Photo of a small contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Stunning Dark Veneer and Marble kitchen

Degabriele Kitchens

Design ideas for a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, mirror splashback, panelled appliances, with island, black floor and grey benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen

Large contemporary galley separate kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, black cabinets, black splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, flat-panel cabinets and black benchtop.

Tuscany Mid-Century Modern

Alison White Homes

Midcentury l-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

London Home Refurbishment

Engineering Design Ltd

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in London with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors, no island, grey floor and black benchtop.

Dual Occupancy - Parkdale

Langford Jones Homes

Design ideas for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

CASA S_M - 210 MQ

Domenico Succurro Architetto

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, beige floor and white benchtop.

Leicht by Vogue Kitchens - Monochrome Kitchen with Miele Appliances

Vogue Kitchens

As part of a rear extension to a 20th Century Art Deco property in Middlesex, this minimalist open plan kitchen was designed by Jo Johal, managing director of Vogue Kitchens using furniture by German brand, Leicht. Designed as a room in which to cook and entertain, the handleless kitchen maximises space and minimises clutter. Leading directly to an extensive garden via a wall of bi-fold doors that run the entire length of the kitchen which features Carbon Grey matt lacquered tall door fronts with and Platinum White laminate door and drawer fronts for the kitchen island. Carbon grey-fronted storage abounds in this kitchen which features floor to ceiling cabinetry including a full-size contemporary pantry, further cupboards with pull out units and shelving together with a tall Le Mans corner unit to house an array of pans. Housed within is a fully integrated Liebherr Fridge and Freezer. Facing the garden the run of cabinetry continues with more storage units that surround a bank of Miele ovens – two 60cm multifunction pyrolytic ovens side-by-side topped by, a 45cm steam oven and a 45cm microwave. A five metre by three metre kitchen island faces out to the garden and incorporates a wet area for food preparation at one end, surface cooking on a Miele 80cm induction hob take place at the centre and informal dining takes place at the other as the Quartzform worktop features an extended overhang with bar stools beneath. Within the undercounter cabinetry is a Miele 60cm Dishwasher and a Caple 60cm 2-Zone Wine Cooler. Directly above is a Gutmann Claro integrated Ceiling Extractor. Behind the island is a further tall cupboard in carbon grey with pocket doors. By day, when closed, this forms a continuation of the run of cabinetry on the other side of the kitchen door. By night, when the pocket doors are folded back into recesses, an entire full-size backlit glass-backed bar area is revealed, with glass shelves and pull-out drawers beneath.

Modern Santiago

Chelsea Lauren Interiors

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartzite benchtops, black splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, cement tiles, multiple islands, grey floor, black cabinets and grey benchtop.

Projekt H

SieMatic im Parktower

Photo of a modern galley kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, beige splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Modern Kitchen Design

CKP Kitchen Design

Inspiration for a scandinavian u-shaped kitchen in Cheshire with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and white benchtop.

Stirk Road - AMG Home Builders

Crib Creative

Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen pantry in Perth with an undermount sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, beige splashback, brown floor, white benchtop and brick splashback.

Project: 684B Edgedale Plains

Blum SEA

Design ideas for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Singapore with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Atelier Daaa, APPARTEMENT SAINT FERDINAND

User

Bertrand Fompeyrine Photographe
Inspiration for a scandinavian eat-in kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white floor, white benchtop and light wood cabinets.

CASA CLOUD

I.D. Alessandro Roncato

photo by Gabriele Di Martino
Inspiration for a small contemporary galley kitchen in Milan with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, a peninsula and grey benchtop.

Brookside Neighborhood Custom New Build

Woodstock Cabinet Company

Contemporary eat-in kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, with island, beige floor, white benchtop, light wood cabinets and stone slab splashback.

White Oak - Beach - Kirchoffer

Logs End, Inc.

Reclaimed White Oak Flooring - Pre-Oiled "Beach" Finish Justin Van Leeuwen
Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Ottawa with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Meadowbrook Bothy

User

Lucy Walters Photography
This is an example of a scandinavian l-shaped kitchen in Oxfordshire with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, window splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, grey floor and beige benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen

This is an example of a contemporary open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

ECLETTICA | CASA AL MARE | 90 MQ

Deposito Creativo

Ph. Simone Cappelletti
Design ideas for an eclectic l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

All Cabinet Finishes 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!