White upper cabinets give the kitchen an open feel while the bottom walnut cabinets ground it. Landmark Photography, Jon Huelskmap
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional galley open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with white cabinets, quartz benchtops, panelled appliances, ceramic splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets and multi-coloured splashback.

Hill Country Modern

JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction

Hill Country Modern
Traditional eat-in kitchen in Austin with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

Broadway spec house

Korts & Knight, Kitchens by Alexandra Knight

Design ideas for a modern galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and white splashback.

Mill Valley, CA

Urrutia Design

URRUTIA DESIGN Photography by Matt Sartain
Design ideas for an expansive transitional galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, subway tile splashback, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, marble benchtops, brown splashback, a farmhouse sink, beige floor, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Kitchen view

Group3

John McManus
Mid-sized beach style galley open plan kitchen in Other with glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, a farmhouse sink, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Pinewold

Whitten Architects

photography by Rob Karosis
Design ideas for a beach style l-shaped separate kitchen in Portland Maine with subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops and white splashback.

Pleasant Valley

Tobi Fairley Interior Design

Perimeter cabinets are Sherwin Williams Wool Skein and island is Sherwin Williams Topsail, both with a custom glaze. Bar pendants are from Visual Comfort.

2010 Colorado Homes & Lifestyles "Home of the Year"

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

Photography by Emily Minton Redfield http://www.emrphotography.com

Contemporary Kitchen

This is an example of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in London with stainless steel appliances, a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and glass sheet splashback.

Menlo Park Residence

Moroso Construction

Karin Payson A+D, Staprans Design, Matthew Millman Photography
Photo of a transitional separate kitchen in San Francisco with wood benchtops, raised-panel cabinets and medium wood cabinets.

Young Kitchen

Turan Designs, Inc.

Traditional Kitchen
Photo of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with granite benchtops, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, travertine splashback, an undermount sink, beige splashback, white appliances, travertine floors, with island, beige floor and beige benchtop.

Baker Kitchen

Steven Miller Design Studio, Inc.

Design ideas for a traditional kitchen in San Francisco with beaded inset cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, white cabinets, quartz benchtops and multi-coloured splashback.

Union Park Penthouse Kitchen

Venegas and Company

Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Boston with panelled appliances, marble benchtops, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an undermount sink, matchstick tile splashback and grey splashback.

Kitchen

Debbie R. Gualco

This is an example of a traditional l-shaped kitchen in Sacramento with recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, beige splashback and stainless steel appliances.

No 2

Tina Kuhlmann - Primrose Designs

Inspiration for a traditional eat-in kitchen in San Diego with marble benchtops, multiple islands and marble splashback.

Oakley Home Builders

This kitchen features Venetian Gold Granite Counter tops, White Linen glazed custom cabinetry on the parameter and Gunstock stain on the island, the vent hood and around the stove. The Flooring is American Walnut in varying sizes. There is a natural stacked stone on as the backsplash under the hood with a travertine subway tile acting as the backsplash under the cabinetry. Two tones of wall paint were used in the kitchen. Oyster bar is found as well as Morning Fog.

Five Acres

BAKER POSEY DESIGN

This was a full renovation of a 1920’s home sitting on a five acre lot. This is a beautiful and stately stone home whose interior was a victim of poorly thought-out, dated renovations and a sectioned off apartment taking up a quarter of the home. We changed the layout completely reclaimed the apartment and garage to make this space work for a growing family. We brought back style, elegance and era appropriate details to the main living spaces. Custom cabinetry, amazing carpentry details, reclaimed and natural materials and fixtures all work in unison to make this home complete. Our energetic, fun and positive clients lived through this amazing transformation like pros. The process was collaborative, fun, and organic.

Organic Modern

Atwood: Fine Architectural Cabinetry

Organic Modern kitchen in cabinetry combination of Natural Bamboo Veneer with black glaze and Charcoal paint grade slab doors. Sleek waterfall countertop integrated with Bamboo Veneer bar seating.

Teri Turan

Turan Designs, Inc.

Design ideas for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink, granite benchtops, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, beige splashback and stone tile splashback.

Dry Creek Project

JOURNEY HOME INTERIORS

Inspiration for a beach style l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor and white benchtop.

Two Tone Kitchen Cabinets 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!