Inspiration for a transitional kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and dark hardwood floors.

QuailWood Manor

AKG Design Studio LLC

Large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, quartz benchtops and porcelain splashback.

Traditional Kitchen

Expansive traditional eat-in kitchen in Portland with glass-front cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite benchtops, a single-bowl sink, white cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, dark hardwood floors and multiple islands.

Palmetto Bluff - Private Residence

Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home

This lovely home sits in one of the most pristine and preserved places in the country - Palmetto Bluff, in Bluffton, SC. The natural beauty and richness of this area create an exceptional place to call home or to visit. The house lies along the river and fits in perfectly with its surroundings. 4,000 square feet - four bedrooms, four and one-half baths All photos taken by Rachael Boling Photography

Kitchen

RLH Studio

This is an example of a large traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, marble benchtops and subway tile splashback.

Westchester - Lakefront Dutch Colonial

Visbeen Architects

This dramatic design takes its inspiration from the past but retains the best of the present. Exterior highlights include an unusual third-floor cupola that offers birds-eye views of the surrounding countryside, charming cameo windows near the entry, a curving hipped roof and a roomy three-car garage. Inside, an open-plan kitchen with a cozy window seat features an informal eating area. The nearby formal dining room is oval-shaped and open to the second floor, making it ideal for entertaining. The adjacent living room features a large fireplace, a raised ceiling and French doors that open onto a spacious L-shaped patio, blurring the lines between interior and exterior spaces. Informal, family-friendly spaces abound, including a home management center and a nearby mudroom. Private spaces can also be found, including the large second-floor master bedroom, which includes a tower sitting area and roomy his and her closets. Also located on the second floor is family bedroom, guest suite and loft open to the third floor. The lower level features a family laundry and craft area, a home theater, exercise room and an additional guest bedroom.

Woodmeister Master Builders - Kitchens 31

Woodmeister Master Builders

Interior Design: Sara Gilbane Interiors Architecture: Newport Collaborative Architects Custom Cabinetry: Woodmeister Master Builders Photography: Gary Sloan Studios

KITCHEN | Contemporary Home Remodel | Century City Townhouse | Part Two

FOUR POINT DESIGN BUILD INC

This elegant 2600 sf home epitomizes swank city living in the heart of Los Angeles. Originally built in the late 1970's, this Century City home has a lovely vintage style which we retained while streamlining and updating. The lovely bold bones created an architectural dream canvas to which we created a new open space plan that could easily entertain high profile guests and family alike. Photography by Riley Jamison

Northside Bayview Cape

REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder

Beautiful Cape Cod home with commanding views of the Bay, mahogany floors, 2 suites, 3 floors, open floor plan, 3rd floor deck, screened porch by REEF Custom Homes. Photos by Dan Cutrona, staging by Pastiche.

Whole Home Renovation Project

Michael Menn Ltd.

This is an example of a transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Scarsdale kitchen addition and new decks

Sunrise Building & Remodeling Inc

coffered ceiling adds elegance to this french provincial style kitchen with Arched box bay window and marble backsplash
Photo of a mid-sized traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

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.

Inner City Jewel-box

Grandscape Homes Ltd.

A Gourmet Chef's kitchen! Exquisite white designer series custom kitchen is the backdrop for a striking dark espresso island with a quartzite countertop.

Foy Kitchen

House of Cline Design

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Newark with granite benchtops, an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen Remodels

USI Design & Remodeling

Photo of a kitchen renovation feature cabinets finished in Black Licorice and Pure White lacquer. The cabinets are oversized and conceal the appliances with finished wood panels. Unique features include a wall of natural leuders veneer stone with a custom floating ventilation system as a main focal point. Complementing the cabinets are countertops of Satin Cambrian black granite and Honed Calcatta Colorado Marble. Custom hewn wood beams and hand scraped flooring warm the rooms feel against the cool gray walls. Designed and constructed by USI in Southlake Tx.

Residence in California

Taylor Lombardo Architects

Adrian Gregorutti
This is an example of a traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, wood benchtops, white cabinets, shaker cabinets, metallic splashback, metal splashback, an undermount sink, with island and dark hardwood floors.

Plaza Small Kitchen Savvy

Kitchens By Kleweno

This is an example of a large traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Kansas City with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Transitional Kitchen

Paul Moon Design

This is an example of a transitional eat-in kitchen in Seattle with shaker cabinets, marble benchtops, an undermount sink, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and marble splashback.

Gathering

Keough Stearns Interiors

Design ideas for a contemporary galley kitchen in New York with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Clapham Georgian Cottage

Lisette Voute Designs

For the kitchen we designed bespoke cabinetry to fit the galley style and maximise the use of space to best effect. Love the soft blue colour and clean lines of the shaker style cabinetry, paired with warming brass fittings and lighting. The original fireplace provides a pretty decorative feature, with attractive shelving above. Photographer: Nick Smith

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!