Kitchen is Center In our design to combine the apartments, we centered the kitchen - making it a dividing line between private and public space; vastly expanding the storage and work surface area. We discovered an existing unused roof penetration to run a duct to vent out a powerful kitchen hood. The original bathroom skylight now illuminates the central kitchen space. Without changing the standard skylight size, we gave it architectural scale by carving out the ceiling to maximize daylight. Light now dances off the vaulted, sculptural angles of the ceiling to bathe the entire space in natural light.

Modern Custom Build in WashPark neighborhood: Denver Life Magazine Showhouse

Beautiful Habitat: Design & Decoration

The overall vision for the kitchen is a modern, slightly edgy space that is still warm and inviting. As a designer, I like to push people out of their comfort zones. We’ve done that a few ways with this kitchen – Ebony and matte gray cabinets, mixing cabinet and countertop materials, and mixing metals. We’ve all seen and done the white kitchen for the last 10 years. I wanted to demonstrate that a black kitchen is functional and dramatic and not the dark cave everyone fears. To soften the black, we’ve incorporated organic elements like natural woods, handmade backsplash tiles, brass and the flowing, organic patterns of the fabrics.

Black and Walnut Modern Industrial Design Kitchen in DC

USA Cabinet Store Fairfax

This is an example of a mid-sized industrial galley eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and black benchtop.

Hyde Park Treehouse

HA Architecture

Photo by: Leonid Furmansky
Photo of a small transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Rolling Hills - Kitchen

Luxe Remodel

Materials Countertop: Soapstone Range Hood: Marble Cabinets: Vertical Grain White Oak Appliances Range: Wolf Dishwasher: Miele Fridge: Subzero Water dispenser: Zip Water

Parkside

Hello Kitchen

Inspiration for a mid-sized scandinavian galley open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and black benchtop.

Clayton

Karen Korn Interiors

Design ideas for a traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in St Louis with a single-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Kitchen

Novare Renovation & Design

Painted custom cabinetry, MIneral black soapstone countertops, refinished oak hardwood flooring.
Photo of a small transitional galley separate kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Santa Barbara - Kitchen Remodel

Luxe Remodel

Materials Countertop: Soapstone Range Hood: Marble Cabinets: Vertical Grain White Oak Appliances Range: @subzeroandwolf Dishwasher: @mieleusa Fridge: @subzeroandwolf Water dispenser: @zipwaterus

Transitional Kitchen

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Edmonton with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, black benchtop and brown floor.

Ridge Residence

Hsu McCullough

Wood siding of the exterior wraps into the house at the south end of the kitchen concealing a pantry and panel-ready column, FIsher&Paykel refrigerator and freezer as well as a coffee bar. An assemblage of textures and raw materials including a dark-hued, minimalist layout for the kitchen opens to living room with panoramic views of the canyon to the left and the street on the right. We dropped the kitchen ceiling to be lower than the living room by 24 inches. There is a roof garden of meadow grasses and agave above the kitchen which thermally insulates cooling the kitchen space. Soapstone counter top, backsplash and shelf/window sill, Brizo faucet with Farrow & Ball "Pitch Black" painted cabinets complete the edges. The smooth stucco of the exterior walls and roof overhang wraps inside to the ceiling passing the wide screen windows facing the street. An American black walnut island with Fyrn counter stools separate the kitchen and living room over a floor of black, irregular-shaped flagstone. Delta Light fixtures were used throughout for their discreet beauty yet highly functional settings.

Cordell Modern Renovation

Crafted Custom Homes + Renovations

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern galley eat-in kitchen in Houston with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, multiple islands, black floor and black benchtop.

Clayton Kitchen

User

Karen Palmer Photography with Marcia Moore Design
This is an example of a large traditional eat-in kitchen in St Louis with raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Parkside

Hello Kitchen

Photo of a mid-sized scandinavian galley open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and black benchtop.

Kitchen

Novare Renovation & Design

The storage space in this galley kitchen was doubled by extending the cabinetry up to the 10' ceiling. The pendant light was original to the home and refurbished. Task lighting & in cabinet lighting was added to light the dark space.

Ridge Residence

Hsu McCullough

An assemblage of textures and raw materials, the great room spaces are distinguished by two unique ceiling heights: A dark-hued, minimalist layout for the kitchen opens to living room with panoramic views of the canyon to the left and the street on the right. We dropped the kitchen ceiling to be lower than the living room by 24 inches. There is a roof garden of meadow grasses and agave above the kitchen which thermally insulates cooling the kitchen space. Wood siding of the exterior wraps into the house at the south end of the kitchen concealing a pantry and panel-ready column, FIsher&Paykel refrigerator and freezer as well as a coffee bar. Soapstone counter top, backsplash and shelf/window sill, Brizo faucet with Farrow & Ball "Pitch Black" painted cabinets complete the edges. The smooth stucco of the exterior walls and roof overhang wraps inside to the ceiling passing the wide screen windows facing the street. An American black walnut island with seating also separates the kitchen and living room - all sitting on the black, irregular-shaped flagstone floors which circuit throughout the entire first floor. Walnut stair treads and handrail beyond with a solid white oak ceiling for a warm balance to the dark floors. Delta Light fixtures were used throughout for their discreet beauty yet highly functional settings.

Santa Barbara - Kitchen Remodel

Luxe Remodel

Materials Countertop: Soapstone Range Hood: Marble Cabinets: Vertical Grain White Oak Appliances Range: @subzeroandwolf Dishwasher: @mieleusa Fridge: @subzeroandwolf Water dispenser: @zipwaterus

Picturesque Parkside

M-Squared Contracting Inc.

This is an example of an expansive transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Nomadic Nest

Andrew Mikhael Architect

Guggenhill Residence

KA DesignWorks

Design ideas for a large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, white splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, soapstone benchtops, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances and black benchtop.

Kitchen with Black Cabinets and Soapstone Benchtops 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!