This is an example of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, with island, an undermount sink, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, black floor, white benchtop and light wood cabinets.

Oakhill Residence

MILLWORX

Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Toronto with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and an undermount sink.

Homecoming

Cushman Design Group

Photo: Jim Westphalen
Design ideas for a country eat-in kitchen in Burlington with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop and light wood cabinets.

Квартира в Москве 80 кв. м.

Маргарита Мустафина

Михаил Лоскутов
Mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Moscow with light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, ceramic floors, no island, turquoise floor and shaker cabinets.

大人可愛いキッチンリノベーション　Ｋ邸

セカンドサイクルＤＰ

This is an example of a scandinavian single-wall open plan kitchen in Kobe with an integrated sink, light wood cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

JT Curvilinear | Highbury Bespoke Kitchen

Jack Trench Bespoke Kitchens & Furniture

Alexandria Hall / A-H Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern galley eat-in kitchen in London with white splashback, light hardwood floors, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, panelled appliances and brown floor.

Industrial Luxe

Dall Designer Homes

Christine Hill Photography. Timber accents give warmth to this modern, monochrome kitchen, and plenty of storage means no mess! Dall Designer Homes work closely with Kitchens R Us to create a dream kitchen for these homeowners.

Classic With a New Angle

Studio Dearborn

This expansive Victorian had tremendous historic charm but hadn’t seen a kitchen renovation since the 1950s. The homeowners wanted to take advantage of their views of the backyard and raised the roof and pushed the kitchen into the back of the house, where expansive windows could allow southern light into the kitchen all day. A warm historic gray/beige was chosen for the cabinetry, which was contrasted with character oak cabinetry on the appliance wall and bar in a modern chevron detail. Kitchen Design: Sarah Robertson, Studio Dearborn Architect: Ned Stoll, Interior finishes Tami Wassong Interiors

South Melbourne

DW Architects and Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized modern open plan kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, window splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

長湫の家／アイランドキッチンとアトリエのある家

松原建築計画／matsubara architect design office

2階リビング、ダイニング、キッチン。家具職人が手掛けたアイランドキッチン
Photo of a mid-sized asian galley open plan kitchen in Nagoya with a drop-in sink, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop, shaker cabinets, white splashback and shiplap splashback.

Rénovation d'un appartement en duplex

Atelier Nyood

cuisine ouverte, cuisine américaine, béton, bois, chêne, électroménager incrusté, radiateur, fenêtres, poutres apparentes, rangements, placards, lumineux, murs blancs, sol en béton

Lake Chateau

Nate Fischer Interiors

Photo of a beach style eat-in kitchen in Orange County with light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, a farmhouse sink, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island and grey floor.

Industrial Kitchen Design Ideas

Everingham Design

Mid-sized industrial galley eat-in kitchen in Columbus with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and black benchtop.

Beach Barn | Chilmark

John Thayer Cabinetmakers, LLC

Eric Roth Photography
Inspiration for a country l-shaped kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Modern Kitchen

SEK Architects

Image by Peter Rymwid Architectural Photography © 2014
This is an example of a large contemporary kitchen in New York with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, panelled appliances, cement tiles, multiple islands, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Francois & Co. - Kitchen Range Hoods

Francois & Co

With inspiration going back to antiquity, the ancient French farmhouse, or the vast bustling kitchen of chateau, our Range Hoods collections vary from the simply elegant to creations of intricate beauty, ranging in scale and style from delicate and understated to grand and majestic.

Prospect Heights Townhouse

BuiltIN studio

Andrew Rugge/archphoto
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, solid surface benchtops and glass tile splashback.

Park Slope brownstone

Maletz Design

Maletz Design
This is an example of a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback and panelled appliances.

A New Chapter for an Old Space

Feinmann, Inc.

The design challenge for this loft located in a manufacturing building dating to the late 19th Century was to update it with a more contemporary, modern design, renovate the kitchen and bath, and unify the space while respecting the building’s industrial origins. By rethinking existing spaces and contrasting the rough industrial shell of the building with a sleek modernist interior, the Feinmann team fulfilled the unrealized potential of the space. Working closely with the homeowners, sophisticated materials were chosen to complement a sleek design and completely change the way one experiences the space. For safety, selection of of a stainless steel post and handrail with stainless steel cable was installed preserving the open feel of the loft space and created the strong connection between loft and downstairs living space. In the kitchen, other material choices created the desired contemporary look: custom cabinetry that shows off the wood grain, panelized appliances, crisp white Corian countertops and gunmetal ceramic tiles. In the bath, a simple tub with just sheet of glass instead of a shower curtain keeps the small bath feeling as open as possible. Throughout, a concrete micro-topped floor with multi-color undertones reiterates the building’s industrial origins. Sleek horizontal lines add to the clean modern aesthetic. The team’s meticulous attention to detail from start to finish captured the homeowner’s desire for a look worthy of Dwell magazine. Photos by John Horner

Rector Square

Incorporated

A very small kitchen.
This is an example of a modern galley kitchen in New York with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and a single-bowl sink.

Grey Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets 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!