This is an example of a beach style l-shaped kitchen in Surrey with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and grey floor.

Bicknell Road

Design Squared Architects

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary eat-in kitchen in London with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Home Renovation

Lynch Construction

John Cancelino
Photo of a large contemporary kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, window splashback and marble benchtops.

Rénovation appartement haussmanien Place Bellecour - Lyon 2

MS DESIGN - Marion SIMEONE

Large contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Lyon with an undermount sink, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, a peninsula, brown floor and black benchtop.

Nob Hills

J Style At Home

custom appliance panels, waterfall island, rift white oak
This is an example of a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen

Contemporary open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Modern Romantic Townhouse

Robin Bond Interiors

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Dallas with an undermount sink, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, white benchtop, flat-panel cabinets and multi-coloured splashback.

Manly Vale

All Things Building

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Contemporary Intuo Matt Glass Kitchen with Bespoke Additions

Searle & Taylor

As part of a large open-plan extension to a detached house in Hampshire, Searle & Taylor was commissioned to design a timeless modern handleless kitchen for a couple who are keen cooks and who regularly entertain friends and their grown-up family. The kitchen is part of the couples’ large living space that features a wall of panel doors leading out to the garden. It is this area where aperitifs are taken before guests dine in a separate dining room, and also where parties take place. Part of the brief was to create a separate bespoke drinks cabinet cum bar area as a separate, yet complementary piece of furniture. Handling separate aspects of the design, Darren Taylor and Gavin Alexander both worked on this kitchen project together. They created a plan that featured matt glass door and drawer fronts in Lava colourway for the island, sink run and overhead units. These were combined with oiled walnut veneer tall cabinetry from premium Austrian kitchen furniture brand, Intuo. Further bespoke additions including the 80mm circular walnut breakfast bar with a turned tapered half-leg base were made at Searle & Taylor’s bespoke workshop in England. The worktop used throughout is Trillium by Dekton, which is featured in 80mm thickness on the kitchen island and 20mm thickness on the sink and hob runs. It is also used as an upstand. The sink run includes a Franke copper grey one and a half bowl undermount sink and a Quooker Flex Boiling Water Tap. The surface of the 3.1 metre kitchen island is kept clear for when the couple entertain, so the flush-mounted 80cm Gaggenau induction hob is situated in front of the bronze mirrored glass splashback. Directly above it is a Westin 80cm built-in extractor at the base of the overhead cabinetry. To the left and housed within the walnut units is a bank of Gaggenau ovens including a 60cm pyrolytic oven, a combination steam oven and warming drawers in anthracite colourway and a further integrated Gaggenau dishwasher is also included in the scheme. The full height Siemens A Cool 76cm larder fridge and tall 61cm freezer are all integrated behind furniture doors for a seamless look to the kitchen. Internal storage includes heavyweight pan drawers and Legra pull-out shelving for dry goods, herbs, spices and condiments. As a completely separate piece of furniture, but finished in the same oiled walnut veneer is the ‘Gin Cabinet’ a built-in unit designed to look as if it is freestanding. To the left is a tall Gaggenau Wine Climate Cabinet and to the right is a decorative cabinet for glasses and the client’s extensive gin collection, specially backlit with LED lighting and with a bespoke door front to match the front of the wine cabinet. At the centre are full pocket doors that fold back into recesses to reveal a bar area with bronze mirror back panel and shelves in front, a 20mm Trillium by Dekton worksurface with a single bowl Franke sink and another Quooker Flex Boiling Water Tap with the new Cube function, for filtered boiling, hot, cold and sparkling water. A further Gaggenau microwave oven is installed within the unit and cupboards beneath feature Intuo fronts in matt glass, as before.

23rd St NYC Project

Evelyn James Interiors

This kitchen was designed by Jill Menhoff Architects, they were WONDERFUL to work with!
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, metallic splashback, metal splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, white benchtop, marble benchtops and brown floor.

Avda.Icaria

Nivell Estudi de Cuines,S.L.U

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley separate kitchen in Barcelona with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, brown splashback, timber splashback, panelled appliances, no island, grey floor and brown benchtop.

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NUS Arquitectura i espais

This is an example of a large scandinavian l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, red splashback, brick splashback, panelled appliances, with island, white floor and white benchtop.

Perfect Prospect

Epoch Solutions, Inc.

Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Tampa with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, glass benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, terrazzo floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and blue benchtop.

Pelican Street - Surry Hills

Bondi Kitchens & Joinery

Drew Wheeler
Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, black benchtop and panelled appliances.

Modern Lake Placid Residence

Phinney Design Group

Elizabeth Pedinotti Haynes
Mid-sized modern kitchen in Burlington with flat-panel cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, ceramic floors, with island, beige floor, an undermount sink, white cabinets, panelled appliances and white benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen

This is an example of a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Oxfordshire with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, ceramic floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Price Street Residence

Charles Maccora Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary galley open plan kitchen with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, concrete floors, with island, grey floor, white benchtop, an undermount sink and stone slab splashback.

埼玉県北鴻巣の家

株式会社ハンズデザイン一級建築士事務所

Photo of a contemporary galley kitchen in Other with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback and beige floor.

White & Brushed Oak Kitchen

Point 5 Kitchens Ltd

Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen in London with flat-panel cabinets, quartzite benchtops, a peninsula, an undermount sink, white cabinets, black splashback, glass sheet splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Charles Street Apartment

nune

This is an example of a scandinavian kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and white benchtop.

All Backsplash Materials 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!