Our client wanted to create a warm, homely and light-filled environment that would draw their family together. Achieving this involved extensive internal and external reconfiguration to reorganise and interconnect the family living spaces and to bring natural light, access to and views of the garden into the heart of the home. This is a recently built split-level, semi-detached property; the internal stairway received no natural lighting giving an uninviting link between each room. The family rooms were located away from the sunny garden and the office was installed in the attic, separating the family to the least appealing corners of the house for daytime activities, connected by the uninviting staircase. The south facing living room was remote from the main living spaces and had small low doors affording little view to the garden. Our intervention focussed on making the underused garden room viable and worthy as the best room in the house. In order to house the kitchen, dining and tv snug, we pushed the rear wall out and up, installing a series of full height glazed doors to the rear as well as rooflights, raising sightlines for views of the sky and garden and giving level entry to a new enclosed terrace with permanent seating, barbeque and storage. External stairs connect up to the main garden and sweep onwards back to a second family room. The living spaces, now all located to the sunny rear, flow together, with the kitchen and barbeque reinstated as the hub of family life. We added a welcoming porch and refurbished the entrance hall, highlighting the previously obscured frontage and affording immediate views from it through to the garden on entry as well as adding plenty of storage. Unable to add windows to the stair, we inserted a large rooflight and opened up the half landings to it with floor glass and mirrors. Glazed internal walls bring light from front and back at each landing, flooding the stair with natural light and giving continually repeating views to the sky and garden. The refurbishment, with beautiful, tactile and textured surfaces, layers warmth onto contemporary concrete, steel and glass to further enrich the homely ambiance in conjunction with the natural external textures visible from every space.

Urban Modern Kitchen Oro Valley

Uncharted Design LLC

Rustic Cabinet Kitchen with Copper, Stone and Butchers Block Countertops

CabinetWerks by Orren Pickell

Photo by Linda Oyama Bryan. Cabinetry by Wood-Mode/Brookhaven.

M.I. from California

Tuscan Hills Cabinetry

Tuscan Hills Cabinetry Utimo Line Malibu Maple White

OPEN PLAN KITCHEN TO PENTHOUSE at Modern Classic Development

misch_MISCH studio

OPEN PLAN KITCHEN TO PENTHOUSE with dark blue flat panel units, marble top and kitchen island with metal worktop. Overhang with Art Deco lighting and with leather armchair stools. project: AUTHENTICALLY MODERN GRADE II. APARTMENTS in Heritage respectful Contemporary Classic Luxury style For full details see or contact us: www.mischmisch.com studio@mischmisch.com

Industrial Chic Kitchen

R Cabinet Studio

Design by Raissa Hall. Cabinetry by Candlelight Cabinetry and a custom island. Photos by Kelsey Schumaker

ISLAND DRIVE III

Rasnick Homes

Canal House

Cranius Creative Concepts

A Piet Boon Kitchen island, surrounded by Marie's Corner barstools forms the heart of the house.

Mizner inspired custom kitchen

Bright Wood Works, Inc

Period style custom gourmet kitchen

Swift

Clawson Architects, LLC

This custom cabinet was designed to create better proportions and devide the informal dining room from the living room

Classic Hampton Home & Kitchen

Woodstock Furniture

We had a wonderful opportunity to design and make a classic kitchen in a large period property with a brief to make sure that the kitchen reflected the history, style and feel of this cosy family home

Full Home Renovation

Sunrise Design and Construction LLC

Copper Detailed Kitchen

Copperfield Kitchens

Beautiful traditional hand painted bespoke Kitchen cupboards featuring glazed wall cupboard with sliding doors and copper recessed handles. The cupboard features a copper work surface & copper door furniture. This cabinet is movable on lockable castors.

M.I. from California

Tuscan Hills Cabinetry

Tuscan Hills Cabinetry Utimo Line Malibu Maple White

Kitchens

The Tile & Stone Gallery

Karndean Design Flooring - Kitchen Ideas

Pauls Floors

Van Gogh Charred Oak LVT Flooring. Photo courtesy of Karndean International Flooring

Remodeled Kitchen

Julianne Stirling

Treasure Island Kitchen

Elements Design Co. (DBA Kitchen Style, LLC)

M.I. from California

Tuscan Hills Cabinetry

Tuscan Hills Cabinetry Utimo Line Malibu Maple White

Hood River Home

Green Home Design + Build

Large Kitchen with Copper 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!