Large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with panelled appliances, wood benchtops, white cabinets, beige splashback, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, ceramic splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Brettkelly Residence, Oakland, CA

Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design

Custom appliance wall. Photography: Frederic Neema
This is an example of a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel cabinets, with island, an undermount sink, quartz benchtops, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Paradise Concrete Design

Paradise Concrete Design Studio

DYI Network Kitchen Modern Kitchen Pheonix Home and Garden
Photo of a large country l-shaped separate kitchen in Phoenix with stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Rodgers Kitchen

Turan Designs, Inc.

Traditional White Kitchen with Copper Apron Front Sink
Inspiration for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with raised-panel cabinets, a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, travertine splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Kitchens

Gerrity Stone

Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in Boston with stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, quartz benchtops, with island and brown floor.

Isles Haute

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© Alyssa Lee Photography
Design ideas for a transitional kitchen in Minneapolis with matchstick tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback and brown floor.

Kitchens

PORCELANOSA Group

All Porcelanosa Kitchens are customizable for your style and budget and come with soft closing doors and draws. Find a Porcelanosa Showroom near you today: http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/home/locations.aspx

Custom Modern Kitchen in Lake Forest Illinois

Fraerman Associates Architecture

Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

House 2

Merigo Design

Donna Griffiths
Traditional open plan kitchen in Toronto with stainless steel appliances, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, brown splashback, mosaic tile splashback, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Kitchen Remodels

Nicely Done Kitchens

http://www.nicelydonekitchens.com
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with raised-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, white cabinets, dark hardwood floors, with island, solid surface benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback and brown floor.

Fraser Residence

Christopher Simmonds Architect

http://www.peterfritz.ca/
Inspiration for a large contemporary galley kitchen in Ottawa with panelled appliances, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

2012 HGTV Green Home

J Steven Kemp Architect

Photos copyright 2012 Scripps Network, LLC. Used with permission, all rights reserved.
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, recycled glass benchtops, beige splashback, mosaic tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Kitchen

L K DeFrances & Associates

A new custom island with antique copper drawer was added to the kitchen to make it feel more connected to the adjacent dining room. The antique copper light fixture and custom fabricated-stone hood lend style to a small, well-used kitchen.

Traditional Kitchen

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, ceramic floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Tudor Revival Estate, Full Home Design

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An antique Chinese frieze hangs above this kitchen’s original fireplace. Bronze farm sinks, bronze hardware and a bronze raised bar are accented by fossil limestone countertops; a subzero wine refrigerator, dishwasher drawers, a Wolf gas, five-burner cooktop and a restaurant-style faucet of brushed nickel, giving this kitchen a gourmet touch. The flatscreen television on an articulating arm makes it even more tempting to spend hours in this family’s favorite spot! An original brick fireplace and woven wood blinds add warmth alongside the many stainless steel appliances. A light tile backsplash, ceiling, lights, and glass leaded cabinet fronts provide a good contrast that keeps the kitchen, with its dark cabinets, from being heavy and oppressive.

Winter Fairytale

Timeline Design + Build

Mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

TRG Architects

TRG Architecture + Interior Design

Photos by Bernard Andre
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, multi-coloured splashback, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Mid-Century Modern on a Budget

Rich Mathers Construction, Inc.

Carole Whitacre Photography
Photo of a large midcentury galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, yellow splashback, glass tile splashback, light wood cabinets, flat-panel cabinets, an undermount sink, quartz benchtops, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Teri Turan

Turan Designs, Inc.

Traditional Dark Wood Kitchen Sacha Griffin
Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Traditional Kitchen

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Vancouver with stainless steel appliances, a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, light hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Kitchen with Brown Floor 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!