© Lisa Russman Photography
Transitional kitchen in New York with shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Moultrie Street

Colin Grey Voigt

Colin Grey Voigt
This is an example of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Charleston with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, stainless steel appliances and dark hardwood floors.

Rutland Avenue Alteration

Limitless Building

Custom designed kitchen layout and cabinetry to suit the family's lifestyle; with two young children and a passion for entertaining. An existing internal wall dividing the kitchen/ dining area was removed to increase the size of the kitchen, creating a practical and functional chef's kitchen and living space for the whole family. The new kitchen creates a feel of open plan living and connection with the outdoor areas and the addition of a full length window above the bench top maximises the natural light entering the house. Designer: Hubble Design Photographer: Dion Robeson

Brynmaer Road SW11

Blakes London

Inspiration for a transitional galley eat-in kitchen in London with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

North Sea, Long Island, NY Residence

Pamela Glazer Architect

where form and function meet along with family and guest
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, yellow cabinets, an undermount sink, granite benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Bay View Renovation for Apartment Therapy

Hayley McCormick Photographs

Contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Milwaukee with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Chevy Chase, MD Eclectic 3-story Addition

FineCraft Contractors, Inc.

Finecraft Contractors, Inc. Upton Architecture Soleimani Photography
Photo of a large transitional galley open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Newcastle Residence

Kat Alves Photography

Kat Alves Photography Matthew Lechowick Design
Design ideas for a contemporary galley kitchen in Sacramento with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, black splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Back Bay Flat

Stanton Schwartz Design Group

Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops; Waterworks faucets; Engineered Stone
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen in Boston with quartzite benchtops, white splashback, with island, white benchtop, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Landhausküche Eiche

Welter & Welter GmbH

Inspiration for a large country galley eat-in kitchen in Cologne with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, coloured appliances, dark hardwood floors, black floor, grey benchtop, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback and no island.

Captiva Beach Cottage

Alair Homes Sanibel

LeAnne Ash
This is an example of a mid-sized tropical galley eat-in kitchen in Miami with wood benchtops, green splashback, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, glass tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, no island and brown floor.

Beverly Place - Kitchen Storage Wall

Studio Sarah Willmer Architecture

Room dividing cabinetry wall - tv room beyond. Photography by Sharon Risedorph In Collaboration with designer and client Stacy Eisenmann. For questions on this project please contact Stacy at Eisenmann Architecture. (www.eisenmannarchitecture.com)

Kitchens

House Media - Real Estate Photography

Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Brisbane with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

City Park | Renovation

The Bellepoint Company

Design ideas for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and subway tile splashback.

Gewad

atelier vens vanbelle

Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Other with green splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchens

MW Real Estate Photography

Contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Cleveland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

The Hammocks- new construction

User

Inspiration for a beach style kitchen pantry in Tampa with open cabinets, wood benchtops and dark hardwood floors.

Eagle Island Lake House

Joseph Mosey Architecture, Inc.

Design ideas for a traditional kitchen in Detroit with recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, green splashback, dark hardwood floors, a single-bowl sink, granite benchtops, porcelain splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Oakley Home Builders

This kitchen features Venetian Gold Granite Counter tops, White Linen glazed custom cabinetry on the parameter and Gunstock stain on the island, the vent hood and around the stove. The Flooring is American Walnut in varying sizes. There is a natural stacked stone on as the backsplash under the hood with a travertine subway tile acting as the backsplash under the cabinetry. Two tones of wall paint were used in the kitchen. Oyster bar is found as well as Morning Fog.

Red Ledges

Studio McGee

This is an example of a large country u-shaped kitchen in Salt Lake City with white cabinets, white splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, grey benchtop, shaker cabinets and brown floor.

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!