Kitchen view from Entry john todd, photographer
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Micro-apartment

Allen+Killcoyne Architects

Inspiration for a small scandinavian l-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with open cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, light hardwood floors, no island and brown floor.

12 South Modernism

Paragon Group LLC

Inspiration for a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, open cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

Traditional Kitchen

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Other with white appliances, open cabinets, white cabinets, green splashback, an undermount sink, ceramic splashback, light hardwood floors and no island.

Mill Valley Traditional

SINGLEPOINT DESIGN BUILD INC.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, grey splashback, with island, beige floor, black cabinets, marble benchtops, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances and medium hardwood floors.

Miner's Cottage II

Design Storey

Modern rustic kitchen addition to a former miner's cottage. Coal black units and industrial materials reference the mining heritage of the area. design storey architects

East Chop

Jill Neubauer Architects

This is an example of a large beach style l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, an undermount sink, open cabinets, glass sheet splashback and with island.

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.

Vaycay

Kehoe Wilson Design LLC

Michael Hunter
This is an example of a large mediterranean u-shaped open plan kitchen in Houston with open cabinets, green cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island, red floor, an undermount sink and tile benchtops.

Northcote Additions - Light and Bright

Rebecca Naughtin Architect

Ben Hosking Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with open cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, quartz benchtops, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, light hardwood floors and with island.

Greek Revival Farmhouse

Peregrine Design Build

Photo by Susan Teare
Country kitchen in Burlington with an undermount sink, open cabinets and wood benchtops.

Hydeaway House

Schwartz and Architecture

Photography by Matthew Millman
This is an example of a modern l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, green splashback, concrete floors, with island and grey floor.

Old world elegance meets today's today's contemporary space requirements

Marlene Wangenheim AKBD, CAPS, Allied Member ASID

This modern functioning kitchen has loads of counterspace and open shelving for cooks to have immediate access to plates when preparing a meal of to have a party. Natural white quartz and varying heights and depths of base cabinetry create the look of furniture rather than kitchen cabinetry. The countertops are durable and create the look of an old world look. Backsplash tiles are calacutta marble and extend to the ceiling behind the floating open shelves.

Greenwich Village

Pamela Dailey Design

This 400 s.f. studio apartment in NYC’s Greenwich Village serves as a pied-a-terre for clients whose primary residence is on the West Coast. Although the clients do not reside here full-time, this tiny space accommodates all the creature comforts of home. Bleached hardwood floors, crisp white walls, and high ceilings are the backdrop to a custom blackened steel and glass partition, layered with raw silk sheer draperies, to create a private sleeping area, replete with custom built-in closets. Simple headboard and crisp linens are balanced with a lightly-metallic glazed duvet and a vintage textile pillow. The living space boasts a custom Belgian linen sectional sofa that pulls out into a full-size bed for the couple’s young children who sometimes accompany them. Efficient and inexpensive dining furniture sits comfortably in the main living space and lends clean, Scandinavian functionality for sharing meals. The sculptural handrafted metal ceiling mobile offsets the architecture’s clean lines, defining the space while accentuating the tall ceilings. The kitchenette combines custom cool grey lacquered cabinets with brass fittings, white beveled subway tile, and a warm brushed brass backsplash; an antique Boucherouite runner and textural woven stools that pull up to the kitchen’s coffee counter puntuate the clean palette with warmth and the human scale. The under-counter freezer and refrigerator, along with the 18” dishwasher, are all panelled to match the cabinets, and open shelving to the ceiling maximizes the feeling of the space’s volume. The entry closet doubles as home for a combination washer/dryer unit. The custom bathroom vanity, with open brass legs sitting against floor-to-ceiling marble subway tile, boasts a honed gray marble countertop, with an undermount sink offset to maximize precious counter space and highlight a pendant light. A tall narrow cabinet combines closed and open storage, and a recessed mirrored medicine cabinet conceals additional necessaries. The stand-up shower is kept minimal, with simple white beveled subway tile and frameless glass doors, and is large enough to host a teak and stainless bench for comfort; black sink and bath fittings ground the otherwise light palette. What had been a generic studio apartment became a rich landscape for living.

Parsons Green. Herringbone in colour Thistle

Cheville Parquet

White herringbone floor with a silver oil in the grain. The client wanted a white floor to give a clean, contemporary feel to the property, but wanted to incorporate a light element of grey, The oversize herringbone block works well in a modern living space. All the blocks are engineered, bevel edged, tongue and grooved on all 4 sides. Compatible with under floor heating.

Modd Cott

Mell Lawrence Architects

Inspiration for a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, open cabinets, blue cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and no island.

scottsdale residence | 48 degrees

180 degrees

Bill Timmerman Photography
Photo of a modern galley open plan kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and concrete floors.

L-Shaped Galley Kitchen Update

Neil Kelly Company

This unique kitchen space is an L-shaped galley with lots of windows looking out to Lake Washington. The new design features classic white lower cabinets and floating walnut shelves above. White quartz countertop, brass hardware and fixtures, light blue textured wallpaper, and three different forms of lighting-- can lights, sconces, and LED strips under the floating shelf to illuminate what's on the shelf or countertop below it.

Generationenhaus Oberland

Küchenwerkstatt wohnen & leben

Design ideas for a contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Munich with an undermount sink, open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, black appliances, a peninsula and grey benchtop.

Alamo Square Beautiful Home

Hayasa Flooring Design, Inc

Design ideas for a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

Kitchen with an Undermount Sink and Open Cabinets 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!