Dale Lang
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with with island, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, bamboo floors, light wood cabinets, blue splashback and glass sheet splashback.

Minnehaha Falls Kitchen Remodel

TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders

Design ideas for a small traditional galley eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

Chapel Hill Apartment

Interiors by Brinnie T Design | Phillip Island

The layout of the original kitchen worked well for the new owners but needed to be updated. All cabinet fronts and panels were replaced along with the splashback to give the kitchen a fresh feel

Kitchens III

Webber Coleman Woodworks

Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, beige cabinets, quartzite benchtops, blue splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Farmhouse Inspired Kitchen

HEATHER DISABELLA INTERIOR DESIGN

Small country u-shaped separate kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, no island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Beacon Hill Residence

grouparchitect

Architect: Grouparchitect. Builder: Barlow Construction. Photographer: AMF Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Yellow Farmhouse Kitchen | Imperial Beach, CA

Leanne Michael L U X E lifestyle design

All custom made cabinetry that was color matched to the entire suite of GE Cafe matte white appliances paired with champagne bronze hardware that coordinates beautifully with the Delta faucet and cabinet / drawer hardware. The counter surfaces are Artic White quartz with custom hand painted clay tiles for the entire range wall with custom floating shelves and backsplash. We used my favorite farrow & ball Babouche 223 (yellow) paint for the island and Sherwin Williams 7036 Accessible Beige on the walls. Hanging over the island is a pair of glazed clay pots that I customized into light pendants. We also replaced the builder grade hollow core back door with a custom designed iron and glass security door. The barstools were a fabulous find on Craigslist that we became mixologists with a selection of transparent stains to come up with the perfect shade of teal and we installed brand new bamboo flooring! This was such a fun project to do, even amidst Covid with all that the pandemic delayed, and a much needed burst of cheer as a daily result.

Montclair Renovation and Interiors

ilumus, llc.

Ramona d'Viola - ilumus photography
This is an example of a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

Art Deco & Blue

RL Design

Blue Gator Photography
This is an example of a small transitional galley kitchen pantry in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and a peninsula.

Lake Coeur d'Alene Custom Home

Parsons Construction Inc

Photo of a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Simi Valley Kitchen Remodel

Overland Remodeling & Builders

A complete kitchen remodeling project in Simi Valley. The project included a complete gut of the old kitchen with a new floorplan. The new kitchen includes: white shaker cabinets, quartz countertop, glass tile backsplash, bamboo flooring, stainless steel appliances, pendant lights above peninsula, recess LED lights, pantry, top display cabinets, soft closing doors and drawers, concealed drawer slides and banquette seating with hidden storage

Walnut Slab and White High-Gloss Acrylic Slab | Los Angeles, CA

The Cabinet Face

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Bellevue Townhouse Kitchen

Ellen Weiss Design

This small townhouse kitchen has no windows (it has a sliding glass door across from the dining nook) and had a limited budget. The owners planned to live in the home for 3-5 more years. The challenge was to update and brighten the space using Ikea cabinets while creating a custom feel with good resale value.

Traditional Kitchen

Photo of a mid-sized traditional galley kitchen in Brisbane with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, laminate benchtops, blue splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and no island.

Bellevue Townhouse Kitchen

Ellen Weiss Design

Stiles Creek

Berghuis Construction LLC

Photos by Kaity Interiors by Ashley Cole Design Architecture by David Maxam
Photo of a contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Grand Rapids with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, glass tile splashback, an undermount sink, bamboo floors and with island.

Montclair Renovation and Interiors

ilumus, llc.

Ramona d'Viola - ilumus photography
Design ideas for a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors and with island.

Waverton - Home Renovation

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

The kitchen and dining room are part of a larger renovation and extension that saw the rear of this home transformed from a small, dark, many-roomed space into a large, bright, open-plan family haven. With a goal to re-invent the home to better suit the needs of the owners, the designer needed to consider making alterations to many rooms in the home including two bathrooms, a laundry, outdoor pergola and a section of hallway. This was a large job with many facets to oversee and consider but, in Nouvelle’s favour was the fact that the company oversaw all aspects of the project including design, construction and project management. This meant all members of the team were in the communication loop which helped the project run smoothly. To keep the rear of the home light and bright, the designer choose a warm white finish for the cabinets and benchtop which was highlighted by the bright turquoise tiled splashback. The rear wall was moved outwards and given a bay window shape to create a larger space with expanses of glass to the doors and walls which invite the natural light into the home and make indoor/outdoor entertaining so easy. The laundry is a clever conversion of an existing outhouse and has given the structure a new lease on life. Stripped bare and re-fitted, the outhouse has been re-purposed to keep the historical exterior while provide a modern, functional interior. A new pergola adjacent to the laundry makes the perfect outside entertaining area and can be used almost year-round. Inside the house, two bathrooms were renovated utilising the same funky floor tile with its modern, matte finish. Clever design means both bathrooms, although compact, are practical inclusions which help this family during the busy morning rush. In considering the renovation as a whole, it was determined necessary to reconfigure the hallway adjacent to the downstairs bathroom to create a new traffic flow through to the kitchen from the front door and enable a more practical kitchen design to be created.

Minnehaha Falls Kitchen Remodel

TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders

This is an example of a small traditional galley eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

Wahiawa Residence

Boss Architecture LLC

This is an example of a small beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Hawaii with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, with island and brown floor.

Kitchen with Blue Splashback and Bamboo Floors 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!