Design ideas for a contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and light hardwood floors.

Contemporary Style With Open Layout

Normandy Remodeling

The stainless steel range hood, along with the mosaic backsplash tile that goes to the ceiling, creates a focal point and visual interest and height in this contemporary kitchen.

Martha Road Ranch House

Schwartz and Architecture

The most noteworthy quality of this suburban home was its dramatic site overlooking a wide- open hillside. The interior spaces, however, did little to engage with this expansive view. Our project corrects these deficits, lifting the height of the space over the kitchen and dining rooms and lining the rear facade with a series of 9' high doors, opening to the deck and the hillside beyond. Photography: SaA

Elegant Mid-Century Modern Kitchen

BuildAppeal Design & Remodel

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury galley open plan kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

Lillian Dr.

Schweitzer Design & Build, Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

York Mills Penthouse

Designtheory Inc.

Photo of a large contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Open and Bright Kitchen and Bath

Knocknock

Mid-sized modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island and white benchtop.

Bridge Street

Marcye Philbrook

Siri Blanchette of Blind Dog Photo
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Boston with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and an undermount sink.

Highbury, London

Andrew Lucas London

Intelligent lighting solutions and motorised shade provision feature prominently in the design, playing an important role in managing the property’s interior environment. Photo by Maciek Kolodziejski

East St Paul Walnut Kitchen

Hawthorne Kitchens

Photo of a large country kitchen in Other with recessed-panel cabinets, granite benchtops, stone slab splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, dark wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

Mohawk Flooring Gallery

Meyer Floors

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

West Hills 24

Otto/Walker Architects

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Salt Lake City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, black splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and multiple islands.

New Project

Kenny Carpets & Floors

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, matchstick tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and light hardwood floors.

Fairfield, Iowa - Traditional Cherry Kitchen

JC Huffman Cabinetry

Cherry kitchen stained Sherwin Williams Chestnut with island and built in seating manufactured by Seating Innovations. Saturnia Granite countertops and steps complete the look. Fairfield, Iowa Traditional Cherry Kitchen Designed by Teresa Huffman https://jchuffman.com/

Dark Cherry Traditional Kitchen

Tim Kulin Cabinetry & Mountain Aspen Granite

This is an example of a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, with island, an undermount sink, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor, black splashback, stone slab splashback and black benchtop.

iDream Construction

Another State Of Mind

This is an example of a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in London with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

English Country

Kitchen Solvers of Kansas City

This was a kitchen remodeling project where the kitchen cabinets were refaced. It was done with Walzcraft maple raised center panel doors. The stain was done in a Mediterranean stain.

ЖК "Садовый Кварталы"

Katya Geits l Interior photographer

Design ideas for a contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Moscow with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Ranch Redux

Betty + Co Design and Consulting

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Denver with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Cherrybrook Kitchen

Dan Kitchens Australia

Nestled inside a beautiful modernist home that began its charismatic existence in the 70’s, you will find this Cherrybrook Kitchen. The kitchen design emanates warmth, elegance and beauty through the combination of textures, modern lines, luxury appliances and minimalist style. Wood grain and marble textures work together to add detail and character to the space. The paired back colour palette is highlighted by a dark wood grain but softened by the light shelving and flooring, offering depth and sophistication.

Kitchen with Dark Wood Cabinets and Light 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!