This is an example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Detroit with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Scandinavian Inspired Condo in Portland Maine

Fiore Interiors

James R. Saloman Photography
Photo of a small scandinavian eat-in kitchen in Portland Maine with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Streamlined Suburban Gray Kitchen

Studio M Kitchen & Bath

This kitchen is the perfect example of how dark stained cabinets don't necessarily create a dark space. The natural and artificial light in this kitchen's design allow the space to be bright and welcoming. Scott Amundson Photography, LLC

Brentwood, Essex

Method Studio

David Bleeker Photography
This is an example of a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Essex with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Interior and Exterior Lighting

Hinkley

Voted Best of Westchester by Westchester Magazine for several years running, HI-LIGHT is based in Yonkers, New York only fifteen miles from Manhattan. After more than thirty years it is still run on a daily basis by the same family. Our children were brought up in the lighting business and work with us today to continue the HI-LIGHT tradition of offering lighting and home accessories of exceptional quality, style, and price while providing the service our customers have come to expect. Come and visit our lighting showroom in Yonkers.

Art Deco Revised

Stalburg Design

This stunning Art Deco Kitchen was a labor of love and vision for our creative homeowners who were ready to update their kitchen of 30+ years. By removing the peninsula island and creating space for a seated banquette, we were able to custom design and a curved mahogany island and curved bench to offset the straight dramatic dark lines of the main kitchen. With gold metallic tile and the new Litze Faucet in split finish of gold and black, we think drama in the kitchen looks fabulous indeed!

Hunter Douglas Horizontal Blinds

Interior Solutions

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped separate kitchen in New York with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, black floor and black benchtop.

Mettawa Illinois French Country Kitchen with Art Tile Backsplash

Orren Pickell Building Group

Chef's kitchen with white perimeter recessed panel cabinetry. In contrast, the island and refrigerator cabinets are a dark lager color. All cabinetry is by Brookhaven. Kitchen back splash is 3x6 Manhattan Field tile in #1227 Peacock with 4.25x4.25 bullnose in the same color. Niche is 4.25" square Cordoba Plain Fancy fIeld tile in #1227 Peacock with fluid crackle finish and 3.12 square Turkistan Floral Fancy Field tile with 2.25x6 medium chair rail border. Design by Janet McCann. Photo by Mike Kaskel.

Bold Navy Kitchen

McDonald Remodeling

Ella Studios
This is an example of a small traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula and white benchtop.

English Country Home

Sligh Cabinets Inc.

©2018 Sligh Cabinets, Inc. | Custom Cabinetry and Counter tops by Sligh Cabinets, Inc. | Interior Design by Interior Motives, Arroyo Grande
Photo of a traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Luis Obispo with a drop-in sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Bohn's Point Artisan

Stonewood, LLC

Photo of a beach style kitchen in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

57th Avenue New Build

The Kingston Group - Remodeling Specialists

Homepix
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Butler's Pantry

A & K Custom Cabinetry

Design ideas for a small traditional galley separate kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Parnassus Heights Remodel

WA Design Architects

Large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances and grey floor.

Dashwood

Stuart Cox | Photography

Stuart Cox
This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in Sussex with white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Victorian Modern - Home Remodel

McCutcheon Construction Inc.

Looking from the kitchen out the back addition of glass and steel that bathes the space in light. Alexander Jermyn Architecture, Robert Vente Photography.

This Kitchen is a Work of Art

Just the Thing Decorating, Staging, and Windows

This retired couple loves collecting art on their worldwide travels and didn't want to settle for a predictable look for their new kitchen. We began with the black and gold honed granite they fell in love with, and added the glass tile mosaic back splash and custom mixed metal hood. The result is truly a work of art! Collaboration with Sterling Renovations Matt Ross-photos

Pantries

Angelina Miller @ Closet Factory

Walk-in pantry with drawers, baskets and tray/platter storage. Finished with Crown molding.
Large transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Modern French Country

Beautiful Chaos Interior Design & Styling

Kitchen in modern french country home renovation.
Inspiration for a large modern kitchen pantry in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Modern French Country

Beautiful Chaos Interior Design & Styling

Kitchen in modern french country home renovation.
This is an example of a large modern kitchen pantry in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen with Dark Hardwood 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!