Photo of a transitional galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Balmain East Residence

Bumph & Scumble Design Centre

Design ideas for a transitional separate kitchen in Sydney with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, metallic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and timber.

Everest Gray Kitchen

Miramar Kitchen and Bath

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, no island, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Acrylic and Brass at Island with Brass Legs

Boss Design Center

This is an example of a large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor, white benchtop and with island.

Martis Camp Lot 640

Kelly & Stone Architects

Roger Wade Studio
Design ideas for a country u-shaped kitchen in Sacramento with an undermount sink, granite benchtops, grey splashback, limestone splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor, shaker cabinets and grey cabinets.

Poppy Circle

Juxtaposed Interiors

Kat Alves-Photographer
Photo of a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sacramento with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

New "Old" House Kitchen

TKS Design Group

Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW This kitchen was part of a whole house renovation. The house, a foreclosure property, was gutted and remodeled by Streetscape Design. The kitchen, originally a small peninsula kitchen, was opened up to the family room and the dining room, giving the house a more open feel. Benjamin Moore's "Fieldstone" was hand selected for the cabinets by designer, Susan Klimala, CKD, along with white carrera marble and simple white subway tile, reflecting a casual beachy feel that was carried throughout the house. Professional grade appliances, vintage style ceiling fixtures and nickel hardware complete the look. The new homeowners are enjoying life in their brand new "old" house. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photographed by Carlos Vergara For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Danny's New Build

Create Perfect

Open plan kitchen, diner, living room. The shaker kitchen has industrial elements and is in a light grey and dark grey combo. Light walls and floors keep the room feeling spacious to balance the darker kitchen and window frames.

Modern Spanish

Cdot Design Studio

Photo of an open plan kitchen in Phoenix with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

S. View Terrace Kitchen Renovation

Jordan Design-Build Group

We designed a custom hutch which has a multitude of storage options and functionality – open display shelves, roll-outs, drawers, extra counter/serving space, as well as a beverage fridge and appliance garage/coffee center. On the opposite side of the kitchen, we replaced a small pantry closet with a furniture style built-in that took advantage of underutilized space. Anticipating issues with supply chain, we opted to use a local cabinet maker on this project which allowed us to fully customize the cabinets for optimal functionality.

Clean & contemporary chic

Branagh Development

Sleek contemporary kitchen with marble countertops, gray wood custom cabinets, stone tile backsplash, hardwood floor, white wood vaulted ceiling, and handblown glass light fixtures.

Westbury Kitchen and Living Area

Highland Design+Build

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Birmingham with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Lone Moor Kitchen/Living Room

Alair Homes Plano

Our clients came to us wanting to maximize the space they had. They were not planning on moving anytime soon, as they loved their neighborhood. They wanted to renovate the front of their house, which included the front atrium, living room, kitchen, and powder bath. They hated their kitchen because it was completely closed off, had low ceilings, was dark and outdated, not to mention the floors were different in each of these rooms! The pantry was in the breakfast area and the kitchen table became a junk catcher, being the first thing you see when coming in from the garage/laundry room. In their living room, they wanted the spaces on either side of the fireplace to be symmetrical, whether that be bookshelves, a wet bar or closed off. Both parents are working professionals with no time and/or desire to design, create and figure this out on their own. They needed help figuring out how to reconfigure their current space in order to maximize what they already had, as they could not see an obvious solution. They could not envision how it would look so the fact that our designers were able to show them their new kitchen in 3D was pertinent. We removed the pass-through windows that surrounded the atrium and front dining room, as well as the entire kitchen wall, completely opening up those two rooms. We removed a hall that used to lead between the kitchen and the living room since it was a complete waste of space! The ceilings were raised to 10’ in the kitchen and we were able to leave the skylight, letting in that natural light they wanted. We were able to give them a much larger pantry with tons of shelving and increase the size of their laundry room by utilizing the space of their old breakfast nook. We relocated the door to the garage into their new elongated laundry room, built a wet bar across from their new larger pantry (with a pocket door) and the flow and functionality of these new spaces is just perfect! All new Waypoint cabinets were installed one two main kitchen surrounding walls painted Linen. Calacatta Bianco Polished Porcelain Tile 4x12 was used for the backsplash. A large eat-at island was installed, painted Stone, where the family can now gather for homework, meals, and mingling. The soft champagne bronze hardware and accent lighting really give this white and gray kitchen a soft classic look. In the living room, we removed the built-in bookshelves to the left of the fireplace and closed off the wet-bar on the other side, giving them more space in their master suite. White Oak wood flooring, stained Putney, was installed throughout the entire new space, giving it the continuity they were looking for. In the guest bathroom, Carrara white herringbone marble mosaic 12x12 tile was used on the shower floor and niche, while basic marble Bianco polished 12x24 porcelain tile was used on the walls. Luxart polished chrome traditional hardware gives this timeless bathroom the perfect shine. Our clients are so happy with the new functionality and look of their space. It has definitely changed their lives in a way they could have never imagined!

Kitchen Storage Ideas

Everingham Design

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen in Columbus with grey cabinets and shaker cabinets.

Loxley Road

Troughton Residential London

Photography by Veronica Rodriguez
This is an example of a large transitional kitchen in London with shaker cabinets, quartzite benchtops, with island, an undermount sink, grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and white benchtop.

Hillsborough Spanish Revival

Scheinholtz Associates

Thibault Cartier
This is an example of a mediterranean u-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Modern Apartment Upgrade in Cobble Hill

Crown Woodworking Corp

Design ideas for a small modern galley eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, white splashback, subway tile splashback, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Farmhouse Kitchen

Design ideas for a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, quartzite benchtops and matchstick tile splashback.

Countertops

DesignCo.

Inspiration for a large contemporary single-wall separate kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

A Fresh & Contemporary Kitchen Design By Burlanes

burlanes interiors

Burlanes were commissioned to design, create and install a fresh and contemporary kitchen for a brand new extension on a beautiful family home in Crystal Palace, London. The main objective was to maximise the use of space and achieve a clean looking, clutter free kitchen, with lots of storage and a dedicated dining area. We are delighted with the outcome of this kitchen, but more importantly so is the client who says it is where her family now spend all their time. “I can safely say that everything I ever wanted in a kitchen is in my kitchen, brilliant larder cupboards, great pull out shelves for the toaster etc and all expertly hand built. After our initial visit from our designer Lindsey Durrant, I was confident that she knew exactly what I wanted even from my garbled ramblings, and I got exactly what I wanted! I honestly would not hesitate in recommending Burlanes to anyone.”

Kitchen with Shaker Cabinets and Grey Cabinets 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!