Mid-sized contemporary open plan kitchen in Paris with beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, terra-cotta splashback, panelled appliances, terra-cotta floors, with island, white floor and white benchtop.

Clairmont, Home Remodel

Audry Cordero, NKBA at Design Studio West

This beautiful kitchen is perfect for friends and family to gather around, cook meals together, or to simply enjoy an afternoon of baking with the kids. The large central island has plenty of storage including a mixer lift, a microwave drawer, and trash/recycle bins. Easy maintenance and kid friendly with plenty of storage were on top of our list. Cabinets: Sollera Cabinets, Custom Colors

Westhaven Kitchen

Cairns Architecture

A small remodel with a striking improvement. The upgrades only removed a couple of interior walls, with no structural changes, but dramatically opened up the kitchen to the living room and dining room. New windows allowed for balanced light that accented the more modern layout. Clients picked a mixture of finishes that freshened up the space, which some visitors to the house have described as "Scandi Chic," but while still paying homage to the original cabin that are the bones of the home.

Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas

Everingham Design

This is an example of a mid-sized country l-shaped kitchen in Columbus with blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, limestone floors, no island, white floor, white benchtop and a single-bowl sink.

Art Deco 4-Story Home Renovation

Finesse Design Remodeling

A beautiful and open kitchen mimicking the art deco period with sharp lines and triangle shapes in the backsplash and light fixtures. The repeated gold and white finishes allow for a cohesive design and the blue cabinets match perfectly with a shade of blue in the backsplash. The floating shelves provide point of view storage and were stained to match the floors. The french doors and large window provide natural light in the kitchen.

Silver Lake Loft

Black Lacquer Design

Small contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Dayton Historic Kitchen Refresh

Details Design and Staging

This vintage kitchen in a historic home was snug and closed off from other rooms in the home, including the family room. Opening the wall created a pass-through to the family room as well as ample countertop space and bar seating for 4. The new undercount sink in the beautiful granite countertop was enlarged to a single 36" bowl. The original Jen-Aire range had seen better days. Removing it opened up additional counter space as well as offered a smooth cook surface with down draft vent. The custom cabinets were solidly built with lots of custom features that new cabinets would not have offered. To lighten and brighten the room, the cabinets were painted with a Sherwin-Williams enamel. Vintage-style hardware was added to fit the period home. The desk was removed since it diminished counter space and the island cabinets were moved into its place. Doing this also opened up the center of the room, allowing better flow. Backsplash tile from Floor & Decor was added. Walls, backsplash, and cabinets were selected in matching colors to make the space appear larger by keeping the eye moving.

Blackshire

MARCUSSE CONSTRUCTION

Large scandinavian u-shaped open plan kitchen in Grand Rapids with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Kirkland, Kitchen

TBH Sterling Inc.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Grey Kitchen Tiles Backsplash in Stacked Pattern

Fireclay Tile

Want beautiful grey kitchen tiles that fit your budget? Available in our budget-friendly Foundations Collection, our 2x6 Tile in French Linen maximizes style, square footage, and value in this chic NYC apartment kitchen. TILE SHOWN 2x6 Tile in French Linen DESIGN Grisoro Designs PHOTOS Regan Wood Photography

Northridge Remodel

Studio McGee

Design ideas for a large transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Salt Lake City with blue cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Lavender Cottage - Kitchen

Oliver Grahame Photography

Large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Gloucestershire with a single-bowl sink, blue cabinets, beige floor, beaded inset cabinets, grey splashback, glass sheet splashback, a peninsula and white benchtop.

Historical Fremont Remodel

TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders

This is an example of an expansive transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, blue cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, blue benchtop and shaker cabinets.

Soaring South End Kitchen

KitchenVisions

View of open shelves and apron front sink, Sherwin Williams Naval Blue lower cabinets with bronze bar pulls.
Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Downtown Remodel

Aspen Design Studio

Design ideas for a country kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Loft Kitchen Update

Georgia Custom Construction

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, a peninsula, beige floor and white benchtop.

Wansley Tiny House, built by Movable Roots Tiny Home Builders

Tiny Modern Homes

Wansley Tiny House, built by Movable Roots Tiny Home Builders in Melbourne, FL
Photo of a small modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Couple Turns Guest House Into Primary IKEA Kitchen

INSPIRED KITCHEN DESIGN

He explains: “I tried using the IKEA kitchen planner but the more I used it, the more questions I had. IKD, with all their expertise in kitchen design took all the hard decisions off of my hands. Plus the cost was very reasonable.” With a total budget of roughly $16,000, the couple selected a variety of high-end appliances, non-IKEA products and, of course, the IKEA SEKTION cabinet system to create a contemporary kitchen “with a splash of Scandinavian modern.” But it also needed to be reliable enough for everyday cooking as well as entertaining. “We have a large outdoor entertaining area by the entrance,” he adds. The pair combined the IKEA SEKTION cabinet framework with custom doors and drawer faces from the Cabinet Face. For the appliances, Richard selected a 24” Bertazonni range; an 18” Bosch dishwasher and 24” Bosch microwave drawer; a Franke Professional Series Sink; a KWC Domo kitchen faucet; a BodyGlove BG3000 water filter system; an InSinkErator Indulge Modern single-handle instant hot and cold water dispenser faucet and the Evolution Series garbage disposal, also from InSinkErator. The couple selected Silestone Cemento Spa countertop material as well as IKEA OMLOPP drawer lighting and IKEA IRSTA countertop lighting to finish the look.

Lowland Farm Kitchen

Kristina Crestin Design

Jared Kuzia Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped separate kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Bethesda Sommerset

Sarah Kahn Turner

Photo by Keiana Photography
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances and with island.

Kitchen with Blue Cabinets and Brown Cabinets 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!