This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop, an undermount sink and beige floor.

El Segundo Beach House

popix designs

Photo of a beach style l-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Carlsbad - Waters End

ProPacific Builders, Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Boise Passive House

User

To ensure peak performance, the Boise Passive House utilized triple-pane glazing with the A5 aluminum window, Air-Lux Sliding door, and A7 swing door. Each product brings dynamic efficiency, further affirming an air-tight building envelope. The increased air-seals, larger thermal breaks, argon-filled glazing, and low-E glass, may be standard features for the Glo Series but they provide exceptional performance just the same. Furthermore, the low iron glass and slim frame profiles provide clarity and increased views prioritizing overall aesthetics despite their notable efficiency values.

Modernist Treehouse

Ashby Collective

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Gavin's Kitchen Remodel

Bora&Co Construction

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Strathgowan House

laneway millwork

We used rift cut white oak veneer for these Slim Shaker style kitchen cabinets, including pull-out pantry doors.
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary eat-in kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor, white benchtop and with island.

Love on Haight

Mansfield + O'Neil

Design ideas for an expansive contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Clarendon (Solid Wood) Shaker

Eco Interiors

Cleverly fusing a simple Shaker look with a traditional framed design. Influenced by period furniture, Clarendon is available in a choice of two colours as standard and further painted options. This beautiful range features a distinctly noticeable woodgrain finish, paired with delicate Ovolo beading, to create a kitchen design bursting with character for a unique and sophisticated appearance.

Kitchen

Sadie & Co

This is an example of a large transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Salt Lake City with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor and white benchtop.

Golden Valley Mid-Century Modern

Strand Design

Midcentury kitchen in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors and white benchtop.

Glass House with Pool Views

Nathan Taylor for Obelisk Home

Inspiration for a large modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Wyndham Beach House

Sky Architect Studio

We created a practical, L-shaped kitchen layout with an island bench integrated into the “golden triangle” that reduces steps between sink, stovetop and refrigerator for efficient use of space and ergonomics. Instead of a splashback, windows are slotted in between the kitchen benchtop and overhead cupboards to allow natural light to enter the generous kitchen space. Overhead cupboards have been stretched to ceiling height to maximise storage space. Timber screening was installed on the kitchen ceiling and wrapped down to form a bookshelf in the living area, then linked to the timber flooring. This creates a continuous flow and draws attention from the living area to establish an ambience of natural warmth, creating a minimalist and elegant kitchen. The island benchtop is covered with extra large format porcelain tiles in a 'Calacatta' profile which are have the look of marble but are scratch and stain resistant. The 'crisp white' finish applied on the overhead cupboards blends well into the 'natural oak' look over the lower cupboards to balance the neutral timber floor colour.

Sherwood Eclectic Farmhouse

Northland Design & Build

This is an example of a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands and white benchtop.

Birdseye Contemporary Maple Kitchen

Kitchens & Baths Unlimited

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, yellow floor and white benchtop.

High Summit Drive

Jessica Koltun Home

Coastal contemporary finishes and furniture designed by Interior Designer and Realtor Jessica Koltun in Dallas, TX. #designingdreams
Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style eat-in kitchen in Dallas with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Classic Traditional

Distinctive Drywall & Painting

This is an example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, white benchtop and exposed beam.

WLA Remodeling

Ken Tanaka Studio

Small transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Chuckanut Mountain Addition

Highline Construction

Small modern single-wall kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor and beige benchtop.

Eclectic kitchen with modern lines

Milima Design

This is an example of a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets 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!