Go bold with color when designing small spaces. Every item and every square inch has a purpose, form and function are on in the same. Open shelving holds everyday dishes and trailing plants to create a unique and liveable look.

Shutters Make the Windows

ShadeCraft LLC

Create a finished look for your home using shutters specifically built for your windows.
Inspiration for a mid-sized country u-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, with island, grey floor, multi-coloured benchtop and wood.

Pleasanton Custom Home

Ridgecrest Designs

Kitchen featuring white oak lower cabinetry, white painted upper cabinetry with blue accent cabinetry, including the island. Custom steel hood fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Custom wood beam light fixture fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Steel mesh cabinet panels, brass and bronze hardware, La Cornue French range, concrete island countertop and engineered quartz perimeter countertop. The 10' AG Millworks doors open out onto the California Room.

North Wales Coastal Home Kitchen Diner

No Space Like Home

Shaker kitchen painted blue with yellow colour pop between kitchen and dining spaces
Mid-sized beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, laminate benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, laminate floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Kitchen Remodel - Hermosa Beach

DYM Builders Group, Inc.

Experience the allure of the beach in your own home with this new construction costal kitchen. The modern design provides a stunning and bright space with an abundance of natural light provided by large skylights. The navy and white shaker cabinets create a timeless look, complemented by a gorgeous quartz countertop and sleek stainless steel appliances. Whether you're cooking up a feast or enjoying a cup of coffee, this kitchen provides a warm and inviting space perfect for modern living. So why not bring the calming vibes of the coast to your own home with this stunning costal kitchen.

Peninsula with Sink in Updated Mid-Century Modern Kitchen

MAK Design + Build Inc.

Mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sacramento with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula, white floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Haverford, PA Home Remodel

Rudloff Custom Builders

Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Philadelphia with blue cabinets, white splashback, white benchtop, an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island and brown floor.

Edwards modern farmhouse

Basso Interiors Inc

Phillipsburg blue cabinets with dark oak flooring and gorgeous Cle Tile zellige tiles
Inspiration for a mid-sized country u-shaped kitchen in Denver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Kitchen Living Area

The House Ministry Limited

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Gloucestershire with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, vinyl floors, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

Modern Farmhouse

Christine Donner Kitchen Design Inc.

Looking into the U shape kitchen area, with tiled back wall, butternut floating shelves and brass library lamps. The base cabinets are BM Midnight, the wall cabinet BM Simply White. The countertop is honed Imperial Danby marble.

Cypress Hills

Define Home

Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Mid-Century Modern Rehabilitation

Herron Horton Architects, Inc.

Kitchen with walnut cabinets and screen constructed by Woodunique.
Large midcentury galley eat-in kitchen in Little Rock with an undermount sink, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, white benchtop, exposed beam, vaulted, flat-panel cabinets and brown floor.

Prospect Heights Brownstone - Kitchen

Ben Herzog

Large transitional l-shaped kitchen with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Hale Navy

