Photo of a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Belmont Remodel

Birdsmouth

Design ideas for a small traditional u-shaped kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and no island.

Transitional White Oak Kitchen & Island

Chervin Kitchen & Bath Inc.

A transitional kitchen where the marriage of white oak and warm white cabinetry, adorned with elegant bronze accents, sets the stage. The grand island, featuring a soapstone waterfall end on one side and an inviting open side on the other, takes center stage. Completing the ensemble are the striking black metal hutch doors, chic open shelving, and the warm glow of pendant lighting.

Walk Street Manhattan Beach

Norman Design Group, Inc.

Large beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and black benchtop.

Saucon Valley Classic

Jarrett Design

This is an example of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Bell Mountain

Amity Worrel & Co.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley kitchen pantry in Austin with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, porcelain splashback, light hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Loft

Royalty Construction

Inspiration for a large industrial l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, brick splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and soapstone benchtops.

Modern Craftsman

Sogno Design Group

Michele Lee Wilson
This is an example of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and soapstone benchtops.

1910 Foursquare

Vicki Simon Interior Design

Design ideas for a large traditional galley eat-in kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

BROOKLYN GIRL

d2 interieurs

DENISE DAVIES
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances and beige floor.

Glen Lake retreat

Malmquist Construction

Photo of a country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

Modern Craftsman Style Kitchen Update

Brock Design Group

Inspiration for a mid-sized arts and crafts single-wall eat-in kitchen in Portland with white cabinets, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, shaker cabinets, soapstone benchtops and light hardwood floors.

Herndon Chase II

SK Interiors

Large country u-shaped separate kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

The 1790 Garvin-Weeks Farmstead

Cummings Architecture + Interiors

The 1790 Garvin-Weeks Farmstead is a beautiful farmhouse with Georgian and Victorian period rooms as well as a craftsman style addition from the early 1900s. The original house was from the late 18th century, and the barn structure shortly after that. The client desired architectural styles for her new master suite, revamped kitchen, and family room, that paid close attention to the individual eras of the home. The master suite uses antique furniture from the Georgian era, and the floral wallpaper uses stencils from an original vintage piece. The kitchen and family room are classic farmhouse style, and even use timbers and rafters from the original barn structure. The expansive kitchen island uses reclaimed wood, as does the dining table. The custom cabinetry, milk paint, hand-painted tiles, soapstone sink, and marble baking top are other important elements to the space. The historic home now shines. Eric Roth

Kitchen & Interior Remodel

A&E Construction and Design Center

Contemporary kitchen renovation in Titusville, NJ. This project included relocating existing basement stairs to provide an open floorplan between the kitchen and eating area. Modern, bright, with light wood floors, this kitchen makes an impact! Two tone cabinetry, grays and whites with black soapstone countertops. Open to eating area and family room. Large center island with seating for four. Custom box shape wood vent hood makes a statement. This project also involved installing pull-down attic stairs.

Modern Custom Build in WashPark neighborhood: Denver Life Magazine Showhouse

Beautiful Habitat: Design & Decoration

The overall vision for the kitchen is a modern, slightly edgy space that is still warm and inviting. As a designer, I like to push people out of their comfort zones. We’ve done that a few ways with this kitchen – Ebony and matte gray cabinets, mixing cabinet and countertop materials, and mixing metals. We’ve all seen and done the white kitchen for the last 10 years. I wanted to demonstrate that a black kitchen is functional and dramatic and not the dark cave everyone fears. To soften the black, we’ve incorporated organic elements like natural woods, handmade backsplash tiles, brass and the flowing, organic patterns of the fabrics.

Modern Farmhouse

Rockwood Custom Homes

Zoonmedia
Photo of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Calgary with a farmhouse sink, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, beige floor, grey benchtop, shaker cabinets and white cabinets.

Donegal Avenue

IDF Studio

Transitional white kitchen with Heath tile backsplash, soapstone, counters, black hardware, wood island top, and wicker counter stools. Photo by Suzanna Scott.

Hendricks Churchill New Farmhouse

Amanda Kirkpatrick Photography

Design ideas for a mid-sized country kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Transitional Custom Home

Avalon Associates, Inc.

Design ideas for a large country u-shaped kitchen in Baltimore with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, white splashback, with island, brown floor, soapstone benchtops, glass tile splashback, panelled appliances and light hardwood floors.

Kitchen with Soapstone Benchtops 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!