In designing the new layout for the kitchen, we decided to remove the pantry closet and expand into the former eat-in area. This gave us the opportunity to create a beautifully functional island with plenty of seating and prep space for multiple cooks in the kitchen. We were all still in love with the walnut flooring we installed during the first phase of this project and opted to lean into the classic tones and bring them into the cabinetry scheme. To balance all those gorgeous warm grains, we cooled the space down with a spunky hand painted tile that enlivens the space.

Young Modern

Alt Design Group

fun modern kitchen with colorful cabinets and backsplash tile
Small midcentury galley kitchen pantry in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Mid Century Dream

SARA VANDERSTELT with Creative Kitchens

Mid Century Dream Welborn Forest Cabinetry Avenue Slab Door Style Cherry in Wheat / Natural Stain HARDWARE : Chrome Finger Pulls COUNTERTOPS KITCHEN : Blanco Aspen Quartz Coutnertops BUILDER : D&M Design Company

Takes the Cake Kitchen Remodel | Apple Valley, MN | White Birch Design

White Birch Design, LLC

Apple Valley, MN kitchen remodel by White Birch Design, serving the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. To learn more about us and see more examples of our work, visit our website at www.whitebirchdesignllc.com

Midtown Midmod

Hammersmith Structures

Midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and wood.

Chevron Park - Kitchen

LDa Architecture & Interiors

TEAM Architect: LDa Architecture & Interiors Interior Design: LDa Architecture & Interiors Photographer: Greg Premru Photography
Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, vaulted, an undermount sink and brown floor.

Calming Cobalt

Mountainwood Homes

Large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, brown cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and grey 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.

Driftwood Transitional Kitchen

Kitchen Inspiration Inc.

Cabinetry: Sollera Fine Cabinetry Designed by: Kitchen Inspiration General Contractor: Benjamin Builder
Large transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

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.

GEELONG 06

Ed Ewers Architecture

Photo of a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Geelong with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, blue splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Sophisticated Black Kitchen

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | Interiors

Gorgeous kitchen with black shaker cabinets and blue island offer an impact in this kitchen remodel. A new window to brighter the space and metallic accents from the brass cabinet knobs to brass light fixtures add room brightening contrast.

Modern Rustic Kitchen Refresh - Atlanta

Innovative Design Build

We feel this is a great example of a beautiful kitchen remodel that did not require down-to-the-studs renovation. The changes to the cabinetry, countertops, backsplash, lighting and hardware completely transformed the look of the room. It’s now a relaxing space our clients love to use and look at from other rooms.Beautiful new cabinetry made the biggest impact on updating the kitchen. The new cabinet doors and drawer fronts are flat panel with beaded Shaker style. Brass hardware and lighting adds warmth to the space. The beautiful new blue backsplash added a relaxing touch to the room. And the custom vent hood and quartzite countertops are also stunners. We were also able to keep elements that the homeowners loved, including their new refinished hardwood floors and wood wrapped kitchen island. Treating this renovation as a refacing saved our clients a lot of money. It was also more sustainable than a full remodel because refacing limited the amount of construction waste generated from the project.

Colorful Mid-Mod in Monterey

Kitchen Studio Monterey

Midcentury kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and white benchtop.

Showroom

EuroLuxe Cabinets

Small contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, no island, grey floor, white benchtop and wood.

Basement Kitchenette

David Lund Design

What had been a wonderful new construction project got even better when learned that the homeowner wanted to build a contemporary bar - kind of like a kitchen, actually - with stone countertops, high-end appliances, and beautiful tile and custom cabinets in the basement. It's a unique project in that it is not fully a kitchen [there's only a beverage fridge, drawer microwave, ice maker, and dishwasher, but no oven], and it's more than a simple bar as it accommodates food preparation or a catering service. For the homeowner, who is a huge Vikings fan and entertains large groups of sports-loving fans, the perfect project was a full bar/kitchenette that would serve as the ideal place for friends to gather, eat and drink.!

Mid-Century Marvel

Tran + Thomas Design Studio

Opened up existing kitchen, moved wall into back hall to increase space, added banquette with shelves and tv
Mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Kansas City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen + Master Bathroom Remodel in Washington, DC

Four Brothers Design + Build

Inspiration for a large contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and black benchtop.

Oak Hills Mid Century Modern

Mosaik Design & Remodeling

This outdated kitchen came with flowered wallpaper, narrow connections to Entry and Dining Room, outdated cabinetry and poor workflow. By opening up the ceiling to expose existing beams, widening both entrys and adding taller, angled windows, light now steams into this bright and cheery Mid Century Modern kitchen. The custom Pratt & Larson turquoise tiles add so much interest and tie into the new custom painted blue door. The walnut wood base cabinets add a warm, natural element. A cozy seating area for TV watching, reading and coffee looks out to the new clear cedar fence and landscape.

Traditional Hand Painted Framed Kitchen

Tulip

Photo of a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Surrey with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, grey floor, brown benchtop and exposed beam.

Kitchen with Blue Splashback and Stainless Steel Appliances 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!