You enter the property from the high side through a contemporary iron gate to access a large double garage with internal access. A natural stone blade leads to our signature, individually designed timber entry door. The top-floor entry flows into a spacious open-plan living, dining, kitchen area drenched in natural light and ample glazing captures the breathtaking views over middle harbour. The open-plan living area features a high curved ceiling which exaggerates the space and creates a unique and striking frame to the vista. With stone that cascades to the floor, the island bench is a dramatic focal point of the kitchen. Designed for entertaining and positioned to capture the vista. Custom designed dark timber joinery brings out the warmth in the stone bench. Also on this level, a dramatic powder room with a teal and navy blue colour palette, a butler’s pantry, a modernized formal dining space, a large outdoor balcony, a cozy sitting nook with custom joinery specifically designed to house the client’s vinyl record player. This split-level home cascades down the site following the contours of the land. As we step down from the living area, the internal staircase with double heigh ceilings, pendant lighting and timber slats which create an impressive backdrop for the dining area. On the next level, we come to a home office/entertainment room. Double height ceilings and exotic wallpaper make this space intensely more interesting than your average home office! Floor-to-ceiling glazing captures an outdoor tropical oasis, adding to the wow factor. The following floor includes guest bedrooms with ensuites, a laundry and the master bedroom with a generous balcony and an ensuite that presents a large bath beside a picture window allowing you to capture the westerly sunset views from the tub. The ground floor to this split-level home features a rumpus room which flows out onto the rear garden.

Ormond New Contemporary Residence

Sketch Building Design

Photographer: Natalie Jeffcott
Photo of a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Manly Vale Kitchen

Northern Beaches Kitchens and Bathrooms

Large beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured floor, grey benchtop and coffered.

Auburn Residence, Hawthorn East

Chan Architecture Pty Ltd

Photo of a modern galley kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, black appliances, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Lurline Bay House I Part 2

D'Cruz Design Group

Photo of a large contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, glass sheet splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and exposed beam.

MId Century Family Home

Sally Feeney Interior Design Pty Ltd

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, terrazzo benchtops, subway tile splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, beige floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

The Bromley

Dalecki Design

Design ideas for a contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Perth with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, white appliances, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen | Project Coolum

desculpto

This kitchen design effortlessly marries reimagined traditional elements with a touch of postmodern flair, crafting a truly one-of-a-kind and personalized space. One cannot help but be drawn to the unique brushed brass rangehood, a true hero piece in this design. It not only adds a powerful stroke of creativity but also serves as a sturdy anchor, grounding the entire space with its commanding presence.

Contemporary Home

Sophie Tomaras

This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in Melbourne with light wood cabinets, concrete floors and with island.

Gordon Park House

Shane Marsh Architects

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, window splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and recessed.

Modern Minimalism - Ground Floor Renovation

Revamper Interior Design

Light and airy contemporary kitchen with minimalist features. The large, stone clad island and expansive skylight hero the space.
Photo of a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, laminate floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Cremorne Residence

Jodie Carter Design

Coastal Luxe style kitchen in our Cremorne project features cabinetry in Dulux Blue Rapsody and Snowy Mountains Quarter, and timber veneer in Planked Oak.

Bradleys Head Road

LivingLot

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Morgan Street

Bone and Blanc Interior Design Studio

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary kitchen in Newcastle - Maitland with with island.

Parnatti - Kitchen

Lofty Building Group

Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Adelaide with stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Newport Beach Kitchen

Northern Beaches Kitchens and Bathrooms

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige benchtop and brown floor.

Granard Ave - Kitchen

Peter Gionfriddo Architect

Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, mirror splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Contemporary Residence

User

This is an example of a contemporary open plan kitchen in Melbourne with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, white splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Port Melbourne Project - Provincial Oak

Suburban Flooring Co.

Why choose engineered European oak flooring? It's not just flooring; it's an investment in lasting beauty and functionality. This stunning development chose from the Provincial Oak range by MarcKenzo Designer Flooring to complete their modern look.

Evergreen

The Glade Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, orange cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, with island, beige floor and beige benchtop.

Kitchen with with Island 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!