Details like the dainty backsplash, rounded oven hood, suspended lanterns, and royal blue oven bring the kitchen to life.
Photo of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, porcelain splashback, coloured appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Young Rd Residence

Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors

Photo of a transitional eat-in kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and exposed beam.

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.

Beverly Road Project

Cameron Getter Design

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern l-shaped kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Coastal Mediterranean Remodel

Lola Interiors

Photo: Jessie Preza Photography
Photo of a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in Jacksonville with a double-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Redstart Residence

Arc Three Studio

This is an example of a midcentury l-shaped kitchen in Houston with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop, exposed beam and vaulted.

Alpharetta Transformation

Renew Properties

Inspiration for a country l-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, brown benchtop and exposed beam.

Oakland Hills Modern Ranch

Broadway Design Build

This is an example of a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Lake Austin Scenic

Ashby Collective

Photo of a large mediterranean galley open plan kitchen in Austin with dark wood cabinets, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark hardwood floors and exposed beam.

White Kitchen w Skylights

Benvenuti and Stein

Northfield, IL kitchen remodel has an open floor plan which allows for better daylight dispursement. Defining the kitchen, dining, and sitting room space by varying ceiling design and open cabinetry makes the rooms more spacious, yet each space remains well defined. The added skylights in the hall gave natural light in the interior hallway as well as down the lower level stairway. The updated closets and baths use every inch wisely and the visual sight lines throughout are crisp and clean. Norman Sizemore Photography

Project 42

The Main Company

This is an example of a country l-shaped open plan kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, orange cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor, beige benchtop, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

ENUGU

Wood Works Brighton

We were commissioned to design and build a new kitchen for this terraced side extension. The clients were quite specific about their style and ideas. After a few variations they fell in love with the floating island idea with fluted solid Utile. The Island top is 100% rubber and the main kitchen run work top is recycled resin and plastic. The cut out handles are replicas of an existing midcentury sideboard. MATERIALS – Sapele wood doors and slats / birch ply doors with Forbo / Krion work tops / Flute glass.

Classy Farmhouse

Atlantic Designs

Photo of a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland Maine with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, shiplap splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

North Point

Rautmann Custom Homes

Mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped open plan kitchen in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

East Coast Traditional

Fautt Homes

Stunning white kitchen with blue center island, inset construction with white bronze hardware and a custom metal hood.
This is an example of an expansive beach style open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

1041 EL

Weaver Custom Homes

This is an example of a traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, distressed cabinets, brown splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured benchtop and exposed beam.

Remount Ranch

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

This white kitchen features gray cabinetry and subway tiles, as well as stainless steel appliances. The white marble countertops pair nicely with the gold stove hood and gold light fixtures.

Stucco and Stone One Story Farmhouse

Wyrick Residential Design

This is an example of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Houston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Martis Camp - Lot 1

J&S Custom Homes

Photo of a country l-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, brown benchtop, exposed beam and vaulted.

Numerous projects throughtout NC & SC

Brown's Woodworking

Traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Charleston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop, exposed beam, timber and vaulted.

Kitchen with Dark Hardwood Floors and Exposed Beam 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!