Warm, sleek and functional joinery creating modern functional living. Image: Nicole England
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern galley eat-in kitchen in Sydney with dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, ceramic floors, with island and an undermount sink.

Decatur Transitional Kitchen

Rosa Moreno Kitchens

Large transitional l-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

b80 - Altadore Calgary

Beyond Homes

Contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Calgary with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Alpine White island

IceStone

IceStone island and countertops in Alpine White. This product is made in Brooklyn from three simple ingredients: recycled glass, cement, and non-toxic pigment. Photography by Shadowlight Group.

Industrial Kitchen Design Ideas

Everingham Design

Small industrial single-wall eat-in kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, black appliances, concrete floors, white floor and grey benchtop.

Exotic African Morumbi Granitr

Granite Division Inc.

Mel Lanier
Photo of a country kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, cement tile splashback, black appliances and with island.

Traditional Kitchen

Inspiration for a small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, green splashback, cement tile splashback, black appliances and no island.

kitchen 130

Savvy Kitchens

Inspiration for a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

West Seattle Kitchen Remodel_White Macabus

European Stone Tile & Design, Inc.

Judith Wright
Large midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and no island.

Nostalgic Industrial Kitchen

Rimrock Cabinet Co.

Mid-sized industrial u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, coloured appliances, linoleum floors and a peninsula.

Cambridge Road

IQ Glass UK

A narrow galley kitchen with glass extension at the rear. The glass extension is created from slim aluminium sliding doors with a structural glass roof above. The glass extension provides lots of natural light into the terrace home which has no side windows. A further frameless glass rooflight further into the kitchen extension adds more light.

Walnut Midcentury KItchen with Orange Accents

emma delon

Marilyn Peryer Style House Photography
Large midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Raleigh with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, orange splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors, a peninsula, beige floor and white benchtop.

Lincoln Park Complete Home Face-Lift

Leader Builders

This is an example of a traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Sag Harbor Residence

User

This 7,500 square feet home, situated on a waterfront site in Sag Harbor, New York, was designed as a shared vacation home for four brothers and their families. A collaborative effort between the clients and Cecil Baker + Partners yielded a contemporary home that pays homage to the Eastern Long Island vernacular. The home is composed of three distinct volumes that step back from one another to optimize both the water view and privacy. The two outer wings take on familiar cedar-clad, pitched roof geometry while the central three-story glass box links them together and anchors the home. The two car garage, with a private living space above, projects from the main house via a breezeway, defining a private garden. The interior of the home integrates warm, tactile materials and clean modern lines. The use of full-height windows, floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall, and an operable overhead glass door creates an indoor-outdoor living experience and floods the home with natural light. The subtle choreography of the interior space lends flexibility to the Client for both social and private uses of the home. The first floor contains an open plan for the kitchen, living room, dining area and sunroom, and the second floor includes two full master suites facing the bay, a guest room with spectacular water views, and a children's room that overlooks the garden. The fully finished basement holds a large playroom, a gym, a full spa bath and a wine cellar. In addition, views in all directions are unobstructed from a third floor roof terrace. Michael Grimm Photography

HOLZ+FORM Küche in Tübingen

HOLZ+FORM werkraum für wohnkultur

Foto: Beate Armbruster
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Stuttgart with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Wood Village Kitchen + Living Room

Let's Remodel

This is an example of a large transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, cement tile splashback, white appliances, vinyl floors and with island.

Compact Kitchens - Several Examples

San Luis Kitchen Co.

Inspiration for a small midcentury u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Luis Obispo with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, black splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, a peninsula, grey floor and black benchtop.

Boucher Kitchen & Powder Room

Bearded Builders

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in Omaha with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and brown floor.

Mid Century Modern Meets 2020

Fox Interiors

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, no island, grey floor, black benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

Decatur Transitional Kitchen

Rosa Moreno Kitchens

This is an example of a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen with Dark Wood Cabinets and Cement Tile Splashback 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!