St. Martin White Gray kitchen
Photo of a large traditional l-shaped kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and recessed-panel cabinets.

GREEN with Envy: LEED Certified Whole House Renovation

Harry Braswell Inc.

LEED Certified renovation of existing house.
Design ideas for a traditional kitchen in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, mosaic tile splashback, a farmhouse sink, quartzite benchtops, white cabinets and blue splashback.

Contemporary Kitchen with Black Hexagon Backsplash

KraftMaster Renovations

This kitchen is very unique with the bold black backsplash that contrasts really well with the wooden cabinetry and white counter tops. The island is large enough to prep meals and also sit down to enjoy. Photos by VLG Photography

Inspiration Home

Long and Long Design

Jean Allsopp
This is an example of a traditional kitchen in Birmingham with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

The Queens Park Kitchen by deVOL

deVOL Kitchens

deVOL Kitchens
Photo of a transitional kitchen in London with glass-front cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen 12028

J.S. Brown & Co.

Remodel by J.S. Brown & Co., Design by Monica Lewis, CMKBD, MCR, UDCP. Photo Credit: Todd Yarrington.
Mid-sized traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Columbus with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, granite benchtops, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Warren - Traditional Infill

Visbeen Architects

Building a new home in an old neighborhood can present many challenges for an architect. The Warren is a beautiful example of an exterior, which blends with the surrounding structures, while the floor plan takes advantage of the available space. A traditional façade, combining brick, shakes, and wood trim enables the design to fit well in any early 20th century borough. Copper accents and antique-inspired lanterns solidify the home’s vintage appeal. Despite the exterior throwback, the interior of the home offers the latest in amenities and layout. Spacious dining, kitchen and hearth areas open to a comfortable back patio on the main level, while the upstairs offers a luxurious master suite and three guests bedrooms.

Historic Central Remodel

AFT Construction

This is an example of a beach style u-shaped open plan kitchen in Phoenix with stainless steel appliances, beige floor, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and white benchtop.

Eunos Crescent

Fuse Concept Pte Ltd

Photo of a scandinavian kitchen in Singapore with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Contemporary Black / Brass Kitchen

PentaVia Custom Homes

A contemporary kitchen with touches of modern. The contrast of the stained dark wood beams with the light engineered wood on the ceiling is a stunning feature. The hardware is large and strong- black in the main area and brass in the secondary kitchen. The butler's kitchen has black cabinets with brass hardware for contrast. Black venti hood with gold brass accents. Island Pendants from Hudson Valley Lighting.

Bellevue

Marianne Simon Design

Design ideas for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Rustic Modern

Vine Street Design

Transitional l-shaped kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Spoleto Project

Houck Construction Inc.

Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Vermont Hillside Perch

HAYNES & GARTHWAITE ARCHITECTS

This is an example of a country eat-in kitchen in Burlington with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, multiple islands, brown floor, white benchtop and ceramic floors.

Sleepy Hollow Transitional

Studio Dearborn

A young family moving from NYC tackled a lightning fast makeover of their new colonial revival home before the arrival of their second child. The kitchen area was quite spacious but needed a facelift and new layout. Painted cabinetry matched to Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter is balanced by grey glazed rift oak cabinetry on the island. Shiplap paneling on the island and cabinet lend a slightly contemporary edge. White bronze hardware by Schaub & Co. in a contemporary bar shape offer clean lines with some texture in a warm metallic tone. White Marble countertops in “Alpine Mist” create a harmonious color palette while the pale blue/grey Waterworks backsplash adds a touch of color. Kitchen design and custom cabinetry by Studio Dearborn. Countertops by Rye Marble. Refrigerator, freezer and wine refrigerator--Subzero; Ovens--Wolf. Cooktop--Gaggenau. Ventilation—Best Cirrus Series CC34IQSB. Hardware--Schaub & Company. Sink--Kohler Strive. Sink faucet--Rohl. Tile--Waterworks Architectonics 3x6 in the dust pressed line, Icewater color. Stools--Palacek. Flooring—Sota Floors. Window treatments: www.horizonshades.com in “Northbrook Birch.” Photography Adam Kane Macchia.

Amberley Project

Bronzie Design + Build

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Cincinnati with raised-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, subway tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, a double-bowl sink, granite benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Broderick Street Residence

TINEKE TRIGGS

Inspiration for a traditional eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, stone tile splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Minikahda Refresher

Sicora Design/Build

Rift Sawn cabinets Granite countertops Red Oak flooring Farmkid studios
This is an example of a traditional l-shaped kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Black Mountain Residence

User

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, a double-bowl sink, medium wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback and stone slab splashback.

Kitchen Renovation

Two Storey Building

Eric Roth Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Boston with beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, subway tile splashback and brown floor.

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!