This small space demanded attention to detail and smart solutions, starting with the table and chairs. Too tiny for a standard kitchen table, we added a table that folds down against the wall with foldable chairs that can be hung on the wall when not in use. Typically neglected space between the refrigerator and the wall was turned into spice cabinets, ceiling height uppers maximize storage, and a mirrored backsplash creates the illusion of more space. But small spaces don't have to be vacant of character, as proven by the distressed aqua cabinetry and mismatched knobs.

Farmhouse Maple Kitchen Island

Brooks Custom

Premium Wide Plank Maple wood island counter top with sealed and oiled finish. Designed by Rafe Churchill, LLC
Design ideas for a mid-sized country galley eat-in kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops and with island.

Blue For You

Hankins & Associates, Inc. - Kitchens and Baths

This “Blue for You” kitchen is truly a cook’s kitchen with its 48” Wolf dual fuel range, steamer oven, ample 48” built-in refrigeration and drawer microwave. The 11-foot-high ceiling features a 12” lighted tray with crown molding. The 9’-6” high cabinetry, together with a 6” high crown finish neatly to the underside of the tray. The upper wall cabinets are 5-feet high x 13” deep, offering ample storage in this 324 square foot kitchen. The custom cabinetry painted the color of Benjamin Moore’s “Jamestown Blue” (HC-148) on the perimeter and “Hamilton Blue” (HC-191) on the island and Butler’s Pantry. The main sink is a cast iron Kohler farm sink, with a Kohler cast iron under mount prep sink in the (100” x 42”) island. While this kitchen features much storage with many cabinetry features, it’s complemented by the adjoining butler’s pantry that services the formal dining room. This room boasts 36 lineal feet of cabinetry with over 71 square feet of counter space. Not outdone by the kitchen, this pantry also features a farm sink, dishwasher, and under counter wine refrigeration.

Stately Colonial

Teakwood Builders, Inc.

Expansive traditional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Boston with blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Cornwall Farmhouse Rehab

Salamander Construction Inc.

Inspiration for a country l-shaped separate kitchen in Burlington with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops and brown floor.

Small cabin kitchen remodel

Interior Motives

This was a small cabin located in South Lake Tahoe, CA that was built in 1947. The existing original kitchen was tiny, inefficient & in much need of an update. The owners wanted lots of storage and much more counter space. One challenge was to incorporate a washer and dryer into the space and another was to maintain the local flavor of the existing cabin while modernizing the features. The final photos in this project show the before photos.

Designer’s Own Kitchen – Lower Manhattan

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

This kitchen was designed by Bilotta senior designer, Randy O’Kane, CKD with (and for) interior designer Blair Harris. The apartment is located in a turn-of-the-20th-century Manhattan brownstone and the kitchen (which was originally at the back of the apartment) was relocated to the front in order to gain more light in the heart of the home. Blair really wanted the cabinets to be a dark blue color and opted for Farrow & Ball’s “Railings”. In order to make sure the space wasn’t too dark, Randy suggested open shelves in natural walnut vs. traditional wall cabinets along the back wall. She complemented this with white crackled ceramic tiles and strips of LED lights hidden under the shelves, illuminating the space even more. The cabinets are Bilotta’s private label line, the Bilotta Collection, in a 1” thick, Shaker-style door with walnut interiors. The flooring is oak in a herringbone pattern and the countertops are Vermont soapstone. The apron-style sink is also made of soapstone and is integrated with the countertop. Blair opted for the trending unlacquered brass hardware from Rejuvenation’s “Massey” collection which beautifully accents the blue cabinetry and is then repeated on both the “Chagny” Lacanche range and the bridge-style Waterworks faucet. The space was designed in such a way as to use the island to separate the primary cooking space from the living and dining areas. The island could be used for enjoying a less formal meal or as a plating area to pass food into the dining area.

Oceanside Wood Mode

SANOMA Kitchen & Bath

Photo of a large contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Miami with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and multiple islands.

2011 AIA Austin Tour - Farm House

CCB Designs

The hub of this farmhouse is the L-shaped kitchen with two sinks anchored by the restored Chambers stove and custom stainless vent hood. Leather-texture soapstone counters will patina over time, as will the Loblolly Pine floors. Amanda Moon Photography

Hyde Park Treehouse

HA Architecture

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

DBS Hamilton Bay Cape Cod Kitchen

Clarke - New England’s Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom

This beautiful Cape Cod-inspired kitchen features painted cabinetry, Wolf convection ovens, Sub-Zero stainless steel glass-front refrigerator and more. You can actually visit this kitchen at http://www.clarkecorp.com

Haverford Renovation

Larina Kase Interior Design

Design ideas for a large eclectic kitchen in Philadelphia with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen-Living Portfolio

Ziebart Construction

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, brick floors, with island, red floor and black benchtop.

Designer’s Own Kitchen – Lower Manhattan

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Sussex Street Apartment

GRO Architects

Ryan Dausch
This is an example of a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in New York with flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, a peninsula, an undermount sink, green splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, grey floor, soapstone benchtops and porcelain floors.

Kitchen in Teddington

Adam Butler Photography

Adam Butler
Photo of a modern open plan kitchen in London with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

New England Farmhouse Kitchen

ArtCraft Homes LLC

Kitchen design by Paul Dierkes, Architect featuring semi-custom Shaker-style cabinets with square inset face frame in Indigo Batik from the Crown Select line of Crown Point Cabinetry. Soapstone countertops, subway tile backsplash, wide-plank white oak flooring. Commercial-style stainless-steel appliances by KitchenAid.

Mac-Groveland Duplex

David Heide Design Studio

Architecture & Interior Design: David Heide Design Studio Photo: Susan Gilmore Photography
Transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Oregon Guest Cottage

Anthology Woods

Painted White Reclaimed Wood wall paneling clads this guest space. In the kitchen, a reclaimed wood feature wall and floating reclaimed wood shelves were re-milled from wood pulled and re-used from the original structure. The open joists on the painted white ceiling give a feeling of extra head space and the natural wood textures provide warmth.

Zilker || Remodel || Austin, TX

Etch Design Group

Design ideas for a large transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, with island, an undermount sink, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, grey floor and black benchtop.

Kitchen with Blue 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!