Alan Blakely
Inspiration for a large modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in Salt Lake City with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Riddle me this

Jenny Roush Newman, Designer

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, grey cabinets, recycled glass benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Pocket door appliance center with internal cabinets for conceal items

Christine Lakas, The Designer, LLC

Large modern u-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

North Judson, IN. Kountry Wood Products. Modern Oak Inspired Kitchen

Bailey's Cabinets

Kountry Wood Products Wood Species: Oak Cabinet Finish: Driftwood Door Style: Jamestown Countertop: Laminate Calcutta Marble color
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, laminate benchtops, no island, multi-coloured benchtop, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and brown floor.

Cristallo Quarztite Backlit Countertop

Spazio Marble and Granite

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, onyx benchtops, glass sheet splashback, panelled appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Orchard Lake Whole House Remodel

MainStreet Design Build

A custom Grabill kitchen was designed with professional grade Wolf and Thermador appliances for an enjoyable cooking and dining experience. Kate Benjamin Photography

Sophisticated Modern Condo

Portfolio Kitchen and Home

Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Kansas City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and exposed beam.

Modern Lacquer with island in Swiss Cottage

Kitchens Continental

A beautiful modern, yet practical, lacquer door kitchen with a white speckled quartz and working / breakfast island.
This is an example of a mid-sized modern single-wall open plan kitchen in London with a drop-in sink, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Crossman

Cabinet Magic Inc.

This custom kitchen design makes great use of the triangle function pattern between the Fridge, cooktop and sink. You can see the convenient cabinet accessories that allow for storage and easy access. A spacious peninsula for cooking and entertaining. A built-in shelf microwave that creates a solution to get it off the counterop allowing for more space!

Wimberley Southwestern Retreat

Jennifer Garner Interiors

Southwestern Kitchen in blue and white featuring hand painted ceramic tile, chimney style plaster vent hood, granite and wood countertops Photography: Michael Hunter Photography

Grace of light

Bellas Artes

This is an example of a mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in Valencia with an integrated sink, glass-front cabinets, grey cabinets, tile benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, porcelain splashback, black appliances, porcelain floors, with island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Takapuna Kitchen

Celia Visser Design Ltd

Kallco Photography Limited
Inspiration for a large contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Auckland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Interior Refurbishment, Southgate

Caroline Couzens Design Ltd

Design ideas for a mid-sized eclectic eat-in kitchen in London with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, laminate benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, coloured appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Transitional Kitchen & First Floor Old Glory Remodel - Yorkville

Redstart Construction, Inc.

Picture Perfect House
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, granite benchtops, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets and grey splashback.

Not Your Grandfather's Barn! A Modern Pole Barn House in Lauderdale Lake Area

Stebnitz Builders, Inc.

This 2,500 square-foot home, combines the an industrial-meets-contemporary gives its owners the perfect place to enjoy their rustic 30- acre property. Its multi-level rectangular shape is covered with corrugated red, black, and gray metal, which is low-maintenance and adds to the industrial feel. Encased in the metal exterior, are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and an aging-in-place suite that is made for the in-laws. This home also boasts two garage doors that open up to a sunroom that brings our clients close nature in the comfort of their own home. The flooring is polished concrete and the fireplaces are metal. Still, a warm aesthetic abounds with mixed textures of hand-scraped woodwork and quartz and spectacular granite counters. Clean, straight lines, rows of windows, soaring ceilings, and sleek design elements form a one-of-a-kind, 2,500 square-foot home

2019 Kitchens by Jagoe Homes

Jagoe Homes Inc.

This is an example of a large transitional single-wall open plan kitchen in Louisville with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Mataoka Street 1

SHELTER Custom-Built Living

Keen Eye Marketing
This is an example of a mid-sized beach style open plan kitchen in Charleston with an undermount sink, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

CRL Quartz Palermo family kitchen

CRL Stone

They say that first impressions count. When three sibling homeowners visited the CRL Stone showroom for inspiration for their kitchen renovation and spotted CRL Quartz Palermo, there was an instant attraction. And now that the surface is fitted in the completed room, it’s the first thing people notice when they visit. The project in question was a bungalow extension, with an open-plan kitchen diner. With the aim of creating a modern space that looked and felt bigger, the homeowners called in their son/nephew and owner of Jones Developments Ryan, to project manage the refurb. And the family affair didn’t stop there, with Ryan’s wife Demi on hand to help supply their dream kitchen through her role at Howdens Burnley, his in laws from Stewkley Stone recommending, supplying and fabricating the CRL Quartz surfaces and Ryan’s brother-in-laws Ewan & Harrison taking care of the installation. Choosing a quartz surface was an important element of the design, with the homeowners keen to opt for a surface that worked well with the new furniture in Fairford Pebble. “The colours work perfectly together and the rusty orange veining adds an ideal colour to the kitchen to make it look very classy and elegant,” comments Ryan. In fact, it was the colour of the veining that attracted the siblings to CRL Quartz Palermo as soon as they saw it. The crisp white background is the perfect backdrop for the bold veining, that adds instant character and an eye-catching level of detail. “It’s something of a marmite choice to many, but we’re so happy we went with it. Being able to vein match the surface just adds to the sense of flow within the large space. The result is a very modern looking kitchen, with lots of space and storage,” Ryan explains. Easy on the eye, installation of the surfaces was straightforward too, with all the fabrication done in advance to ensure the perfect, seamless fit. Quartz is the perfect choice for a busy family life on a practical level too, being water, heat, scratch and stain resistant and with no requirement for sealing at any stage. Palermo’s bold marble-inspired veining lends itself so well to being vein matched that Stewkley Stone were only too happy to oblige, despite the request not being part of the original brief for the project. “The finished look is very elegant and classy, with the colour of the kitchen doors perfectly complementing the veining of Palermo,” comments Ryan. With quirky features including a Quooker tap and pull-out accessories to future-proof the space, the comfort levels are high in the completed kitchen. But the homeowners’ favourite element of the new look? “100% the quartz; it’s the first thing you see when you enter the room,” concludes Ryan.

Walthamstow Inset Handle Shaker Kitchen

Higham Furniture

From the gorgeous bar stools to the simple box frame cornicing, the combined attention to detail of our team and our client’s interior designer really set this space apart. This bright, inviting, and undeniably luxurious kitchen can be admired and enjoyed by all the family.

Big Kitchen

Harris K & Company.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors, with island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Kitchen with Grey Cabinets and Multi-Coloured Benchtop 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!