beautiful white kitchen in new luxury home with island, pendant lights, and hardwood floors. Island and Counters are Black, Hardwood Floors are Dark, and Cabinets, Backsplash, and Woodwork are White

Custom Hutch in Breakfast Room Looks Like Furniture

Orren Pickell Building Group

This beautiful custom cabinetry hutch, was designed with glass doors, glass shelves, bun feet and warm wood top to make it look and feel like a piece of furniture. It connects to the nearby kitchen and bar visually, but also stands on its own. Glass doors mimic the custom leaded glass doors on an adjacent bar, and reflect the lake beyond the adjacent window. In addition, the painted finish and stained wood top coordinates with the kitchen palette without matching it too closely. Photo by MIke Kaskel

Bay Island Kitchen

B&T Kitchens and Baths

Ramone Photography
Large beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, brown floor and black benchtop.

4573 AF

Weaver Custom Homes

Traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Columbus with white cabinets, black splashback, shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, black benchtop, coffered and a farmhouse sink.

Atherton - Complete Renovation

EBCON Corporation

Complete Renovation Build: EBCON Corporation Design: Tineke Triggs - Artistic Designs for Living Architecture: Tim Barber and Kirk Snyder Landscape: John Dahlrymple Landscape Architecture Photography: Laura Hull

CASA GE

Corazzolla Arredamenti su Misura

Basi cucina in olmo e colonne in laccato corrono lungo le pareti e si incontrano dando vita a una nicchia nascosta, a servizio del piano lavoro che corre all'interno.

Willow Remodel

Urbane Design

Traditional u-shaped kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Tamalpais

TOTAL CONCEPTS

Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, black splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Mayfair Neighborhood Tudor Kitchen Update

Gather and Spruce Design Remodel

Updated Tudor kitchen in Denver's Mayfair neighborhood boasts brushed brass fixtures, dark cabinets, original wood flooring, walnut butcher block, and quartz countertops.

Mayfair Neighborhood Tudor Kitchen Update

Gather and Spruce Design Remodel

Updated Tudor kitchen in Denver's Mayfair neighborhood boasts brushed brass fixtures, dark cabinets, original wood flooring, walnut butcher block, and quartz countertops.

Boca Raton

The Hill Group

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, limestone splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, grey floor and black benchtop.

Historical Home, Modern Family

Georgia Zikas Design

Open plan, spacious living. Honoring 1920’s architecture with a collected look.
Inspiration for a midcentury eat-in kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Blending old with new Loft kitchen

Greenbrook Design Center

Beautiful leathered Caesarstone Pebble Honed – 4030H countertops and backsplash. Inset cabinets by Walker Woodworking. Hardware: Jeffrey Alexander Anwick Series – Brushed Pewter

Coastal Contemporary

The Stonehill Company

Design ideas for a beach style galley eat-in kitchen in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Cabin Redo

SALA Architects

Cabin Redo by Dale Mulfinger Creating more dramatic views and more sensible space utilization was key in this cabin renovation. Photography by Troy Thies

Woods Cove

User

Design ideas for a midcentury kitchen in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, with island, brown splashback, glass sheet splashback, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

Custom Traditional Home in Bellaire, Texas

Purser Architectural

Purser Architectural Custom Home Design
Inspiration for a small traditional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Houston with dark hardwood floors, brown floor, black benchtop, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances and no island.

Modern Farmhouse in the Hills

Design Shop Interiors

White farmhouse kitchen with open shelving, brass barn lights and a vintage rug.
Design ideas for a country l-shaped kitchen in Sacramento with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Contemporary Classic Kitchen + Studio in Piedmont

Studio Bergtraun AIA

Treve Johnson
This is an example of a large traditional galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, soapstone benchtops, brown floor and black benchtop.

Santa Fe, NM Kitchen

Kitchen Design Gallery, INC

This is a Kitchen space in Santa Fe, NM. A true adobe home with palm plaster ceilings and walls and the exposed vegas are structural. A rustic tree-stump island support piece was used to bring in a touch of natural texture. The hand hewn mesquite wood floors and fully-integrated appliances blend flawlessly with the distressed custom cabinetry. This creates a truly custom, one of a kind space that reflects the clients’ personal style.

Kitchen with Dark Hardwood Floors and Black Benchtop 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!