Beach Glass Mosaic in the color Teal from Marazzi was selected for both the kitchen and wet bar backsplash.

Geneva Transitional Home with Farmhouse Kitchen

Havlicek Builders Inc.

Double island kitchen with 2 sinks, custom cabinetry and hood. Brass light fixtures. Transitional/farmhouse kitchen.

Cosmic Black Granite Kitchen

Stone Action

Cosmic Black granite is shown in this project! Search the specific granite name, see more granite or other stone options: http://www.stoneaction.com Learn more about granite to see if it’s right for you: Granite countertops can last a lifetime. It contains no harmful chemicals and do not emit harmful radiation or gasses. Granite is heat resistant and is one of the most heat-resistant countertops on the market. You can place a hot pan out of the oven directly onto the countertop surface. Experts do recommend the use of a trivet when using appliances that emit heat for long periods of time, such as crockpots. Since the material is so dense, there is a small possibility heating one area of the top and not the entire thing, could cause the countertop to crack. Granite is scratch resistant. You can cut on it, but it will dull your knives! Granite scores a seven on Moh’s hardness scale. Granite countertops are considered to be a low maintenance countertop surface. The likelihood of needing to be repaired or resurfaced is low. Granite is a porous material. Most fabricators will apply a sealer to granite countertops before they are installed which will protect them from absorbing liquids too quickly. Many sealers last more than 10 years before needing to be reapplied. When they do need to be reapplied, it is something that most homeowners can do on their own as the process is similar to cleaning. Darker granites are very dense and sometimes don’t even require a sealer. When it comes to pricing, there are a lot of variables such as edge profile, total square footage, backsplash, etc. Don’t be fooled by the stereotype that all granite is expensive. Lower-range granites will cost less than high-range laminate. Though granite countertops are not considered “low range” in pricing, there are a lot of affordable options. If you are looking for something truly unique, consider an exotic granite. Some quarries are not easily accessible and/or only able to be quarried for short periods of time throughout the year. If these circumstances exist in a quarry with gorgeous stone, the price will be driven upward You won’t find a lot of solid patterns or bright colors, but both do exist. Also, watch for a large range of color and pattern within the same color of stone. It’s always a good idea to view the exact slab(s) that will be fabricated for your kitchen to make sure they are what you expected to see from the sample. Another factor is that many exotic types of granite have huge flowing waves, and a small sample will not be an accurate representation of the whole slab. Granite countertops are very resistant to chemicals. Acids and bases will not harm the material.

Kitchen Island

Fratantoni Interior Designers

French Villa kitchen features a custom-built island with intricate designs on the ledge and excellent craftsmanship. Two steel pendants suspend from the arched ceiling for added lighting. The kitchen is in a U-shape featuring white cabinets and marble countertops with a stainless steel gas-burning stove and steel range hood.

Contemporary Kitchen

Double Island Kitchen

WL Kitchen & Home

Jason Taylor

Wellborn Forest Cabinetry

C&H Kitchen Cabinet Gallery

Hampton’s Style House

Mitchell Wall Architecture and Design

The hub of the home includes the kitchen with midnight blue & white custom cabinets by Beck Allen Cabinetry, a quaint banquette & an artful La Cornue range that are all highlighted with brass hardware. The kitchen connects to the living space with a cascading see-through fireplace that is surfaced with an undulating textural tile.

Contemporary Kitchen

Monley Cronin Construction

Remodeled in 2016, this contemporary kitchen is located on private golf course. Unique and stunning island and lighting treatments utilizing a combination of materials to complement and accentuate the design and functionality of the space. Featuring Verde Fire Granite, Red Birch Cabinets, Walnut Cabinets, and Walnut Island Countertop. McCandless & Associates Architects Photo credit: Farrell Scott

Old World Tradition

Salem and Associates

Outside Inside House

Neil Cownie Architect Pty Ltd

A strong relationship between internal and external areas was sought for the main everyday living areas of the house, being the kitchen, meals area and dining room. Devices such as the highlight windows within these spaces allow a constant glimpse to the sky, the blurring of internal and external boundaries through the use of external materials within the house and the large openings making visual connections. The stone walls used externally have also been used internally to the south wall of the meals area and the copper soffit lining to the upper terrace runs internally in the bulkhead and ceiling to the kitchen, meals and dining room thereby blurring the internal and external areas. The ceilings within the dining room and kitchen / meals area are lined with timber battens. Along with providing warmth and detail to these spaces the timber battens also conceal acoustic insulation to assist with deadening the reverberant noise. The design and usability of the upper terrace itself was pivotal to the success of the house. It is the external area of the upper terrace that connects to extend the internal areas with the boundary between the two being blurred. A balance was reached between solar access and protection from the rain while maintaining a non-restricted view to the sky from internal areas through the use of glass roofs and automated awnings. Photo by Angelita Bonetti

Kitchen with multiple Islands 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!