Kitchen with Soapstone countertops and Ebonized wood floors

Architect: Paul Hannan of SALA Architects Interior Designer: Talla Skogmo of Engler Skogmo Interior Design
This is an example of a large traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, black floor and black benchtop.

Parkside

Hello Kitchen

Mid-sized scandinavian galley open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and black benchtop.

Lowry Hill Kitchen

Kate Roos Design LLC

A French range with brass accents complements the era of the home and acts as a beautiful focal point in the room.
Large traditional single-wall separate kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Black and Walnut Modern Industrial Design Kitchen in DC

USA Cabinet Store Fairfax

Design ideas for a mid-sized industrial galley eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and black benchtop.

Lake Travis Overlook

Marion Interior Design

Large modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

1920s Seattle Kitchen Remodel

Lara M

Kitchen breakfast area
Photo of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, limestone floors, no island, black floor and black benchtop.

Lighthouse Bay- Kitchen Island

LDa Architecture & Interiors

TEAM Interior Designer: LDa Architecture & Interiors Builder: Youngblood Builders Photographer: Greg Premru Photography
This is an example of a large beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Vintage Minneapolis

Locale Design Build

Design ideas for a mid-sized eclectic separate kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, coloured appliances, linoleum floors, multi-coloured floor and black benchtop.

Mission Transition

Renovisions

This kitchen had not been renovated since the salt box colonial house was built in the 1960’s. The new owner felt it was time for a complete refresh with some traditional details and adding in the owner’s contemporary tastes. At initial observation, we determined the house had good bones; including high ceilings and abundant natural light from a double-hung window and three skylights overhead recently installed by our client. Mixing the homeowners desires required the skillful eyes of Cathy and Ed from Renovisions. The original kitchen had dark stained, worn cabinets, in-adequate lighting and a non-functional coat closet off the kitchen space. In order to achieve a true transitional look, Renovisions incorporated classic details with subtle, simple and cleaner line touches. For example, the backsplash mix of honed and polished 2” x 3” stone-look subway tile is outlined in brushed stainless steel strips creating an edgy feel, especially at the niche above the range. Removing the existing wall that shared the coat closet opened up the kitchen to allow adding an island for seating and entertaining guests. We chose natural maple, shaker style flat panel cabinetry with longer stainless steel pulls instead of knobs, keeping in line with the clients desire for a sleeker design. This kitchen had to be gutted to accommodate the new layout featuring an island with pull-out trash and recycling and deeper drawers for utensils. Spatial constraints were top of mind and incorporating a convection microwave above the slide-in range made the most sense. Our client was thrilled with the ability to bake, broil and microwave from GE’s advantium oven – how convenient! A custom pull-out cabinet was built for his extensive array of spices and oils. The sink base cabinet provides plenty of area for the large rectangular stainless steel sink, single-lever multi-sprayer faucet and matching filtered water dispenser faucet. The natural, yet sleek green soapstone countertop with distinct white veining created a dynamic visual and principal focal point for the now open space. While oak wood flooring existed in the entire first floor, as an added element of color and interest we installed multi-color slate-look porcelain tiles in the kitchen area. We also installed a fully programmable floor heating system for those chilly New England days. Overall, out client was thrilled with his Mission Transition.

Craftsman Kitchen Backsplash

Motawi Tileworks

Mid-sized arts and crafts galley eat-in kitchen in Detroit with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, yellow splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Custom open shelving

INSPIRED KITCHEN DESIGN

The open shelving was custom-built by Stacey’s husband to hold maximum weight. Stacey wanted to maintain some of the freedom of the door-free cabinets in the previous kitchen. The corner shelves hold items in frequent rotation so they never have a chance to get dusty.

Broad Cove Residence

BRIBURN – Architecture for Life

Photo of a country kitchen in Portland Maine with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

Laurel Hollow, NY

North Shore Kitchens, Inc.

Large traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, multiple islands, soapstone benchtops and brown floor.

A serious cooks kitchen

MkyDesign

Inspiration for a large eclectic l-shaped kitchen pantry in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, coloured appliances, concrete floors and with island.

CONTEMPORARY KITCHEN

Keystone Cabinetry Inc. Since 1984

MR
Photo of a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Organic Infused

Kimithy Nagel, CKD, CBD/Neil Kelly Company

This is an example of a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Contemporary Kitchen

Cynthia Bennett & Associates

Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, glass tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, soapstone benchtops and stainless steel appliances.

Palace Ave

True North Builders

Photo of a l-shaped kitchen in Albuquerque with shaker cabinets, an undermount sink, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback and stainless steel appliances.

East-West House

TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design

Modern kitchen with open floor plan and chef's appliances. To view other projects by TruexCullins Architecture + Interior design visit www.truexcullins.com

Mountain Eclectic

Colossus Mfg.

The mountain vibes are strong in this rustic industrial kitchen with textured dark wood cabinetry, an iron wrapped hood, milk globe pendants, black shiplap walls, and black counter tops and backsplash.

Kitchen with an Undermount Sink and Soapstone 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!