Skinny shaker style door painted in light teal with brass handles
Inspiration for a mid-sized country galley kitchen in West Midlands with granite benchtops, white splashback, white benchtop, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, no island and grey floor.

French Country in Town & Country

Detailed Designs By Denise

Mid-sized kitchen in St Louis with recessed-panel cabinets, granite benchtops, porcelain splashback, with island, multi-coloured benchtop, beige cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Custom Hardwood Flooring

Barsegian Floor Covering

Bona white stain on Red Oak solid hardwood floor
Inspiration for a mid-sized country galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, medium hardwood floors, with island, white floor and black benchtop.

Country style Sage Green Shaker kitchen with Colonial White granite

Kettle Co. Kitchens

Stunning Country style Sage Green Shaker kitchen with Colonial White granite. Mandy Donneky
Design ideas for a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Cornwall with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Fort Langley

Shirmar Construction

This is an example of a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Vancouver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Custom Homes

Westfield Custom Homes Inc.

Large beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Tampa with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and brown benchtop.

Frank Lloyd Wright Inspired Remodel

SKP Design

This family arrived in Kalamazoo to join an elite group of doctors starting the Western Michigan University School of Medicine. They fell in love with a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home that needed a few updates to fit their lifestyle. The living room's focal point was an existing custom two-story water feature. New Kellex furniture creates two seating areas with flexibility for entertaining guests. Several pieces of original art and custom furniture were purchased at Good Goods in Saugatuck, Michigan. New paint colors throughout the house complement the art and rich woodwork. Photographer: Casey Spring

Andalusian Hilltop Estate

Allen Construction

This old-world kitchen is perfect for entertaining or cooking a fabulous meal. Key elements include custom made cabinets, French limestone floors, open beamed ceilings and mountain views. A 200 year-old, sand cast, iron fireback plate was selected and shipped by the owner from France, and is installed above the stove. The appliances are faced with wood veneer to blend with the cabinets. The white oak butcher block on the island creates more surface area for food preparation. Photographer: Jim Bartsch

Signature Series Doors

Renew Doors and Closets LLC

Photo of a mid-sized traditional separate kitchen in Other with dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, ceramic floors, with island, beige floor and brown benchtop.

Moody Beach, Wells MAine

Statires Development

Photo of a beach style kitchen in Portland Maine with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, grey benchtop and granite benchtops.

Benson Creek Cabin

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Kitchen island with corrugated metal. Corrugated metal back splash. Custom light fixture designed and fabricated by owner.
Mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, with island, a farmhouse sink, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, grey floor, multi-coloured benchtop and granite benchtops.

Beautiful + Functional Family Kitchen

User

A key storage feature in this space is the large built in pantry. full walnut interior, finished with Rubio oil in a custom blend of grays. Pantry drawers make full use of all space, and tall pull-out provides ample storage for the hungry family. Pocket doors close it off and hide any 'work in progress'. Sliding ladder makes upper storage accessible. Photography by Eric Roth

KITCHEN STORAGE

HAVEN design+building llc

The "Magic Corner" storage insert maximized access to a blind corner cabinet, by Hafele.
Design ideas for a small transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Burlington with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula.

Garage to Kitchen Conversion

Crisp Architects

Rob Karosis: Photographer
Design ideas for a mid-sized country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Bridgeport with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, porcelain splashback and a farmhouse sink.

Pantry - Counter Space

Inspired Closets Vermont

Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Burlington with raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, no island and white floor.

Roll-Out Shelves

Shelf Confident

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional single-wall open plan kitchen in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback and travertine floors.

KItchen

Meyer Design

The light fixtures add to the elegance of this black and white kitchen. Varying elements like beadboard ceiling and subway tiles help tie together the Modern Farmhouse feel. Meyer Design

River Run home Forsyth County

Tuscan Stone Mantels

Tuscan Stone Mantels uses a centuries old process to produce fine architectural stonework. By using this process, our stone is completely formed and finished by hand reflecting the beauty of natural quarried stone. By employing modern gypsums and techniques, we are able to offer products of strength and durability for numerous architectural applications such as mantels & over-mantels, entertainment centers, cladding, niches, shelving, corbels/brackets, molding, kitchen hoods, columns, pediments, and more. Tuscan Stone Mantels provides architects, builders, designers and homeowners with hand crafted stone products of exceptional beauty and durability.

North Andover Renovation

Apple Wood Construction, Inc.

Kath & Keith Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional separate kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, white cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback and porcelain splashback.

Reserve Parade Home

LuxeMark Company

The builder, Stellar Blu, wanted something a little different for this Parade of Homes home but Wake Forest can be a tricky market and so it was important to maintain marketability. We chose to use leaded glass, LED in cabinet lighting and other subtile features to create a timeless design. Photo by Tad Davis Photography

Kitchen with Granite Benchtops and Soapstone Benchtops 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!