This bespoke ‘Heritage’ hand-painted oak kitchen by Mowlem & Co pays homage to classical English design principles, reinterpreted for a contemporary lifestyle. Created for a period family home in a former rectory in Sussex, the design features a distinctive free-standing island unit in an unframed style, painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Railings’ shade and fitted with Belgian Fossil marble worktops. At one end of the island a reclaimed butchers block has been fitted (with exposed bolts as an accent feature) to serve as both a chopping block and preparation area and an impromptu breakfast bar when needed. Distressed wicker bar stools add to the charming ambience of this warm and welcoming scheme. The framed fitted cabinetry, full height along one wall, are painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Purbeck Stone’ and feature solid oak drawer boxes with dovetail joints to their beautifully finished interiors, which house ample, carefully customised storage. Full of character, from the elegant proportions to the finest details, the scheme includes distinctive latch style handles and a touch of glamour on the form of a sliver leaf glass splashback, and industrial style pendant lamps with copper interiors for a warm, golden glow. Appliances for family that loves to cook include a powerful Westye range cooker, a generous built-in Gaggenau fridge freezer and dishwasher, a bespoke Westin extractor, a Quooker boiling water tap and a KWC Inox spray tap over a Sterling stainless steel sink. Designer Jane Stewart says, “The beautiful old rectory building itself was a key inspiration for the design, which needed to have full contemporary functionality while honouring the architecture and personality of the property. We wanted to pay homage to influences such as the Arts & Crafts movement and Lutyens while making this a unique scheme tailored carefully to the needs and tastes of a busy modern family.”

Classic Swedish Shaker in dark moody tones

Sola Kitchens

Lind & Cumings Design Photography
Large scandinavian kitchen in Surrey with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and wood benchtops.

Luxury in-frame kitchen

First Impressions Kitchens

Constructed from Ash and painted in a satin finish, this Baystone shaker in-frame is a range full of character and charm. The use of ‘Calico’ and ‘Mineral’ units make this kitchen feel light and airy. Bespoke colours used in images: Calico & Mineral. See this kitchen on our website http://firstimpressionskitchens.co.uk/bespoke/baystone/

"Pentyak", Harlyn Bay, Cornwall

Foulkes Jackson Fewings Ltd

Transitional l-shaped kitchen in Cornwall with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Leschi Kitchen and Powder

Brio Interior Design

Alex Hayden
Mid-sized traditional eat-in kitchen in Seattle with blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, onyx benchtops, stone tile splashback, light hardwood floors and no island.

Bar Area

KannCept Design, Inc.

Inspiration for a large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Chicago with stainless steel appliances, dark wood cabinets, a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, brick splashback, light hardwood floors and no island.

Interior Room photography- Kitchen 13

Kettle Co. Kitchens

Mandy Donneky
This is an example of a small transitional u-shaped kitchen in Cornwall with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor, black benchtop and mosaic tile splashback.

Marble Yard - Colonial Cream Granite

Marble Yard - Granite - Orange County, Anaheim

Inspired by early morning whitewater surfing enjoyed by the residents, White Colonial Cream Verona granite with this exquistie mirror polished finish is accented with beautiful white onyx from quarries in the remote foothills of Baluchistan.

Transitional Kitchen

This is an example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Monte Sereno Transitional New Home Build

Charisma Design

This is an example of a transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Lady Fern Circle Kitchen

ReVision Design/Remodeling

Photography: Glenn DeRosa
Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Charlotte with stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, an undermount sink, light hardwood floors, with island and glass-front cabinets.

Streatham Kitchen

Herringbone Kitchens

David Rannard
Design ideas for a large transitional eat-in kitchen in Kent with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Arlington Road, Teddington

50 Degrees North Architects

Overview L shaped rear ground floor extension with a loft conversion and internal alterations throughout The Brief Create space, bring in the light and hide the stuff of life away so we can have some calm moments in our family home, keep in modern but not uber-modern……. Our Solution Clients with young families need very specific spaces and lots of storage for the stuff of life. This fantastic client wanted much more flexibility from the floor space and wanted every living area to be as light as possible, but to retain and work with some period features. Over time family spaces need to change and adapt as children grow, work commitments evolve needing home working areas and visiting friends and relatives need comfortable space and privacy. Planning a family home looks at these competing elements and as ever tries to get more space from the house than it seemed to have, that was done using some neat space planning and clever arrangement of uses within each floor plan.

Interiors

Cody Craig Custom Homes

Country u-shaped kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Dunwoody - Kitchen Renovation

Ivey & Cruz

Small traditional galley eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances and light hardwood floors.

Utuhina Stream Villa

Marlene Hudson Design

Photo credit - Deanna Onan Builder - Allen Building Services
Design ideas for a traditional galley eat-in kitchen in Hamilton with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Family Home Wellesley

Columbia Contracting, Corp.

This is an example of a transitional kitchen in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, light hardwood floors and with island.

Classic kitchen in Sutton, Greater London

User

Dan Leggett for Simon Benjamin Furniture
This is an example of a transitional kitchen in Sussex with a double-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, light hardwood floors and with island.

Scandinavian Bliss

Sola Kitchens

Mia Lind
Scandinavian kitchen in London with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops and light hardwood floors.

Flat P, Park View (Two-Dio)

Student Cribs

Photo of a contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in London with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and no island.

Kitchen with 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!