Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets and Soapstone Benchtops Design Ideas

Voted best of Houzz 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017! Since 1974, Performance Kitchens & Home has been re-inventing spaces for every room in the home. Specializing in older homes for Kitchens, Bathrooms, Den, Family Rooms and any room in the home that needs creative storage solutions for cabinetry. We offer color rendering services to help you see what your space will look like, so you can be comfortable with your choices! Our Design team is ready help you see your vision and guide you through the entire process! Photography by: Juniper Wind Designs LLC

North Potomac Custom Kitchen

That Design Studio

Mid-sized country single-wall eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and slate floors.

Irvington Contemporary Renovation in Portland

eMZed Architecture

Kitchen and family room expansion and full renovation, with doors to new back deck
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Newton Historic home restoration

Edesia Kitchen & Bath Studio

Edesia Kitchen & Bath Studio 217 Middlesex Turnpike Burlington, MA 01803
Photo of a mid-sized country single-wall separate kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Warm Inviting Neutrals Wood Cabinetry Raleigh, NC

Luxury Kitchen Bath Express

This warm and inviting kitchen features custom stained Birch wood cabinetry, soapstone counters, tumbled stone backsplash, a custom range hood and a farm house sink.

Warm Contemporary Newtown Kitchen

Dwell Design Co

Photo Courtesy of: Rittenhouse Builders Photo By: Josh Barker Photography Lancaster County's Design-Driven Cabinetry Experts
Mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors and with island.

Greek Revival

User

© ALDRIDGE ATELIER
Photo of a large arts and crafts l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Columbus Area Projects

CreativeServicesLTD

A light and airy kitchen with custom, maple cabinets from trees from the homeowners land. Harold Davis
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and light hardwood floors.

Buena Vista Residence

Schwartz and Architecture

Typical of many San Francisco Victorians, this home’s kitchen had evolved over the years out of an enclosed porch. The centerpiece of the new light-filled space is a custom island / drop-leaf table that converts from a casual family dining area to an ample area for the children’s art projects, or seating for twelve. Open shelving and a series of custom ledges for the family’s seasonal canning efforts intensify the casual, working feel to the kitchen, which is both modern, yet appropriate to the essence of the home. Photography: Matthew Millman

Philly Contemporary Kitchen

Airy Kitchens

Design ideas for a small contemporary galley separate kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, orange splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, linoleum floors, a peninsula, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchens

Powell Brower Interiors

Photo by Helen Norman, Styling by Charlotte Safavi
Design ideas for a large country l-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, green splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, green benchtop, brown floor and medium hardwood floors.

Irvington Contemporary Renovation in Portland

eMZed Architecture

Kitchen and family room expansion and full renovation
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Maineville Residence

John Senhauser Architects

This is an example of a mid-sized country single-wall open plan kitchen in Cincinnati with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, brown splashback, timber splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Grovepoint

Holmes + Salter Interiors

Abby Caroline Photography
Inspiration for a large country galley eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, brown splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Modern hickory kitchen Mechanicsburg PA.

Mother Hubbard's Custom Cabinetry

Carl Socolow
Design ideas for a small contemporary single-wall separate kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and no island.

Hudson River Home

Millbrook Cabinetry and Design

Robert P Campbell
Inspiration for a contemporary eat-in kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and multiple islands.

Green at Gaston

LuxeMark Company

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Raleigh with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen Remodels

Homes by Hamilton LLC

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen in Cedar Rapids with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, green splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Mission Transition

Renovisions

This kitchen had not been renovated since the salt box colonial house was built in the 1960’s. The new owner felt it was time for a complete refresh with some traditional details and adding in the owner’s contemporary tastes. At initial observation, we determined the house had good bones; including high ceilings and abundant natural light from a double-hung window and three skylights overhead recently installed by our client. Mixing the homeowners desires required the skillful eyes of Cathy and Ed from Renovisions. The original kitchen had dark stained, worn cabinets, in-adequate lighting and a non-functional coat closet off the kitchen space. In order to achieve a true transitional look, Renovisions incorporated classic details with subtle, simple and cleaner line touches. For example, the backsplash mix of honed and polished 2” x 3” stone-look subway tile is outlined in brushed stainless steel strips creating an edgy feel, especially at the niche above the range. Removing the existing wall that shared the coat closet opened up the kitchen to allow adding an island for seating and entertaining guests. We chose natural maple, shaker style flat panel cabinetry with longer stainless steel pulls instead of knobs, keeping in line with the clients desire for a sleeker design. This kitchen had to be gutted to accommodate the new layout featuring an island with pull-out trash and recycling and deeper drawers for utensils. Spatial constraints were top of mind and incorporating a convection microwave above the slide-in range made the most sense. Our client was thrilled with the ability to bake, broil and microwave from GE’s advantium oven – how convenient! A custom pull-out cabinet was built for his extensive array of spices and oils. The sink base cabinet provides plenty of area for the large rectangular stainless steel sink, single-lever multi-sprayer faucet and matching filtered water dispenser faucet. The natural, yet sleek green soapstone countertop with distinct white veining created a dynamic visual and principal focal point for the now open space. While oak wood flooring existed in the entire first floor, as an added element of color and interest we installed multi-color slate-look porcelain tiles in the kitchen area. We also installed a fully programmable floor heating system for those chilly New England days. Overall, out client was thrilled with his Mission Transition.

Clean Curves

Adams + Beasley Associates

Nat Rea Photography
Mid-sized eclectic single-wall open plan kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets and Soapstone Benchtops 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!