Designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn helped a neighbor and friend to update a “builder grade” kitchen into a personal, family space that feels luxurious and inviting. The homeowner wanted to solve a number of storage and flow problems in the kitchen, including a wasted area dedicated to a desk, too-little pantry storage, and her wish for a kitchen bar. The all white builder kitchen lacked character, and the client wanted to inject color, texture and personality into the kitchen while keeping it classic.

Fresh & Airy

KrimsonHAUS

Mid-sized transitional u-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and black benchtop.

White Subway Tiles and Hexagon Tiles Kitchen

Fireclay Tile

White square subway tile and Antique hexagon floor, this craftsmen kitchen spotlights the perfect balance of shape and pattern. Tile Shown: 4x4 in Calcite; 8" Hexagon in Antique

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.

Ultra Modern Luxury Oasis

Regal Construction & Remodeling Inc.

This is an example of a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, with island, black benchtop, concrete floors and grey floor.

Captivating Classic Home Renovation

Gardner/Fox Associates, Inc

Kitchen Cabinetry by Glenbrook Cabinetry -Snowcap with Mocha Glaze Kitchen Cabinetry Countertop by Renaissance Marble & Granite Inc. - Pietra Del Cordosa Tile Backsplash by Quemere Designs - Ice Cream Crackle Island by Glenbrook Cabinetry - Cherry Stained Acorn Hutch by Glenbrook Cabinetry - Snowcap with Mocha Glaze Island Countertop by Renaissance Marble & Granite, Inc - Cararra Marble Range - Wolf

Central Phoenix Copper Hood

AFT Construction

Large transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, brown splashback, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and black benchtop.

Contemporary country Kitchen Renovation

reDesign home | chicago

With tall ceilings, an impressive stone fireplace, and original wooden beams, this home in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago, had plenty of character and a style that felt coastal. Six months into the purchase of their home, this family of six contacted Alessia Loffredo and Sarah Coscarelli of ReDesign Home to complete their home’s renovation by tackling the kitchen. “Surprisingly, the kitchen was the one room in the home that lacked interest due to a challenging layout between kitchen, butler pantry, and pantry,” the designer shared, “the cabinetry was not proportionate to the space’s large footprint and height. None of the house’s architectural features were introduced into kitchen aside from the wooden beams crossing the room throughout the main floor including the family room.” She moved the pantry door closer to the prepping and cooking area while converting the former butler pantry a bar. Alessia designed an oversized hood around the stove to counterbalance the impressive stone fireplace located at the opposite side of the living space. She then wanted to include functionality, using Trim Tech‘s cabinets, featuring a pair with retractable doors, for easy access, flanking both sides of the range. The client had asked for an island that would be larger than the original in their space – Alessia made the smart decision that if it was to increase in size it shouldn’t increase in visual weight and designed it with legs, raised above the floor. Made out of steel, by Wayward Machine Co., along with a marble-replicating porcelain countertop, it was designed with durability in mind to withstand anything that her client’s four children would throw at it. Finally, she added finishing touches to the space in the form of brass hardware from Katonah Chicago, with similar toned wall lighting and faucet.

Ski Home Remodel, Vermont

teri maher interiors

This is an example of a country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Burlington with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Mid Century Modern Meets 2020

Fox Interiors

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, no island, grey floor, black benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

Modern Farmhouse-Upstate

Crisp Architects

Kitchen with concrete countertop island and pendant lighting.
Design ideas for a large country u-shaped kitchen in New York with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Brambleton

Hri Design

Design ideas for a transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

HGTV Big City Digs

Mary Rossi Designs

Urban Loft Kitchen Features Industrial and Contemporary Style. Light maple cabinets and vertical batten board used for the backsplash add contemporary style to this urban loft kitchen. Industrial touches, including copper pendant lights and wood-and-metal barstools, add welcome contrast and texture to the neutral space.

Lujoso piso en la Castellana

Beatrice Romero

Contemporary galley kitchen in Madrid with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, stainless steel appliances, with island, a drop-in sink, brown splashback, glass sheet splashback, grey floor and black benchtop.

Kopffreiheit an der Kochinsel und Spülenseite vor dem Fenster

Küchen|stil.

Large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Essen with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, black appliances, ceramic floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and black benchtop.

Organic Modern Mountain Home

Living Stone Design + Build

This is an example of a large country eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, window splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Casa H&R

Manuel Benedikter Architetto

Inspiration for a modern galley eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Nestledown Farm

peter c quinn architect

Lauren Rubenstein Photography
This is an example of a large country l-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, black benchtop and solid surface benchtops.

Compact Shoreditch shaker/freestanding kitchen

Murray & Ball Furniture Ltd

Central storage unit that comprises of a bespoke pull-out larder system and hoses the integrated fridge/freezer and further storage behind the top hung sliding door.

Marin Custom Home

Kelly Hohla Interiors

Photography by John Merkl
This is an example of a large transitional galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, shaker cabinets, beige floor, solid surface benchtops and black benchtop.

Kitchen with Black Benchtop 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!