Luxury kitchen designs tend to combine the highest-quality materials, leading-edge technologies and top-of-the-line appliances (and, like it or not, a heaping helping of budget) to create magazine-worthy kitchens.

If you're contemplating a kitchen remodel or installing a new kitchen, and budget isn't your second, third or even a top ten concern, you'll definitely want to explore the wide range of options available for luxury kitchens.

Features of a Luxury Kitchen

High-End Appliances

In terms of appliances, accessories and cooking and cleaning implements, the sky is the limit in many luxury kitchens. Double-door refrigerators, double and triple sinks, ranges with row upon row of burners and fast-cooking, high-tech ovens are all common features. Adding a Rolls-Royce of ranges (Aga, La Cornue, Thermador, Bertazzoni Heritage) shows you are a serious foodie with the bank to invest in luxury cooking implements.

Traditional, Contemporary and Modern Style

While no particular style is more common for luxury kitchens than another, some seem to naturally lend themselves to a luxurious approach. Traditional, contemporary and modern style kitchens are common in luxury homes, although if your budget will accommodate a luxury kitchen design, no one's going to stop you from creating one in a rustic, country or farmhouse style.

Luxe Materials Like Marble + Granite

Materials for luxury kitchens tend to be high-end, durable and attractive. Countertops are often granite, backsplashes may be as well, or they may feature custom tile work in mosaic, subway or other styles, to add visual interest.

Luxury Woods + Custom Cabinetry

Luxury kitchen cabinets are usually similarly high-end, often custom-made from expensive woods like cherry or ebony. They typically feature durable high-quality hardware with expert interior construction. Traditional cabinet doors may feature intricately carved faces or molding, while modern and contemporary styles will be sleek and unadorned — often featuring no-hardware opening — but boast similarly sturdy construction and expert craftsmanship.

Epic Islands

No longer content with just one island, the luxury kitchen features two with room for eating and food prep and an abundance of storage. Super-sizing your island also ups the luxury factor, adding more work space and a sense of drama.

Glam Range Hoods

A custom range hood rather than a standard stainless one not only adds a bespoke detail, it can coordinate beautifully with your hardware, lighting and other features for design cohesion.

Statement Light Fixtures

Gorgeous designer or imported light fixtures, especially when hung in multiples, give visual impact to your kitchen.

Clutter-Free Countertops

Keeping clutter hidden and your surfaces sleek means you have plenty of space to store items and value aesthetics above all.

High-Tech Touches

Touchless faucets, charging stations, smart refrigerators and built-in iPad and television screens bring efficiency and connectivity to the kitchen.

Plenty of Built-In and Purpose-Driven Storage

Custom-space for everything from paper towel rolls to spices and cleaning products is the ultimate luxury in our organization-obsessed age.

Customization

A built-in deep fryer, a wine or drink refrigerator, mutiple freezer drawers, an espresso station, a brick oven, are all ways to adapt the kitchen to your needs and set your kitchen apart from your neighbor's.

Hidden Appliances

Custom cabinentry that keeps refrigerators and small appliances out of sight continues to be a way to give a high-end kitchen a sleek appearance.

Metallics

All that glitters is an important aspect of turning an ordinary kitchen into a luxurious one. Gold and metallic touches on range hoods and light fixtures, mixed metals and shiny surfaces all add glamour to your kitchen's look.

Double of Everything

Double islands, double sinks, double ovens all add up to a kitchen built for maximum efficiency and luxury.

A Custom Backsplash

The ability to create a one-of-a-kind backsplash from tile or a slab of marble is like having an original artwork in your kitchen.

A Striking Ceiling

Whether painted or graced with custom millwork, a striking ceiling is another way to show you have the discretionary funds to not overlook any design element.

A Butler's Pantry

At ther service of keeping mess and clutter at bay and making sure small appliances are stowed away, the ample storage in a butler's pantry makes it a must-have.

Bold Color

A striking, on-trend color, from black to blue to pink shows you have an awareness of trends and can afford to redo your kitchen when the fashion has passed.

A Signature Sink

The kitchen sink is actually the most used kitchen appliance and should be a focal point where you allocate a major share of your kitchen budget.

Kitchen Layout Options

Many homeowners begin their luxury kitchen design process by considering the layout of the kitchen of their dreams. There are several options to choose from.

Galley

Galley kitchens are fairly straightforward affairs featuring a narrow passage between two walls. One wall generally features cooking components and storage, the other generally features cleaning components and more storage. Galley kitchens are common in smaller homes, and would be a less common choice for a luxury kitchen — they're efficient affairs, but their configurations limit the luxe level considerably, though higher-end apartments and tiny homes can certainly enhance the luxury factor by adding luxury elements to their galley kitchen.

L-Shaped

L-shaped kitchens offer a slightly more high-end option, with an angled cooking and cleaning area, more room for storage, and a better opportunity to feature a kitchen island.

U-Shaped

Finally, U-shaped kitchens are probably best suited for a luxury kitchen design — they feature three walls ready for cooking, storage or cleaning features, and they're often large enough to accommodate a considerable center island for food preparation and extra storage.