A hardwood shaker style kitchen. The built in cabinets and island are hand painted in Farrow and Ball, Pavilion Grey. The tall cabinetry is paired with a ladder for easy access to the taller cupboards. The large island has a Shaker 900 Perrin and Rowe sink and integrated storage. It has a breakfast bar at one end, with traditional wooden stools. Integrated larder unit includes a built in Miele microwave and mounted spice racks. It has Farrow and Ball painted frames with a natural wood interior finish.

Dutch Colonial Charm

Cummings Architecture + Interiors

Joyelle West Photography
Mid-sized traditional kitchen pantry in Boston with open cabinets, white cabinets, light hardwood floors, a farmhouse sink, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Best Rd - Kitchen Island and Window Wall

Studio Sarah Willmer Architecture

Kitchen Island and Window Wall. Photography by Eric Rorer
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen in Seattle with stainless steel benchtops, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a single-bowl sink, light hardwood floors and with island.

Mid Century inspired kitchen & utility.

Culshaw Kitchen Makers

This Mid Century inspired kitchen was manufactured for a couple who definitely didn't want a traditional 'new' fitted kitchen as part of their extension to a 1930's house in a desirable Manchester suburb. The walk in pantry was fitted into a bricked up recess previously occupied by a range. U-shaped shelves and larder racks mean there is plenty of storage for food meaning none needs to be stored in the kitchen cabinets. Strip LED lighting illuminates the interior. Photo: Ian Hampson

Rancho Project

Two Hawks Design and Development

Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Phoenix with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, shaker cabinets, solid surface benchtops and ceramic splashback.

tanglevine main house | chilmark

sullivan + associates architects

Bob Gothard
Large country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Boston with a drop-in sink, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Contemporary Kitchen

Photo of an expansive contemporary open plan kitchen in London with flat-panel cabinets, solid surface benchtops, glass sheet splashback, with island and grey splashback.

A Bijou Holiday Apartment in Edinburgh

The Couture Rooms

This is an example of a traditional eat-in kitchen in Edinburgh with a peninsula, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback and dark hardwood floors.

A modern country kitchen

Johnny Grey Studios.

Our brief was to create a calm, modern country kitchen that avoided cliches - and to intrinsically link to the garden. A weekend escape for a busy family who come down to escape the city, to enjoy their art collection, garden and cook together. The design springs from my neuroscience research and is based on appealing to our hard wired needs, our fundamental instincts - sociability, easy movement, art, comfort, hearth, smells, readiness for visitors, view of outdoors and a place to eat. The key design innovation was the use of soft geometry, not so much in the planning but in the three dimensionality of the furniture which grows out of the floor in an organic way. The soft geometry is in the profile of the pieces, not in their footprint. The users can stroke the furniture, lie against it and feel its softness, all of which helps the visitors to kitchen linger and chat. The fireplace is located in the middle between the cooking zone and the garden. There is plenty of room to draw up a chair and just sit around. The fold-out doors let the landscape into the space in a generous way, especially on summer days when the weather makes the indoors and outdoors come together. The sight lines from the main cooking and preparation island offer views of the garden throughout the seasons, as well as people coming into the room and those seating at the table - so it becomes a command position or what we call the sweet spot. This often results in there being a family competition to do the cooking. The woods are Canadian Maple, Australian rosewood and Eucalyptus. All appliances are Gaggenau and Fisher and Paykel.

Green Goods

Design by Heather Tissue; construction by Green Goods Kitchen remodel featuring carmelized strand woven bamboo plywood, maple plywood and paint grade cabinets, custom bamboo doors, handmade ceramic tile, custom concrete countertops

Vinings Renovation

EK Interiors

Photo of a traditional kitchen in Atlanta with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Surrey Country Classic Bespoke Kitchen

Thomas Davies Kitchens

Anita Fraser
Large traditional open plan kitchen in London with shaker cabinets and with island.

Jalan Anggerek

Blum SEA

We love the surprise element of an open and spacious bookshelf at the side of the island. This would be one of the things that would catch the attention of people walking into the kitchen. Photo credits: Fauzi Anuar of www.zeeandmarina.com

Open-Plan Kitchen Diner Extension

Trevor Brown Architects

Adelina Llive
Contemporary kitchen in London with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white splashback and with island.

Oakville New Build

Creative Streak Interiors

Leslie Goodwin Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped kitchen in Toronto with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and with island.

Gallery

Benbow & Associates

Photo of a traditional kitchen pantry in Other with open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback and with island.

Space for Everyone

Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath

Bob Narod
This is an example of a traditional open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Potrero HIll

Antonio Martins Interior Design

Photos by Drew Kelly
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall separate kitchen in San Francisco with open cabinets, white appliances, an undermount sink, stainless steel cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, white splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Modern Ranch Kitchen

Lloyd Architects

Photo by Sara Bateman Interiors: Nanette Amis Contractor: Matt Painter Cabinets: Paramount Construction preston@paramountjobsite.com
Photo of a mid-sized modern open plan kitchen in Salt Lake City with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Mid-Century Modern Ranch

Susan Jay Design

Hickory wood cabinetry, reclaimed Walnut counter and light fixtures from Spain create an aspiring chef's dream kitchen. Tom Bonner Photography
Mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, yellow splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, solid surface benchtops, matchstick tile splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

All Islands Kitchen 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!