Thyme & Place Design LLC

The client requested a kitchen that would not only provide a great space to cook and enjoy family meals but one that would fit in with her unique design sense. An avid collector of contemporary art, she wanted something unexpected in her 100-year-old home in both color and finishes but still providing a great layout with improved lighting, storage, and superior cooking abilities. The existing kitchen was in a closed off space trapped between the family room and the living. If you were in the kitchen, you were isolated from the rest of the house. Making the kitchen an integrated part of the home was a paramount request. Step one, remove the wall separating the kitchen from the other rooms in the home which allowed the new kitchen to become an integrated space instead of an isolation room for the cook. Next, we relocated the pantry access which was in the family room to the kitchen integrating a poorly used recess which had become a catch all area which did not provide any usable space for storage or working area. To add valuable function in the kitchen we began by capturing unused "cubbies", adding a walk-in pantry from the kitchen, increasing the storage lost to un-needed drop ceilings and bring light and design to the space with a new large awning window, improved lighting, and combining interesting finishes and colors to reflect the artistic attitude of the client. A bathroom located above the kitchen had been leaking into the plaster ceiling for several years. That along with knob and tube wiring, rotted beams and a brick wall from the back of the fireplace in the adjacent living room all needed to be brought to code. The walls, ceiling and floors in this 100+ year old home were completely out of level and the room’s foot print could not be increased. The choice of a Sub-Zero wolf product is a standard in my kitchen designs. The quality of the product, its manufacturing and commitment to food preservation is the reason I specify Sub Zero Wolf. For the cook top, the integrated line of the contemporary cooktop and the signature red knobs against the navy blue of the cabinets added to the design vibe of the kitchen. The cooking performance and the large continuous grate on the cooktop makes it an obvious choice for a cook looking for a great cook top with professional results in a more streamlined profile. We selected a Sharp microwave drawer for the island, an XO wine refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher and Kitchen Aid double convection wall ovens to round out the appliance package. A recess created by the fireplace was outfitted with a cabinet which now holds small appliances within easy reach of my very petite client. Natural maple accents were used inside all the wall cabinets and repeated on the front of the hood and for the sliding door appliance cabinet and the floating shelves. This allows a brighter interior for the painted cabinets instead of the traditional same interior as exterior finish choice. The was an amazing transformation from the old to the new. The final touches are the honey bronze hardware from Top Knobs, Mitzi pendants from Hudson Valley Lighting group, a fabulous faucet from Brizo. To eliminate the old freestanding bottled water cooler, we specified a matching water filter faucet.

La Maison de Couleur - Hanover West, Atlanta

Frances Flautt Zook Architect, LLC

This is an example of a transitional u-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Allegan Lake House

VanderMeulen Builders

Open Kitchen featuring a unique blue paint color called Capri. The kitchen has flush cabinetry provided by field stone cabinets., kitchenaid appliances, granite countertops, and extra detail on the upper trim of the cabinets.

Hardeeville New Construction Project

Kitchen Design Solutions

Inspiration for a large beach style l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, glass tile splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Legacy Lakehouse

Geneva Cabinet Company, LLC

www.genevacabinet.com . . . Geneva Cabinet Company, Lake Geneva WI, Kitchen with NanaWall window to screened in porch, Medallion Gold cabinetry, painted white cabinetry with Navy island, cooktop in island, cabinetry to ceiling with upper display cabinets, paneled ceiling, nautical lighting,

Valley Lo

KitchenLab Interiors

KitchenLab Interiors’ first, entirely new construction project in collaboration with GTH architects who designed the residence. KLI was responsible for all interior finishes, fixtures, furnishings, and design including the stairs, casework, interior doors, moldings and millwork. KLI also worked with the client on selecting the roof, exterior stucco and paint colors, stone, windows, and doors. The homeowners had purchased the existing home on a lakefront lot of the Valley Lo community in Glenview, thinking that it would be a gut renovation, but when they discovered a host of issues including mold, they decided to tear it down and start from scratch. The minute you look out the living room windows, you feel as though you're on a lakeside vacation in Wisconsin or Michigan. We wanted to help the homeowners achieve this feeling throughout the house - merging the causal vibe of a vacation home with the elegance desired for a primary residence. This project is unique and personal in many ways - Rebekah and the homeowner, Lorie, had grown up together in a small suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Lorie had been Rebekah's babysitter and was like an older sister growing up. They were both heavily influenced by the style of the late 70's and early 80's boho/hippy meets disco and 80's glam, and both credit their moms for an early interest in anything related to art, design, and style. One of the biggest challenges of doing a new construction project is that it takes so much longer to plan and execute and by the time tile and lighting is installed, you might be bored by the selections of feel like you've seen them everywhere already. “I really tried to pull myself, our team and the client away from the echo-chamber of Pinterest and Instagram. We fell in love with counter stools 3 years ago that I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on, thank god, because then they started showing up literally everywhere", Rebekah recalls. Lots of one of a kind vintage rugs and furnishings make the home feel less brand-spanking new. The best projects come from a team slightly outside their comfort zone. One of the funniest things Lorie says to Rebekah, "I gave you everything you wanted", which is pretty hilarious coming from a client to a designer.

West Seattle Mid-Century

Board & Vellum

Photos by Tina Witherspoon.
Large midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, black benchtop and wood.

Kitchen with Blue Cabinets and Dark Wood 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!