Bjurfors/ Andrea Papini
Design ideas for a small scandinavian open plan kitchen in Malmo with open cabinets, light wood cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

Crane Residence

Spore Design

Inspiration for a modern open plan kitchen in Seattle with a single-bowl sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Dandelion House by Jennifer Ott Design

Loop Design

Remodel of a two-story residence in the heart of South Austin. The entire first floor was opened up and the kitchen enlarged and upgraded to meet the demands of the homeowners who love to cook and entertain. The upstairs master bathroom was also completely renovated and features a large, luxurious walk-in shower. Jennifer Ott Design • http://jenottdesign.com/ Photography by Atelier Wong

Kitchen Remodel

Harbold Homes LLC

Photo of a large l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland with a drop-in sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Rustic Kitchen

Inspiration for a country eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, with island, black floor and brown benchtop.

Pebble Beach Breezy

BK Interior Design

Pebble Beach Kitchen. Floating wooden shelves, white counters. Photographer: John Merkl
Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style l-shaped kitchen in San Luis Obispo with open cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, beige floor and white benchtop.

burlingame residence

serrao design/architecture

Free standing pantry in the kitchen creates a portal to the living room behind. john todd, photographer
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen

j witzel interior design

Photography by Christina Wedge Architecture by Matt Walsh
Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Atlanta with black appliances, open cabinets, light wood cabinets and concrete benchtops.

California Dreamin'-Kitchen

Mark Brand Architecture

For this remodel and addition to a house in Marin County our clients from the Washington D.C. area wanted to create a quintessentially Californian living space. To achieve this, we expanded the first floor toward the rear yard and removed several interior partitions creating a large, open floor plan. A new wall of French doors with an attached trellis flood the entire space with light and provide the indoor-outdoor flow our clients were seeking. Structural wood posts anchor a large island that defines the kitchen while maintaining the open feel. Dark Venetian plaster walls provide contrast to the new maple built-ins. The entry was updated with new railings, limestone floors, contemporary lighting and frosted glass doors.

Reforma a Gràcia

Parramon + Tahull arquitectes

Zona menjador Constructor: Fórneas Guida SL Fotografia: Adrià Goula Studio Fotógrafa: Judith Casas
This is an example of a small scandinavian u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, ceramic floors, with island, black floor and white benchtop.

Open Shelving Kitchen

Kraft Custom Construction

For this kitchen and bathroom remodel, our goal was to maintain the historic integrity of the home by providing a traditional design, while also fulfilling the homeowner’s need for a more open and spacious environment. We gutted the entire kitchen and bathroom and removed an interior wall that bisected the kitchen. This provided more flow and connection between the living spaces. The open design and layout of the kitchen cabinets provided a more expansive feel in the kitchen where the whole family could gather without overcrowding. In addition to the kitchen remodel, we replaced the electrical service, redid most of the plumbing and rerouted the furnace ducts for better efficiency. In the bathroom, we installed a historically accurate sink, vanity, and tile. We refinished the hardwood floors throughout the home as well as rebuilt the front porch staircase, and updated the backdoor and window configuration to reflect the era of the home.

Big Pine

Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects

Photography: Eirik Johnson
Design ideas for a mid-sized country kitchen in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, with island, open cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, slate splashback and panelled appliances.

Burghclere - Bespoke Contemporary Kitchen

Ben Heath Interiors

The extra wide bespoke larder with internal spice racks and drawers is situated at the end of the kitchen with power points inside. Photographer Adam Carter, Stylist Mandy Oestreich

リビングにこだわった平屋のお家

SALAD HOME

Inspiration for a scandinavian u-shaped kitchen in Other with light hardwood floors, white appliances, a peninsula, open cabinets and light wood cabinets.

Newtown House

Jasmin Latona Photography

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Hobart with a double-bowl sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and concrete floors.

London Garden Room

Eckford Chong Design

This 3 storey mid-terrace townhouse on the Harringay Ladder was in desperate need for some modernisation and general recuperation, having not been altered for several decades. We were appointed to reconfigure and completely overhaul the outrigger over two floors which included new kitchen/dining and replacement conservatory to the ground with bathroom, bedroom & en-suite to the floor above. Like all our projects we considered a variety of layouts and paid close attention to the form of the new extension to replace the uPVC conservatory to the rear garden. Conceived as a garden room, this space needed to be flexible forming an extension to the kitchen, containing utilities, storage and a nursery for plants but a space that could be closed off with when required, which led to discrete glazed pocket sliding doors to retain natural light. We made the most of the north-facing orientation by adopting a butterfly roof form, typical to the London terrace, and introduced high-level clerestory windows, reaching up like wings to bring in morning and evening sunlight. An entirely bespoke glazed roof, double glazed panels supported by exposed Douglas fir rafters, provides an abundance of light at the end of the spacial sequence, a threshold space between the kitchen and the garden. The orientation also meant it was essential to enhance the thermal performance of the un-insulated and damp masonry structure so we introduced insulation to the roof, floor and walls, installed passive ventilation which increased the efficiency of the external envelope. A predominantly timber-based material palette of ash veneered plywood, for the garden room walls and new cabinets throughout, douglas fir doors and windows and structure, and an oak engineered floor all contribute towards creating a warm and characterful space.

Park Street - Kitchen

Studio Sarah Willmer Architecture

View of kitchen with soffit along back wall. Photographed by Ken Gutmaker
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in San Francisco with open cabinets, light wood cabinets, metallic splashback, stainless steel appliances, marble benchtops, dark hardwood floors, with island and a drop-in sink.

Crane Residence

Spore Design

Modern galley kitchen in Seattle with open cabinets, light wood cabinets, black splashback, stone slab splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Modern Renovation, Montecito

Maienza - Wilson Architecture + Interiors

Photo: Jim Bartsch Photography
Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Santa Barbara with a drop-in sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops and stainless steel appliances.

Hillside Home - Pantry

Southam Design Inc

Marc Fowler - Kitchen & Bathroom shots The interior of the walk-in pantry provides a series of asymmetrical open shelving, tall cabinets, broom storage, and additional refrigeration.

Kitchen with Open Cabinets and Light Wood 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!