Large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with panelled appliances, wood benchtops, white cabinets, beige splashback, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, ceramic splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Cuisine Marly le Roi

Olivia Martin / Architecte d'Intérieur

Cuisine style campagne chic un peu British
Mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with a farmhouse sink, glass-front cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Suburban Heart of the Home Kitchen

Heather Cleveland Design

Design ideas for a large transitional kitchen in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Gourmet Spice Pantry w Pocket doors

Benvenuti and Stein

Northfield IL kitchen remodel has Gourmet Spice Pantry with curved shelves and pocket doors for easy hallway access. Norman Sizemore- Photographer
Design ideas for a transitional kitchen in Chicago with wood benchtops and brown floor.

Family Loft

ZeroEnergy Design

Modern family loft renovation. A young couple starting a family in the city purchased this two story loft in Boston's South End. Built in the 1990's, the loft was ready for updates. ZED transformed the space, creating a fresh new look and greatly increasing its functionality to accommodate an expanding family within an urban setting. Improvement were made to the aesthetics, scale, and functionality for the growing family to enjoy. Photos by Eric Roth. Construction by Ralph S. Osmond Company. Green architecture by ZeroEnergy Design.

Light Gray Cabinets with Exposed Wood Beams

Taylor Made Cabinets, Leominster MA

Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Pablo Creek Reserve Estate Home

Collins Builders

Photo of a large transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Jacksonville with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Beautiful Blues in Yardley, PA

Lang's Kitchen & Bath

This amazing traditional kitchen design in Yardley, PA incorporates medium wood finish raised panel cabinetry by Koch and Company with island cabinets painted charcoal blue The striking blue island is beautifully accented by a Grothouse butcherblock countertop, with a Silestone Copper Mist countertop around the perimeter. A Blanco Siligranit black farmhouse sink pairs perfectly with the Riobel faucet and soap dispenser. The Gazzini gold cashmere tile backsplash complements the kitchen cabinets and includes a niche behind the range, below a custom matching hood. The adjacent beverage bar includes a round Nantucket brushed satin sink and upper glass front display cabinets. Black appliances feature throughout the kitchen design including a GE French door refrigerator, KitchenAid cooktop, GE built-in double convection wall oven, and Sharp microwave drawer. The Lang's team also installed Andersen windows and a patio door with satin nickel hardware. The kitchen cabinets are packed with customized storage accessories including a corner cabinet swing out shelf, tray dividers, narrow spice and oil pull outs, pantry pull out shelves, appliance garage, and cutlery drawers. This kitchen design is packed with style and storage, and sure to be the center of attention in this home.

Black Pendant Kitchen Lighting

Fratantoni Interior Designers

This French Country kitchen features a large island with bar stool seating. Black cabinets with gold hardware surround the kitchen. Open shelving is on both sides of the gas-burning stove. These French Country wood doors are custom designed.

Kitchen

Haver & Skolnick LLC Architects

A central island with an antique chestnut top is the focus of the Country Kitchen. Robert Benson Photography
This is an example of an expansive country kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Armadale House

bg architecture

Michelle Williams
This is an example of a large contemporary galley kitchen in Melbourne with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and subway tile splashback.

Cook's Kitchen, Hampshire, England

Artichoke

This bespoke professional cook's kitchen features a custom copper and stainless steel La Cornue range cooker and extraction canopy, built to match the client's copper pans. Italian Black Basalt stone shelving lines the walls resting on Acero stone brackets, a detail repeated on bench seats in front of the windows between glazed crockery cabinets. The table was made in solid English oak with turned legs. The project’s special details include inset LED strip lighting rebated into the underside of the stone shelves, wired invisibly through the stone brackets. Primary materials: Hand painted Sapele; Italian Black Basalt; Acero limestone; English oak; Lefroy Brooks white brick tiles; antique brass, nickel and pewter ironmongery.

Open Plan Country Kitchen

John Lewis of Hungerford

Gorgeous bespoke Shaker kitchen with kitchen island,in green and oak.
Inspiration for a mid-sized country eat-in kitchen in Berkshire with a farmhouse sink, green cabinets, wood benchtops, with island and beige benchtop.

Contemporary Craftsman

Roberta Wilson

This "Cookie Kitchen" is a hidden pantry space that is perfect for all storage and accessory needs. Great place for planning that next baking adventure, making the perfect cup o joe and hiding an extensive pantry collection.

Bohemian Abode

Mountainwood Homes

Oak hardwoods were laced into the existing floors, butcher block countertops contrast against the painted shaker cabinets, matte brass fixtures add sophistication, while the custom subway tile range hood and feature wall with floating shelves pop against the dark wall. The best feature? A dishwasher. After all these years as a couple, this is the first time the two have a dishwasher. The new space makes the home feel twice as big and utilizes classic choices as the backdrop to their unique style. Photo by: Vern Uyetake

Kitchens

Bella Home Design

Photo of a large modern galley separate kitchen in DC Metro with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, black appliances, porcelain floors, with island, beige floor, glass sheet splashback and brown benchtop.

Large Kitchen Island

Fratantoni Interior Designers

This French Country kitchen features a large island with a butcher block countertop and bar stool seating. Black kitchen cabinets with gold hardware surround the kitchen. Open shelving is on both sides of the gas-burning stove. A floral loveseat sits against the window with an oval dining table to create a pop of color.

Susan G. Komen Showhouse

Karen Berkemeyer Home

Design ideas for a large traditional kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, multiple islands and wood benchtops.

The Pimlico Kitchen by deVOL

deVOL Kitchens

deVOL Kitchens
Mid-sized traditional galley separate kitchen in London with a double-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and no island.

Swope Kitchen Renovation

The Aldrich Group, LLC

Hidden kitchen ladder Jeff Herr Photography
Photo of a large country separate kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, green splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen with Wood Benchtops 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!