This is an example of a traditional kitchen in Boston with glass-front cabinets, black appliances, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback and mosaic tile splashback.

Sage Green Inset Door Kitchen

Kayron Brewer, CMKBD / Studio K B

This remodeled kitchen was transformed from a tiny compact kitchen to a small scale kitchen with much improved flow and storage. The space has become the central location for family interaction. An arched wall of a breakfast room was removed to create a better flow and layout to the space. We created the remembrance of the original arch within the new cabinetry detail over the built in bench seating and also within the hood.

Coastal Kitchen

Tongue & Groove Design + Build

Our client wanted to build a home that would fit the environment at Figure Eight Island, with a coastal feel and clean lines. This home is about 4,500 square feet and has amazing views of the sound and waterway in the rear. Built in 2010 and constructed with resale in mind, it has been hugely popular with its guests.

white kitchen dark floors colorful window treatment

Susan Serra

Traditional eat-in kitchen in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, a triple-bowl sink, white cabinets, brown splashback and mosaic tile splashback.

Camino Diablo

The Mirror Gallery, Kitchen and Bathroom Showroom

Inspiration for a traditional u-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with white cabinets, white splashback and subway tile splashback.

Walnut Kitchen

Trinity Woodworks

Walnut cabinetry with radius cabinets, stainless steel toe kick
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Charlotte with stainless steel appliances.

Classic Coastal

Oakley Home Builders

Luxury kitchen
This is an example of a large transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and granite benchtops.

Monticello Drive

V Fine Homes

Mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Dallas with glass-front cabinets, subway tile splashback, green cabinets, a farmhouse sink, marble benchtops, grey splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Miller Kitchen

Turan Designs, Inc.

Transitional White Kitchen
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, a farmhouse sink, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, porcelain floors, beige floor, with island and green benchtop.

Rustic Kitchen

Photo of a country l-shaped kitchen in Burlington with shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, wood benchtops and beige cabinets.

Leschi Kitchen and Powder

Brio Interior Design

Alex Hayden
Mid-sized traditional eat-in kitchen in Seattle with blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, onyx benchtops, stone tile splashback, light hardwood floors and no island.

Transitional Craftsman Kitchen

Robin Rigby Fisher, CMKBD/CAPS/CLIPPS

This 1920 Craftsman home was remodeled in the early 80’s where a large family room was added off the back of the home. This remodel utilized the existing back porch as part of the kitchen. The 1980’s remodel created two issues that were addressed in the current kitchen remodel: 1. The new family room (with 15’ ceilings) added a very contemporary feel to the home. As one walked from the dining room (complete with the original stained glass and built-ins with leaded glass fronts) through the kitchen, into the family room, one felt as if they were walking into an entirely different home. 2. The ceiling height change in the enlarged kitchen created an eyesore. The designer addressed these 2 issues by creating a galley kitchen utilizing a mid-tone glazed finish on alder over an updated version of a shaker door. This door had wider styles and rails and a deep bevel framing the inset panel, thus incorporating the traditional look of the shaker door in a more contemporary setting. By having the crown molding stained with an espresso finish, the eye is drawn across the room rather than up, minimizing the different ceiling heights. The back of the bar (viewed from the dining room) further incorporates the same espresso finish as an accent to create a paneled effect (Photo #1). The designer specified an oiled natural maple butcher block as the counter for the eating bar. The lighting over the bar, from Rejuvenation Lighting, is a traditional shaker style, but finished in antique copper creating a new twist on an old theme. To complete the traditional feel, the designer specified a porcelain farm sink with a traditional style bridge faucet with porcelain lever handles. For additional storage, a custom tall cabinet in a denim-blue washed finish was designed to store dishes and pantry items (Photo #2). Since the homeowners are avid cooks, the counters along the wall at the cook top were made 30” deep. The counter on the right of the cook top is maple butcher block; the remainder of the countertops are Silver and Gold Granite. Recycling is very important to the homeowner, so the designer incorporated an insulated copper door in the backsplash to the right of the ovens, which allows the homeowner to put all recycling in a covered exterior location (Photo #3). The 4 X 8” slate subway tile is a modern play on a traditional theme found in Craftsman homes (Photo #4). The new kitchen fits perfectly as a traditional transition when viewed from the dining, and as a contemporary transition when viewed from the family room.

Keates Residence

Giulietti Schouten Weber Architects

Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Portland with stainless steel appliances.

Hillsdale kitchen

Lawrence and Gomez Architects

Red birch cabinets in classic Shaker wide style; glass upper cabinets and custom built-in cherry breakfast nook; white granite counters, marble and glass backsplash; Thermador appliances

Architecture and Interior Design

Ed Ritger Photography

DESIGNER: Kiera Levit Sorrells
This is an example of a traditional kitchen in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Painted Kitchen

Kenzer Furniture

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen in New York with stainless steel appliances, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback and subway tile splashback.

Laurelhurst Kitchen

Goforth Gill Architects

Shaker-style kitchen with Stickley inspired island. Limestone backsplash and honed granite countertops. photo credit - Patrick Barta Photography
This is an example of a traditional l-shaped kitchen in Seattle with stainless steel appliances, granite benchtops and limestone splashback.

The English Country Kitchen

Edmondson Interiors

Gorgeous mix of traditional cabinetry, contemporary Silestone work surfaces, antique table with plastic chairs. The clever inglenook storage houses a larder, fridge, freezer and wine cooler.

Kitchen

Old World Kitchens & Custom Cabinets

Cabinetry: Old World Kitchens (oldworldkitchens.com) Photography: Bob Young (bobyoungphoto.com)
Inspiration for a transitional kitchen in Vancouver with shaker cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

Kitchen

Stonewood, LLC

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen in Minneapolis with panelled appliances, recessed-panel cabinets and white cabinets.

Brown Kitchen 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!