A Modern Kitchen for a Retreat in the Woods

This is a great house. Perched high on a private, heavily wooded site, it has a rustic contemporary aesthetic. Vaulted ceilings, sky lights, large windows and natural materials punctuate the main spaces. The existing large format mosaic slate floor grabs your attention upon entering the home extending throughout the foyer, kitchen, and family room. Specific requirements included a larger island with workspace for each of the homeowners featuring a homemade pasta station which requires small appliances on lift-up mechanisms as well as a custom-designed pasta drying rack. Both chefs wanted their own prep sink on the island complete with a garbage “shoot” which we concealed below sliding cutting boards. A second and overwhelming requirement was storage for a large collection of dishes, serving platters, specialty utensils, cooking equipment and such. To meet those needs we took the opportunity to get creative with storage: sliding doors were designed for a coffee station adjacent to the main sink; hid the steam oven, microwave and toaster oven within a stainless steel niche hidden behind pantry doors; added a narrow base cabinet adjacent to the range for their large spice collection; concealed a small broom closet behind the refrigerator; and filled the only available wall with full-height storage complete with a small niche for charging phones and organizing mail. We added 48” high base cabinets behind the main sink to function as a bar/buffet counter as well as overflow for kitchen items. The client’s existing vintage commercial grade Wolf stove and hood commands attention with a tall backdrop of exposed brick from the fireplace in the adjacent living room. We loved the rustic appeal of the brick along with the existing wood beams, and complimented those elements with wired brushed white oak cabinets. The grayish stain ties in the floor color while the slab door style brings a modern element to the space. We lightened the color scheme with a mix of white marble and quartz countertops. The waterfall countertop adjacent to the dining table shows off the amazing veining of the marble while adding contrast to the floor. Special materials are used throughout, featured on the textured leather-wrapped pantry doors, patina zinc bar countertop, and hand-stitched leather cabinet hardware. We took advantage of the tall ceilings by adding two walnut linear pendants over the island that create a sculptural effect and coordinated them with the new dining pendant and three wall sconces on the beam over the main sink.

Pivot Kitchen Counter and Backsplash

Fireclay Tile

When Dani Nagel bought her home in Los Angeles, the fashion turned interior designer went wild putting her colorful style on every square inch of the home, including this kitchen's counters and backsplash tiled in Handpainted Pivot in a custom colorway. DESIGN Dani Nagel PHOTOS Dani Nagel TILE SHOWN HANDPAINTED in Pivot custom glaze 2x8 Tumbleweed

Clareville home

Northern Beaches Kitchens and Bathrooms

Alaska White Granite Countertops

Paradise Granite LLC

These beautiful Alaska White granite countertops were the perfect selection for this modern kitchen space featuring light grey walls, white cabinetry, and a charcoal-grey island as a statement piece.

Panda / Absolute Black Select

Italcer USA

Panda presents an elegant contrast of white and black shades and a unique design that gives real character to any space or decor. The glossy finish gives depth to the color and beauty to the details of this gorgeous product. Absolute Black Select enhances the technological virtuosity of this imposing porcelain slab, enhancing the architectural versatility, once again at the complete disposal of the design inspiration.

Grace of light

Bellas Artes

Custom dry bar with refrigerator drawers

Christine Lakas, The Designer, LLC

Kitchen remodel- Hayward

W and W Builders Group Inc.

new kitchen remodel just got done, gray tile, custom white flat-panel kitchen cabinets, Vadara Calacata white quartz countertop with custom 9 feet Island , panel-ready custom cabinet for the fridge, new construction window, LED lights..

Bright, White, and Blue Kitchen

Forward Design Build Remodel

Goals Our client wanted to open up the kitchen into the living area, allowing the first floor to feel more open and optimize storage, since it was a smaller space. They wanted to keep with the original architecture while still making the space feel modern and fresh. Our Design Solution By removing hanging cabinets that blocked views into the living area and enlarging the kitchen island, we created a more open and inviting space. Replacing the dark cabinets and updating the counters with white marble, we transformed this space into a modern-style kitchen. Aqua colored subway tile was used to add a complementary accent color. We custom designed a pantry in order to store food as well as larger appliances that the client didn’t want out on the counter.

Modern Lacquer with island in Swiss Cottage

Kitchens Continental

A beautiful modern, yet practical, lacquer door kitchen with a white speckled quartz and working / breakfast island.

Modern Kitchen

Shearer Designs

Modern Kitchen, Granite waterfall edge countertop and full backsplash. 7615 SW Sea Serpent cabinet color, Laminate gray LVP flooring. Black Stainless steel appliances. Blanco black composite undermount sink. White Dove Wall Color OC-17 Benjamin Moore Satin.

Plymouth Heights condo up grade

Gabriel's Kitchen and Bath LLC

Gabe DiDonato

Union Square Townhouse Renovation

Flatiron Design and Build

East Cobb Clean and sophisticated Kitchen

Rosa Moreno Kitchens

Clean and Sophisticated kitchen with white perimeter and black/blue island and vent hood, mitered edge porcelain countertops in a honed finish - picket backsplash with white grout, black faucet, black sink and black decorative hardware.

Ojai Modern Garage Conversion into Guesthouse/ ADUkitchen remodel, kitchen desig

Sol Haus Design

The studio has an open plan layout with natural light filtering the space with skylights and french doors to the outside. The kitchen is open to the living area and has plenty of storage.

Scarsdale, NY

BERGEN marble+granite

Springfield Modern

Springhouse Architects, LLC

Kelly Ann Photos

Mountain Man Modern

Rumor Design + reDesign

Custom cabinetry and careful space planning allow for all of the wish-list items and appliances.

Communities - Herriman, UT (38)

Magleby Construction

Alan Blakely

Best ceilings by Fratantoni Interior designers!

Fratantoni Interior Designers

Exposed beams painted to match the white modern kitchen design.

Modern Kitchen with Multi-Coloured Benchtop 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 Modern 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!