Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets.

Wicker Park

David Fleener Architects, Inc.

Design ideas for a contemporary galley kitchen in Chicago with stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets.

コンテンポラリーキッチン

Inspiration for a contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Tokyo with an undermount sink, stainless steel appliances, with island, beige floor, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and painted wood floors.

Minneapolis Kitchen

A. Sadowski Designs

This is an example of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets and beige splashback.

Mills Street, Hampton

Key Piece

Adrienne Bizzarri Photography http://adriennebizzarriphotography.com.au/

квартира на Таганке

Елена Кульжик

This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in Moscow with an undermount sink and white splashback.

Kitchen

Molly McGinness Interior Design

Photograph by Susan Kezon
Inspiration for a traditional l-shaped kitchen in Chicago with stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, white splashback and subway tile splashback.

Contemporary Kitchen

Robin Rigby Fisher, CMKBD/CAPS/CLIPPS

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Although this kitchen had ample cabinets and countertops, none of it was functional. Tall appliances divided what would have been a functional run of counters. The cooktop was placed at the end of a narrow island. The walk-in pantry jutted into the kitchen reducing the walkspace of the only functional countertop to 36”. There was not enough room to work and still have a walking area behind. Dark corners and cabinets with poor storage rounded out the existing kitchen. Removing the walk in pantry opened the kitchen and made the adjoining utility room more functional. The space created by removing the pantry became a functional wall of appliances featuring: • 30” Viking Freezer • 36” Viking Refrigerator • 30” Wolf Microwave • 30” Wolf warming drawer To minimize a three foot ceiling height change, a custom Uberboten was built to create a horizontal band keeping the focus downward. The Uberboten houses recessed cans and three decorative light fixtures to illuminate the worksurface and seating area. The Island is functional from all four sides: • Elevation F: functions as an eating bar for two and as a buffet counter for large parties. Countertop: Ceasarstone Blue Ridge • Elevation G: 30” deep coffee bar with beverage refrigerator. Custom storage for flavored syrups and coffee accoutrements. Access to the water with the pull out Elkay faucet makes filling the espresso machine a cinch! Countertop: Ceasarstone Canyon Red • Elevation H: holds the Franke sink, and a cabinet with popup mixer hardware. Countertop: 4” thick endgrain butcherblock maple countertop • Elevation I: 42” tall and 30” deep cabinets hold a second Wolf oven and a built-in Franke scale Countertop: Ceasarstone in Blue Ridge The Range Elevation (Elevation B) has 27” deep countertops, the trash compactor, recycling, a 48” Wolf range. Opposing counter surfaces flank of the range: • Left: Ceasarstone in Canyon Red • Right: Stainless Steel. • Backsplash: Copper What originally was a dysfunctional desk that collected EVERYTHING, now is an attractive, functional 21” deep pantry that stores linen, food, serving pieces and more. The cabinet doors were made from a Zebra-wood-look-alike melamine, the gain runs both horizontally and vertically for a custom design. The end cabinet is a 12” deep message center with cork-board backing and a small work space. Storage below houses phone books and the Lumitron Graphic Eye that controls the light fixtures. Design Details: • An Icebox computer to the left of the main sink • Undercabinet lighting: Xenon • Plug strip eliminate unsightly outlets in the backsplash • Cabinets: natural maple accented with espresso stained alder.

Boyd Kitchen

Turan Designs, Inc.

Traditional Kitchen photo credit: Sacha Griffin
Photo of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, raised-panel cabinets, an undermount sink, green cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen

This is an example of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with wood benchtops, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, metallic splashback, mosaic tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Traditional Kitchen

Design ideas for a traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with granite benchtops, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, brown splashback, porcelain splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Traditional Kitchen

This is an example of a small traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with granite benchtops, raised-panel cabinets, beige splashback, an undermount sink, stone tile splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Craftsman Kitchen

This is an example of a large arts and crafts u-shaped kitchen in Chicago with shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, dark wood cabinets, green splashback, with island and medium hardwood floors.

Derby Hill Farm Lyme NH Pantry

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

This is an example of a traditional kitchen in Burlington with marble benchtops, an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets and yellow cabinets.

Contemporary Kitchen

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and no island.

Skandinavisk Køkken

This is an example of a scandinavian l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and no island.

Kitchen with an Undermount Sink 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!