Barn Door Walk-in Pantry, Transitional Kitchen Remodel

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

Mission Hills Farmhouse 2

Bill Bocken Architecture & Interior Design

Shelley Metcalf & Glenn Cormier Photographers
Photo of a large country l-shaped separate kitchen in San Diego with shaker cabinets, with island, a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Custom Atlanta Home

Vincent Longo Custom Builders

Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Atlanta with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island and brown floor.

Boise Residence

Hsu McCullough

Kitchen. Photo by Clark Dugger
Small contemporary galley separate kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, medium hardwood floors, wood benchtops, brown splashback, timber splashback, panelled appliances, no island and brown floor.

Traditional Elegance

City Homes, LLC

LandMark Photography
Photo of a traditional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Minneapolis with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, medium hardwood floors and brown benchtop.

Old and New Again

Kitchens by Design

This is an example of a country u-shaped kitchen in Jacksonville with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, red splashback, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Farmhouse Inspiration

Pamko Construction

Inspiration for a country l-shaped kitchen in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Proyecto Casa de Pueblo Costa Brava

Nice Home Barcelona

Small mediterranean l-shaped separate kitchen in Barcelona with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, no island, multi-coloured floor and brown benchtop.

Valerio Residence

Hayley Bridges Design

This is an example of a mid-sized beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Santa Barbara with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

W. Creekside Residence

Dillon Kyle Architects (DKA)

Casey Dunn Photography
Inspiration for a large beach style l-shaped kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and timber splashback.

Whistler Street

Chris Dyson Architects

Pete Landers
Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, ceramic floors and with island.

Family Loft

ZeroEnergy Design

Modern family loft renovation. A young couple starting a family in the city purchased this two story loft in Boston's South End. Built in the 1990's, the loft was ready for updates. ZED transformed the space, creating a fresh new look and greatly increasing its functionality to accommodate an expanding family within an urban setting. Improvement were made to the aesthetics, scale, and functionality for the growing family to enjoy. Photos by Eric Roth. Construction by Ralph S. Osmond Company. Green architecture by ZeroEnergy Design.

Suncadia Residence, Washington

Clinkston Architects

The collaboration between architect and interior designer is seen here. The floor plan and layout are by the architect. Cabinet materials and finishes, lighting, and furnishings are by the interior designer. Detailing of the vent hood and raised counter are a collaboration. The raised counter includes a chase on the far side for power. Photo: Michael Shopenn

Maple & Gray Handmade Kitchens

Maple & Gray

Shaker style kitchen
Inspiration for a traditional eat-in kitchen in Berkshire with wood benchtops, green cabinets, shaker cabinets, beige splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Kitchens

Jan Gleysteen Architects, Inc

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn
Photo of a traditional kitchen in Boston with subway tile splashback and wood benchtops.

Urban Homestead

Cuppett Kilpatrick Architecture + Interior Design

All images by Paul Bardagjy & Jonathan Jackson
Inspiration for a traditional separate kitchen in Austin with stainless steel appliances, wood benchtops, dark wood cabinets, white splashback and stone slab splashback.

Cotswold

Vandershot Photography

Inspiration for a country eat-in kitchen in West Midlands with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, coloured appliances, no island, black floor and brown benchtop.

Reclaimed Backyard Cottage

Targa Homes

Inspiration for a small scandinavian galley open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors and a peninsula.

Nid sous les zincs

WOM DESIGN

Photo of a contemporary galley kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, wood benchtops, a peninsula, white floor and beige benchtop.

Chester Two

Habit Studio

Photo of a transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Beige Kitchen with Wood 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!