Anita Fraser
Inspiration for a large contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in London with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Big open concept kitchen

Visionary Home Remodeling Inc.

This is an example of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and with island.

Contemporary kitchen with tall storage

User

This contemporary open planned kitchen/dining room, is very open and spacious, making it a very social-able space. The neutral tones helps to create warmth within such as large space. The choice of also having a solid wood dining table and chairs, brings a more traditional element to the design,

Crisp Architects

Photography by Rob Karosis
Inspiration for a traditional eat-in kitchen in New York with marble benchtops, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a farmhouse sink, white splashback and panelled appliances.

Roundhouse kitchen cabinets

Roundhouse

Seating: Base Cabinets: Exterior: Wenge Veneer Interior: Wenge mfc with wenge lipping Worktop: 26mm Wenge Veneer Wall Cabinets: Exterior: F&B Downpipe 26 Interior: Wenge mfc with wenge lipping Table; Wenge 'Shark’ table 40mm Wenge Wholestave top with sharknose. Wenge legs Upholstery by Dashing Tweeds – Shetland Jig

Wilshire Kitchen, Portland (Photo: Matt Niebuhr)

Howells Architecture + Design

Breakfast nook--After. A custom built-in bench (cherry, like the cabinetry) works well for eat-in breakfasts. Period reproduction lighting, Deco pulls, and a custom formica table root the kitchen to the origins of the home. All photos by Matt Niebuhr. www.mattniebuhr.com

Gray and White Kitchen

User

Barry Calhoun Photography
Mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Vancouver with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and quartzite benchtops.

Contemporary Oak and Painted Kitchen

George Robinson Kitchens

The large kitchen island is the key focal point in this spacious, open plan kitchen. Images - Adam Gibbard
This is an example of a large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Cornwall with light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, black splashback, black appliances, ceramic floors and with island.

Contemporary Kitchen

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with concrete benchtops, stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a drop-in sink and limestone splashback.

Les reportages cuisines

Cuisines et Bains Magazine

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Paris with a double-bowl sink, grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

A modern country kitchen

Johnny Grey Studios.

Our brief was to create a calm, modern country kitchen that avoided cliches - and to intrinsically link to the garden. A weekend escape for a busy family who come down to escape the city, to enjoy their art collection, garden and cook together. The design springs from my neuroscience research and is based on appealing to our hard wired needs, our fundamental instincts - sociability, easy movement, art, comfort, hearth, smells, readiness for visitors, view of outdoors and a place to eat. The key design innovation was the use of soft geometry, not so much in the planning but in the three dimensionality of the furniture which grows out of the floor in an organic way. The soft geometry is in the profile of the pieces, not in their footprint. The users can stroke the furniture, lie against it and feel its softness, all of which helps the visitors to kitchen linger and chat. The fireplace is located in the middle between the cooking zone and the garden. There is plenty of room to draw up a chair and just sit around. The fold-out doors let the landscape into the space in a generous way, especially on summer days when the weather makes the indoors and outdoors come together. The sight lines from the main cooking and preparation island offer views of the garden throughout the seasons, as well as people coming into the room and those seating at the table - so it becomes a command position or what we call the sweet spot. This often results in there being a family competition to do the cooking. The woods are Canadian Maple, Australian rosewood and Eucalyptus. All appliances are Gaggenau and Fisher and Paykel.

Capital Closets

Photo of a traditional eat-in kitchen in Other with open cabinets and dark wood cabinets.

Tracey Rapisardi Design

Tracey Rapisardi Design, 2008 Coastal Living Idea House Pantry
This is an example of a large beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Tampa with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, a farmhouse sink, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

D-House

Bunker Workshop

photos: Kate McElwee http://www.katemcelweephotography.com

18th Centry Farmhouse

Shalford Interiors

Created for a charming 18th century stone farmhouse overlooking a canal, this Bespoke solid wood kitchen has been handpainted in Farrow & Ball (Aga wall and base units by the windows) with Pavilion Gray (on island and recessed glass-fronted display cabinetry). The design centres around a feature Aga range cooker.

KITCHENS

PTACEK home

galley style kitchen
This is an example of an arts and crafts galley eat-in kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Charmean Neithart Interiors - Elegant Townhome

Erika Bierman Photography

Erika Bierman Photography
Transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, with island and white floor.

LITTON

JAMES VERNER FURNITURE

A modern kitchen mixing contemporary and traditional materials in a robust yet elegant design. The band-sawn oak provides an exceptionally hard-waring and durable surface. a travertine drainer ensures the the timber does not deteriorate from continual wetting and stone inserts either side of the range ensure the worktop does not become scorched. PHOTO CREDIT: MAISIE HILL

A place to cook

User

Beautiful bespoke kitchen with views down to an estuary. Secret location, South West England. Colin Cadle Photography, Photo Styling Jan Cadle
Inspiration for an expansive country eat-in kitchen in Devon with shaker cabinets, white cabinets and granite benchtops.

Traditional Cherry Kitchen Dayton Ohio

The Workshops of David T. Smith

Ohio Traditional Cherry Kitchen This was a large kitchen in a new model home. It was solid cherry with a 2 level painted island. The kitchen had black granite counter tops and a stainless apron sink. The hood cabinet had an arched crown. The island was a 2 level white painted island with curly maple counter top on the bar top and black granite on the counter top. The floor was stone an all the appliances were high end stainless appliances.

Eat-in 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!