Design ideas for a transitional u-shaped kitchen in Wollongong with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, grey benchtop and vaulted.

Windsor Workers Cottage

Michael Christopher Design

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop, timber and vaulted.

Lurline Bay House I Part 2

D'Cruz Design Group

Photo of a large contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, glass sheet splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and exposed beam.

Balmain East Residence

Bumph & Scumble Design Centre

Design ideas for a transitional separate kitchen in Sydney with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, metallic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and timber.

Contemporary Kitchen

Design ideas for a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, beige benchtop, vaulted and marble benchtops.

Lakewood Project

Round Table Design

Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Dallas with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, brown splashback, panelled appliances, with island, beige floor, grey benchtop, timber and vaulted.

French Country Florida Style

Waterview Kitchens

Gorgeous French Country style kitchen featuring a rustic cherry hood with coordinating island. White inset cabinetry frames the dark cherry creating a timeless design.

Transitional Elegance

Tobias Design LLC

Photo of a large transitional galley open plan kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and timber.

Chef's Kitchen. Click for more info.

User

Chef's dream kitchen with a 60" gas range and extra storage built into the large island.
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped kitchen with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and exposed beam.

A Modern Kitchen for a Retreat in the Woods

Amazing Spaces

This is a great house. Perched high on a private, heavily wooded site, it has a rustic contemporary aesthetic. Vaulted ceilings, sky lights, large windows and natural materials punctuate the main spaces. The existing large format mosaic slate floor grabs your attention upon entering the home extending throughout the foyer, kitchen, and family room. Specific requirements included a larger island with workspace for each of the homeowners featuring a homemade pasta station which requires small appliances on lift-up mechanisms as well as a custom-designed pasta drying rack. Both chefs wanted their own prep sink on the island complete with a garbage “shoot” which we concealed below sliding cutting boards. A second and overwhelming requirement was storage for a large collection of dishes, serving platters, specialty utensils, cooking equipment and such. To meet those needs we took the opportunity to get creative with storage: sliding doors were designed for a coffee station adjacent to the main sink; hid the steam oven, microwave and toaster oven within a stainless steel niche hidden behind pantry doors; added a narrow base cabinet adjacent to the range for their large spice collection; concealed a small broom closet behind the refrigerator; and filled the only available wall with full-height storage complete with a small niche for charging phones and organizing mail. We added 48” high base cabinets behind the main sink to function as a bar/buffet counter as well as overflow for kitchen items. The client’s existing vintage commercial grade Wolf stove and hood commands attention with a tall backdrop of exposed brick from the fireplace in the adjacent living room. We loved the rustic appeal of the brick along with the existing wood beams, and complimented those elements with wired brushed white oak cabinets. The grayish stain ties in the floor color while the slab door style brings a modern element to the space. We lightened the color scheme with a mix of white marble and quartz countertops. The waterfall countertop adjacent to the dining table shows off the amazing veining of the marble while adding contrast to the floor. Special materials are used throughout, featured on the textured leather-wrapped pantry doors, patina zinc bar countertop, and hand-stitched leather cabinet hardware. We took advantage of the tall ceilings by adding two walnut linear pendants over the island that create a sculptural effect and coordinated them with the new dining pendant and three wall sconces on the beam over the main sink.

Victorian Villa

Absolute Architecture

Photo of a modern galley eat-in kitchen in Berkshire with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, black splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Olathe MCM

Stumpff HomeWorks, LLC

Photo of a midcentury single-wall eat-in kitchen in Kansas City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, granite splashback, panelled appliances, slate floors, with island, black floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Warren Terrace Hinsdale

Plain & Posh

These homeowners were ready to update the home they had built when their girls were young. This was not a full gut remodel. The perimeter cabinetry mostly stayed but got new doors and height added at the top. The island and tall wood stained cabinet to the left of the sink are new and custom built and I hand-drew the design of the new range hood. The beautiful reeded detail came from our idea to add this special element to the new island and cabinetry. Bringing it over to the hood just tied everything together. We were so in love with this stunning Quartzite we chose for the countertops we wanted to feature it further in a custom apron-front sink. We were in love with the look of Zellige tile and it seemed like the perfect space to use it in.

Paxton House

Spotlight Design Center

A beautiful two tone - Polar and Navy Kitchen with gold hardware.
Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors, with island, grey floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Mac-a-vista lake home

ShoreStone Custom Builders, Inc.

Design ideas for a beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, black benchtop, exposed beam, timber, vaulted, quartzite benchtops, marble splashback and panelled appliances.

Scarborough Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Renovation

The Good Home - Interiors & Design

Darren Setlow Photography
Inspiration for a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland Maine with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured benchtop, beige floor and exposed beam.

Modern European Residence

Deep River Partners

The central T-shape island is a workhorse for preparation, yet provides a cozy spot where a line of leather-backed barstools encourage conversation. The darkly stained finish provides contrast and anchors the space to separate it from other kitchen elements. The black metal light fixture, veining of the natural quartzite countertops, and accessories provide elegant contrast to the neutral theme through pattern, contrast and pops of color.

Waterfront Cottage

b Architecture Studio

Small beach style l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Stoke Newington Garden Apartment

Helene Bowden Design

Open plan kitchen , Shaker style painted units, Zellige tile splash back, concealed ventilation
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in London with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, solid surface benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

Warren Terrace Hinsdale

Plain & Posh

All Ceiling Designs Kitchen with Panelled Appliances 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!