Recessed cabinets under the sink provide plenty of knee space.

Location: Port Townsend, Washington. Photography by Dale Lang
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

Snake River Canyon Residence

Dynia Architects

This residence, sited above a river canyon, is comprised of two intersecting building forms. The primary building form contains main living spaces on the upper floor and a guest bedroom, workroom, and garage at ground level. The roof rises from the intimacy of the master bedroom to provide a greater volume for the living room, while opening up to capture mountain views to the west and sun to the south. The secondary building form, with an opposing roof slope contains the kitchen, the entry, and the stair leading up to the main living space. A.I.A. Wyoming Chapter Design Award of Merit 2008 Project Year: 2008

Stiles Creek

Berghuis Construction LLC

Photos by Kaity Interiors by Ashley Cole Design Architecture by David Maxam
Photo of a contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Grand Rapids with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, glass tile splashback, an undermount sink, bamboo floors and with island.

Kahala Thai LEED Platinum Residence

Peter Vincent Architects

Kyle Rothenborg
Mid-sized asian u-shaped kitchen pantry in Hawaii with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, bamboo floors, with island and brown floor.

Montclair Renovation and Interiors

ilumus, llc.

Ramona d'Viola - ilumus photography
Design ideas for a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

Wide open warmth

General Woodcraft Inc.

Photo of a large transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

Wide open warmth

General Woodcraft Inc.

Eco-Chic Oasis: Green Island

Reno Maryland

This is an example of a small transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in DC Metro with a single-bowl sink, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Eclectic Blue Kitchen

Susan E. Brown Interior Design

Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, matchstick tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

Modern Kitchen

Jordan Iverson Signature Homes

Mid-sized traditional l-shaped kitchen in Portland with laminate benchtops, a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

South Kensington Project

Rose Narmani Interiors

A historic London townhouse, redesigned by Rose Narmani Interiors.
Design ideas for a large contemporary kitchen in London with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, bamboo floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Edgerton 1910 / Point Breeze

Shelton Design//Build

Built and designed by Shelton Design Build Photo by: MissLPhotography
Large traditional u-shaped kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, brown floor, a farmhouse sink, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback and bamboo floors.

The Live Oak House-Kitchen/Dining

RORY REYNOLDS + ASSOCIATES

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island and brown floor.

Waverton - Home Renovation

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

The kitchen and dining room are part of a larger renovation and extension that saw the rear of this home transformed from a small, dark, many-roomed space into a large, bright, open-plan family haven. With a goal to re-invent the home to better suit the needs of the owners, the designer needed to consider making alterations to many rooms in the home including two bathrooms, a laundry, outdoor pergola and a section of hallway. This was a large job with many facets to oversee and consider but, in Nouvelle’s favour was the fact that the company oversaw all aspects of the project including design, construction and project management. This meant all members of the team were in the communication loop which helped the project run smoothly. To keep the rear of the home light and bright, the designer choose a warm white finish for the cabinets and benchtop which was highlighted by the bright turquoise tiled splashback. The rear wall was moved outwards and given a bay window shape to create a larger space with expanses of glass to the doors and walls which invite the natural light into the home and make indoor/outdoor entertaining so easy. The laundry is a clever conversion of an existing outhouse and has given the structure a new lease on life. Stripped bare and re-fitted, the outhouse has been re-purposed to keep the historical exterior while provide a modern, functional interior. A new pergola adjacent to the laundry makes the perfect outside entertaining area and can be used almost year-round. Inside the house, two bathrooms were renovated utilising the same funky floor tile with its modern, matte finish. Clever design means both bathrooms, although compact, are practical inclusions which help this family during the busy morning rush. In considering the renovation as a whole, it was determined necessary to reconfigure the hallway adjacent to the downstairs bathroom to create a new traffic flow through to the kitchen from the front door and enable a more practical kitchen design to be created.

Another view of the kitchen from the home's foyer.

FabCab

Location: Port Townsend, Washington. Photography by Dale Lang
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, a double-bowl sink, solid surface benchtops, with island and brown floor.

Simply MOD

Lucy Johnson Interior Design

Dale Lang
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with with island, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, bamboo floors, light wood cabinets, blue splashback and glass sheet splashback.

Scituate Kitchen

'g' Green Design Center

Bamboo floor with hand scraped finish and multi colored stain - We created this transitional style kitchen for a client who loves color and texture. When she came to ‘g’ she had already chosen to use the large stone wall behind her stove and selected her appliances, which were all high end and therefore guided us in the direction of creating a real cooks kitchen. The two tiered island plays a major roll in the design since the client also had the Charisma Blue Vetrazzo already selected. This tops the top tier of the island and helped us to establish a color palette throughout. Other important features include the appliance garage and the pantry, as well as bar area. The hand scraped bamboo floors also reflect the highly textured approach to this family gathering place as they extend to adjacent rooms. Dan Cutrona Photography

Ravenna Residence

Raina Henderson Interior Design, LLC

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Fowler Homes – Belmont Display

Brindabella Kitchens

Inspiration for a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, louvered cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

Tudor Cottage

Nyhus Design Group

Charming Old World meets new, open space planning concepts. This Ranch Style home turned English Cottage maintains very traditional detailing and materials on the exterior, but is hiding a more transitional floor plan inside. The 49 foot long Great Room brings together the Kitchen, Family Room, Dining Room, and Living Room into a singular experience on the interior. By turning the Kitchen around the corner, the remaining elements of the Great Room maintain a feeling of formality for the guest and homeowner's experience of the home. A long line of windows affords each space fantastic views of the rear yard. Nyhus Design Group - Architect Ross Pushinaitis - Photography

Kitchen with Bamboo Floors and with Island 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!