Ease of entertaining was key for the owners, so maximising the home’s formal rooms, designing a kitchen for large-scale cooking and creating outdoor spaces to gather are much-loved additions.

Flinders , Sailors Whisk

Mermaid Bay Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, distressed cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, shiplap splashback, coloured appliances, light hardwood floors, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Mountain Traditional 1

Jensen Design

Photo of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped open plan kitchen in Denver with black splashback, a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors and no island.

A Clean and Bright Seattle Galley Kitchen

CliqStudios

"We wanted it to be as open and bright as possible," said Spencer. "No upper cabinets, a lot of windows, bright tile, and also making it look a bit older, because it is a Craftsman house. We lived in the house and planned for a long time – to make sure that it was a smart choice to move the refrigerator, or add windows, or open up the walls." Learn more: https://www.cliqstudios.com/gallery/clean-bright-galley-kitchen/

Modern Farm House in Cherry Hills

Haley Custom Homes

This open floor kitchen has a mixture of Concrete Counter tops as well as Marble. The range hood is made of a custom plaster. The T&G ceiling with accents of Steel make this room cozy and elegant. The floors were 8 inch planks imported from Europe.

Contemporary Woodland

Cabinet Plant

For this project, the initial inspiration for our clients came from seeing a modern industrial design featuring barnwood and metals in our showroom. Once our clients saw this, we were commissioned to completely renovate their outdated and dysfunctional kitchen and our in-house design team came up with this new space that incorporated old world aesthetics with modern farmhouse functions and sensibilities. Now our clients have a beautiful, one-of-a-kind kitchen which is perfect for hosting and spending time in. Modern Farm House kitchen built in Milan Italy. Imported barn wood made and set in gun metal trays mixed with chalk board finish doors and steel framed wired glass upper cabinets. Industrial meets modern farm house

Black Kitchen Collection By Darash

By Darash - Kitchen Cabinets, Vanities & Closets

Inspiration for a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, concrete benchtops, black splashback, cement tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

La Quinta Modernist Home - Kitchen

Bradshaw Construction

This 6,500-square-foot one-story vacation home overlooks a golf course with the San Jacinto mountain range beyond. The house has a light-colored material palette—limestone floors, bleached teak ceilings—and ample access to outdoor living areas. Builder: Bradshaw Construction Architect: Marmol Radziner Interior Design: Sophie Harvey Landscape: Madderlake Designs Photography: Roger Davies

Peak Performance

JayJeffers

Matthew Millman
This is an example of a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Mike's Hammock

Isla Homes

I built this on my property for my aging father who has some health issues. Handicap accessibility was a factor in design. His dream has always been to try retire to a cabin in the woods. This is what he got. It is a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a great room. It is 600 sqft of AC space. The footprint is 40' x 26' overall. The site was the former home of our pig pen. I only had to take 1 tree to make this work and I planted 3 in its place. The axis is set from root ball to root ball. The rear center is aligned with mean sunset and is visible across a wetland. The goal was to make the home feel like it was floating in the palms. The geometry had to simple and I didn't want it feeling heavy on the land so I cantilevered the structure beyond exposed foundation walls. My barn is nearby and it features old 1950's "S" corrugated metal panel walls. I used the same panel profile for my siding. I ran it vertical to math the barn, but also to balance the length of the structure and stretch the high point into the canopy, visually. The wood is all Southern Yellow Pine. This material came from clearing at the Babcock Ranch Development site. I ran it through the structure, end to end and horizontally, to create a seamless feel and to stretch the space. It worked. It feels MUCH bigger than it is. I milled the material to specific sizes in specific areas to create precise alignments. Floor starters align with base. Wall tops adjoin ceiling starters to create the illusion of a seamless board. All light fixtures, HVAC supports, cabinets, switches, outlets, are set specifically to wood joints. The front and rear porch wood has three different milling profiles so the hypotenuse on the ceilings, align with the walls, and yield an aligned deck board below. Yes, I over did it. It is spectacular in its detailing. That's the benefit of small spaces. Concrete counters and IKEA cabinets round out the conversation. For those who could not live in a tiny house, I offer the Tiny-ish House. Photos by Ryan Gamma Staging by iStage Homes Design assistance by Jimmy Thornton

Carriage house

User

Mid-sized industrial u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, black cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and flat-panel cabinets.

Kitchen - Maroubra House

THOSE Architects

Luc Remond
Photo of a contemporary open plan kitchen in Sydney with an integrated sink, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, metallic splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Mike + Samantha's Kitchen and Bathroom

Encircle Design and Build

Michelle Ruber
Design ideas for a small modern separate kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, linoleum floors and no island.

Upscale Urban Dwelling

Kitchen Choreography

Jason Hulet Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized industrial single-wall eat-in kitchen in Grand Rapids with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, panelled appliances, an undermount sink, concrete benchtops, light hardwood floors and with island.

Stamford Kitchen

Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects

Design ideas for a traditional l-shaped kitchen in Austin with stainless steel appliances, concrete benchtops, white cabinets and white splashback.

Lumière d’Azur

Maison claire clerc

Cette cuisine, véritable cœur de l’appartement, allie design sur-mesure et couleurs éclatantes pour une ambiance à la fois chaleureuse et fonctionnelle. Les meubles maçonnés, habillés de façades jaune curry, apportent une touche solaire et joyeuse. L’îlot central, recouvert d’une faïence bleu ciel délicatement texturée, devient le point de rencontre idéal pour cuisiner, partager et échanger.

Red Hills Residence

Scott Edwards Architecture

Modern kitchen in Portland with grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, glass sheet splashback, black appliances, with island, grey benchtop, an undermount sink, concrete floors, grey floor and wood.

Japandi Kitchen

Sustainable Kitchens

Blending the warmth and natural elements of Scandinavian design with Japanese minimalism. With true craftsmanship, the wooden doors paired with a bespoke oak handle showcases simple, functional design, contrasting against the bold dark green crittal doors and raw concrete Caesarstone worktop. The large double larder brings ample storage, essential for keeping the open-plan kitchen elegant and serene.

Pleasanton Custom Home

Ridgecrest Designs

Kitchen featuring white oak lower cabinetry, white painted upper cabinetry with blue accent cabinetry, including the island. Custom steel hood fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Custom wood beam light fixture fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Steel mesh cabinet panels, brass and bronze hardware, La Cornue French range, concrete island countertop and engineered quartz perimeter countertop. The 10' AG Millworks doors open out onto the California Room.

Sheeannamore

Dreyer Architecture

This open plan kitchen / living / dining room features a large south facing window seat and cantilevered cast concrete central kitchen island.
Design ideas for a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, concrete benchtops, orange splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, grey benchtop and exposed beam.

Kitchen with Concrete 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!