Inspiration for a contemporary galley kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, dark hardwood floors, with island and black floor.

5 B

Studio MW

Photo of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, black floor and white benchtop.

Fletcher Court

Brian David Roberts | Interior Planning & Design

Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, black floor and white benchtop.

ЖК Водный стадион

Nataly Komova

This is an example of a small eclectic kitchen in Moscow with painted wood floors, black floor, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and a peninsula.

EC Residence - Spicewood

Blue Horse Building & Design

alterstudio architecture llp / Lighthouse Solar / JFH
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with a double-bowl sink, light wood cabinets, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, multiple islands, ceramic floors and black floor.

Patton Kitchen

Bowerbird Design LLC

Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts galley kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, linoleum floors, with island and black floor.

Lincoln Towers Combination

Studio ST Architects, P.C.

Renovated kitchen with custom cabinetry and quartzite countertops
Large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula, black floor and grey benchtop.

Casa Cor GPS Point

Ornare

This is an example of a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in New York with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, beige splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, multiple islands, black floor and grey benchtop.

Modern Scandinavian Kitchen Design

Mi-Kin Creations, Inc.

Upper cabinets are flat front natural birch, Samsung fridge. Cory Locatelli Photography
This is an example of a large scandinavian u-shaped open plan kitchen in Atlanta with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island and black floor.

A Modern Kitchen for a Retreat in the Woods

Amazing Spaces

This is a great house. Perched high on a private, heavily wooded site, it has a rustic contemporary aesthetic. Vaulted ceilings, sky lights, large windows and natural materials punctuate the main spaces. The existing large format mosaic slate floor grabs your attention upon entering the home extending throughout the foyer, kitchen, and family room. Specific requirements included a larger island with workspace for each of the homeowners featuring a homemade pasta station which requires small appliances on lift-up mechanisms as well as a custom-designed pasta drying rack. Both chefs wanted their own prep sink on the island complete with a garbage “shoot” which we concealed below sliding cutting boards. A second and overwhelming requirement was storage for a large collection of dishes, serving platters, specialty utensils, cooking equipment and such. To meet those needs we took the opportunity to get creative with storage: sliding doors were designed for a coffee station adjacent to the main sink; hid the steam oven, microwave and toaster oven within a stainless steel niche hidden behind pantry doors; added a narrow base cabinet adjacent to the range for their large spice collection; concealed a small broom closet behind the refrigerator; and filled the only available wall with full-height storage complete with a small niche for charging phones and organizing mail. We added 48” high base cabinets behind the main sink to function as a bar/buffet counter as well as overflow for kitchen items. The client’s existing vintage commercial grade Wolf stove and hood commands attention with a tall backdrop of exposed brick from the fireplace in the adjacent living room. We loved the rustic appeal of the brick along with the existing wood beams, and complimented those elements with wired brushed white oak cabinets. The grayish stain ties in the floor color while the slab door style brings a modern element to the space. We lightened the color scheme with a mix of white marble and quartz countertops. The waterfall countertop adjacent to the dining table shows off the amazing veining of the marble while adding contrast to the floor. Special materials are used throughout, featured on the textured leather-wrapped pantry doors, patina zinc bar countertop, and hand-stitched leather cabinet hardware. We took advantage of the tall ceilings by adding two walnut linear pendants over the island that create a sculptural effect and coordinated them with the new dining pendant and three wall sconces on the beam over the main sink.

Manson Barn

SkB Architects

Large country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, black floor and black benchtop.

Cuisine

dixheuresdix.

Photo of a small modern single-wall open plan kitchen with an integrated sink, light wood cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, no island and black floor.

Mid-Century Modern Remodel

GMI Design Group

This 1950's home was chopped up with the segmented rooms of the period. The front of the house had two living spaces, separated by a wall with a door opening, and the long-skinny hearth area was difficult to arrange. The kitchen had been remodeled at some point, but was still dated. The homeowners wanted more space, more light, and more MODERN. So we delivered. We knocked out the walls and added a beam to open up the three spaces. Luxury vinyl tile in a warm, matte black set the base for the space, with light grey walls and a mid-grey ceiling. The fireplace was totally revamped and clad in cut-face black stone. Cabinetry and built-ins in clear-coated maple add the mid-century vibe, as does the furnishings. And the geometric backsplash was the starting inspiration for everything. We'll let you just peruse the photos, with before photos at the end, to see just how dramatic the results were!

Raleigh Hills Mid Century Modern

Northland Design & Build

Photo of a midcentury kitchen in Portland with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, marble splashback, terra-cotta floors, with island, black floor and vaulted.

Mid-Century Dala Kitchen

TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders

This is an example of a small midcentury separate kitchen in Minneapolis with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, no island, black floor and white benchtop.

Tarragindi House

zuzana&nicholas architects

Photography by Toby Scott
This is an example of a small contemporary galley kitchen in Brisbane with light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, dark hardwood floors and black floor.

Cocina | Casa Risco - Las Peñitas

liamx_

Cocina | Casa Risco - Las Peñitas
Large country single-wall eat-in kitchen in Mexico City with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, red splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, marble floors, with island, black floor, black benchtop and exposed beam.

Cremorne Kitchen

Kaiko Design Interiors

Referencing the art deco period in which the apartment was build, a curved range hood finished in linear kit kat Japanese tiles forms the focal point of the kitchen. Light timber laminate for full height joinery with dark grey / charcoal ultra matte laminate for below bench cupboards and drawers. Quartzite bench tops in a leathered finish.

Vacation Home

HND Architects

Photo of a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland Maine with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white appliances, with island, timber splashback and black floor.

Hoboken School Turned Loft, Hoboken NJ

Clear Home Design

in this prior Hoboken school house, we designed the new chef's kitchen to be nestled underneath the metal balcony above...this used to be the gym!
Inspiration for a large eclectic u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, black floor and black benchtop.

Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets and Black Floor 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!