Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Ferrymans Project

Lynda MacDonald Interior Design

Contemporary galley kitchen in Gold Coast - Tweed with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Earthy Modern Minimalist

Linette Dai Design

This is an example of a modern l-shaped kitchen in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Classic Modern - Kitchen

Mia Rao Design

Mia Rao Design created a classic modern kitchen for this Chicago suburban remodel. The dark stain on the rift cut oak, slab style cabinets adds warmth and contrast against the white Calacatta porcelain. The large island allows for seating, prep and serving space. Brass and glass accents add a bit of "pop".

Cherry & Blue

Becker Building & Remodeling Inc.

Mark Ehlen Photography A 90's Golden Oak kitchen (common in MN) needed a refresh, but keeping in tune with the original style of the home was an important piece. So cherry cabinets and a beautiful blue double island transformed this kitchen and dinette into a single space. Now when the kids come home from college there's plenty of room for everyone!

Sophisticated Furnishings & Kitchen Design in Hyde Park

Habitar Design

Our designer, Hannah Tindall, worked with the homeowners to create a contemporary kitchen, living room, master & guest bathrooms and gorgeous hallway that truly highlights their beautiful and extensive art collection. The entire home was outfitted with sleek, walnut hardwood flooring, with a custom Frank Lloyd Wright inspired entryway stairwell. The living room's standout pieces are two gorgeous velvet teal sofas and the black stone fireplace. The kitchen has dark wood cabinetry with frosted glass and a glass mosaic tile backsplash. The master bathrooms uses the same dark cabinetry, double vanity, and a custom tile backsplash in the walk-in shower. The first floor guest bathroom keeps things eclectic with bright purple walls and colorful modern artwork.

The Greenhills House

Turn Design

Kitchen Built Photo
Large midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island and grey floor.

San Mateo Modern

Peninsula Modern

Margot Hartford
Midcentury open plan kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and slate floors.

Cascadia Renovation

Karen Ellentuck. ASID

This kitchen was in a home dating from the early 20th century and located in the Mt. Baker neighborhood of Seattle. It is u-shaped with an island in the center topped with a zinc counter. Black and white tile was used on the floor in a tradition pattern with hexagon as the inset and a black and white border with a square mosaic around the perimeter framing the island. Cabinetry is inset traditional style with the hardware on the exterior. the base of each cabinet is framed with a footed detail. Base cabinet were painted with teal, upper cabinets are white and the full height cabinets are mahogany which is used throughout the residence. A tradition style faucet was used with the pull out attached. Cup pulls are used on the drawers and knobs have a back plate.

Urban Homestead

Cuppett Kilpatrick Architecture + Interior Design

All images by Paul Bardagjy & Jonathan Jackson
Inspiration for a traditional separate kitchen in Austin with stainless steel appliances, wood benchtops, dark wood cabinets, white splashback and stone slab splashback.

Stainless Steel Range

Andre Rothblatt Architecture

This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, stone tile splashback and quartz benchtops.

NEW CANAAN, CT - Two Isle Guest House

DEANE Inc | Distinctive Design & Cabinetry

The guest house underwent a massive renovation, transforming a dated space with small rooms into an open, modern, multi-functional area for entertaining, working, and hosting guests. The original galley layout was changed to a long wall with black leather granite countertops and a backsplash in herringbone natural stone. The island is a dark stained walnut with a durable quartz countertop, echoed by the frameless cabinetry painted in a black matte finish. Soft satin brass accents are complemented by the chandelier. The coffee/wine bar area is differentiated by open shelving and a wood plank backsplash painted with walnut shelves to anchor it as a separate area. Full SubZero columns add true functionality to this guest house, so much so that the homeowners lived here while renovating their main house.

Montmartre - Tholozé

Supercraft Studio | Architecte d'intérieur

Cuisine ouverte avec grande étagère en partie supérieure
Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, no island and white benchtop.

Big Energy Kitchen

RIC design build

This itty bitty kitchen in a historic Richmond row house had been closed in by unnecessary walls, creating a tight, dysfunctional galley style kitchen with very little storage space. Working alongside our artist and cabinetry making clients, we created a custom design with handmade, custom cabinetry pieces while opening up the kitchen to the dining area, making the space feel exponentially larger. The result is a clean, modern, functional and big energy kitchen.

Mid-Century White Kitchen with Full Wall Storage + Eating Nook

Jennifer Gustafson Interior Design

• Full Kitchen Renovation • General Contractor: Area Construction • Custom casework - Natural American Walnut Veneer • Decorative accessory Styling • Refridgerator - Sub-zero • Ovens - Miele • Coffee System - Miele • Backsplash tile - Heath Tile • Countertop - Diresco • Refrigerator Pulls - Haefele • Decorative hardware - Sugatsune • Terrazzo floor tile - Waterworks

Gala Placidia

CRE-ZE

Design ideas for a contemporary galley kitchen in Barcelona with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and white benchtop.

Cultural Monumnet Historic Kitchen

STUDIO ALLEN ARCHITECTS, INC

This is an example of a large arts and crafts u-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Cultural Monumnet Historic Kitchen

STUDIO ALLEN ARCHITECTS, INC

Midcentury Kitchen

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury galley kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Victorian Style - Several Examples

San Luis Kitchen Co.

The owners of a local historic Victorian home needed a kitchen that would not only meet the everyday needs of their family but also function well for large catered events. We designed the kitchen to fit with the historic architecture -- using period specific materials such as dark cherry wood, Carrera marble counters, and hexagonal mosaic floor tile. (Not to mention the unique light fixtures and custom decor throughout the home.) Just off the kitchen to the right is a butler's pantry -- storage for all the entertaining table & glassware as well as a perfect staging area. We used Wood-Mode cabinets in the Beacon Hill doorstyle -- Burgundy finish on cherry; integral raised end panels and lavish Victorian style trim are essential to the kitchen's appeal.

Kitchen with Dark Wood Cabinets and White 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!