Modern galley kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Private Residence Pebble Beach

Andrea Bartholick Pace Interior Design

Rick Pharaoh
Design ideas for a large mediterranean open plan kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors and with island.

Dulwich Kitchen/Diner

Imperfect Interiors

Panelled bespoke seating area painted in Mist by Neptune, paired with a Neptune Oak Dining table and Ercol chairs spray painted in the same colour. Prints are by Barbara Hepworth, and ceramics are Mid-Century. Walls painted in Lead 1 by Paint & Paper Library. Floor tiles are Vanilla Regal Matt by Topps Tiles, and similar wall lights can be found at Enamel Lampshades. Photos Chris Snook

Transitional Kitchen Renovation in Washington, DC

BOWA

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, white benchtop, exposed beam and recessed-panel cabinets.

Italian kitchen and mid century modern home

Lucile Glessner Design

Midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, panelled appliances, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Interior Design - Luxemburg Gardens Townhouse

My-Studio Ltd

Contemporary kitchen and dining space with Nordic styling for a young family in Kensington. The kitchen is bespoke made and designed by the My-Studio team as part of our joinery offer.

Country affair

Kitchen Architecture Ltd

Contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Oxfordshire with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and with island.

Eudora Way

Western Building Corp

Kitchen Remodel
Inspiration for a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

David Reid Homes Canterbury - Sterling Park Showhome

NC Design Ltd

This is an example of a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Christchurch with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black appliances, with island, white benchtop, quartz benchtops, concrete floors and grey floor.

Eichler Remodel

Studio Bergtraun AIA

Mid-sized midcentury l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, wood benchtops, stone slab splashback, porcelain floors, with island, black floor and brown benchtop.

Kitchen Design Ideas

Allen Construction

Photo by: Jim Bartsch
Photo of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Santa Barbara with an undermount sink, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, open cabinets and beige floor.

Three-Courts Residence

Allison Burke Interior Design

The custom banquette, white oak millwork, and open-grain cypress ceilings modernize the home. A large island allows for entertaining and multiple chefs to work in the kitchen. The trellis structure above the kitchen gives a structure for artificial lighting but allows for natural light from the transom windows to filter into the centrally-located kitchen. Custom designed banquette, chairs are the Round Chairs by Hans Wegner, stools are the Jim Counterstools by Montis. Interior by Allison Burke Interior Design Architecture by A Parallel Paul Finkel Photography

Contemporain Cuisine

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary galley separate kitchen in Paris with flat-panel cabinets, with island, a double-bowl sink, light wood cabinets and light hardwood floors.

Whole House

User

Dan Dennehy
Modern eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

San Carlos Ave | Sausalito

PHASE2 BUILDERS INC.

Christopher Stark
Photo of a large contemporary galley separate kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

Harvey Jones - Shaker Kitchens

Harvey Jones Kitchens

This is an example of a country l-shaped kitchen in London with an undermount sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Penthouse Apartment at 'The Verge', Dering Street, W1

Krieder

A luxury kitchen for a W1, Penthouse, using Mundy Veneer, granite worktops and Miele Appliances.
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen in London with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Larkspur Luxe

Mansfield + O'Neil

Photographer: Paul Dyer
Photo of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, an integrated sink and stainless steel benchtops.

Scandi-style kitchen

Schmidt Dorking

Clean, cool and calm are the three Cs that characterise a Scandi-style kitchen. The use of light wood and design that is uncluttered is what Scandinavians look for. Sleek and streamlined surfaces and efficient storage can be found in the Schmidt catalogue. The enhancement of light by using a Scandi style and colour. The Scandinavian style is inspired by the cool colours of landscapes, pale and natural colours, and adds texture to make the kitchen more sophisticated. This kitchen’s palette ranges from white, green and light wood to add texture, all bringing memories of a lovely and soft landscape. The light wood resembles the humble beauty of the 30s Scandinavian modernism. To maximise the storage, the kitchen has three tall larders with internal drawers for better organising and unclutter the kitchen. The floor-to-ceiling cabinets creates a sleek, uncluttered look, with clean and contemporary handle-free light wood cabinetry. To finalise the kitchen, the black appliances are then matched with the black stools for the island.

Mid century masterpiece

Lobkovich Kitchen Designs, Inc.

Hoachlander Davis Photography
This is an example of a midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Kitchen with 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!