Our new clients lived in a charming Spanish-style house in the historic Larchmont area of Los Angeles. Their kitchen, which was obviously added later, was devoid of style and desperately needed a makeover. While they wanted the latest in appliances they did want their new kitchen to go with the style of their house. The en trend choices of patterned floor tile and blue cabinets were the catalysts for pulling the whole look together.

Custom Kitchen in Nantucket

J. Graham Goldsmith Architects

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style kitchen pantry in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, porcelain splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and recessed.

West 70th Street Residence

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Calacatta tile backsplash. Atlantic Bluestone kitchen counter. Corian lower countertop. American black walnut flooring. Photo: Mikiko Kikuyama

Clark Street Before/After

AlphaStudio Design Group

Conceptually the Clark Street remodel began with an idea of creating a new entry. The existing home foyer was non-existent and cramped with the back of the stair abutting the front door. By defining an exterior point of entry and creating a radius interior stair, the home instantly opens up and becomes more inviting. From there, further connections to the exterior were made through large sliding doors and a redesigned exterior deck. Taking advantage of the cool coastal climate, this connection to the exterior is natural and seamless Photos by Zack Benson

Park Slope Duplex

KIM Architecture + Design

Mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, limestone benchtops, blue splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Cucina total white

2b Architects

Cucina lineare bianca dalle linee essenziali ed elettrodomestici ad incasso
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary separate kitchen in Milan with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, beige floor, beige benchtop, limestone benchtops, limestone splashback and porcelain floors.

Reforma integral de vivienda en Leioa

Efecto 3 Diseño e Interiorismo

Small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Bilbao with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and beige benchtop.

Kitchen Studio: KC

Kitchen Studio: Kansas City

The front display at our Kansas City showroom features dark pine veneer on a slab door with the signature SieMatic channel system, meaning no visible hardware! The 4cm and 8cm countertops are created from a rough Limestone. Photograph by Bob Greenspan

Vogue

VESTA

This Pied-a Terre in the city was designed to be a comfortable haven for this client. She loves to cook and interact with her husband at the same time. The main walls of the kitchen were removed to incorporate the entire living space. Sleek high end appliances were utilized to minimize the look of the kitchen and enhance a furniture look. Sleek European Cabinetry extends into the living space to create a media center that doubles as a buffet for the terrace. The tall monolithic column conceals the built in coffee machine on the kitchen side. The tiered soffits define the kitchen space while functionally allowing for recessed lighting. The warm chocolate and sand colored palette allows the kitchen to integrate cohesively with the remainder of the apartment.

Crestview

Two Birds Design

Mike Clegg Photography
Small contemporary galley kitchen pantry in Toronto with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Adler Kitchen

Patti Dixon Design

This is an example of a mid-sized l-shaped separate kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, limestone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors and a peninsula.

Nichols Canyon remodel

ArtCraft Homes LLC

Nichols Canyon remodel by Tim Braseth and Willow Glen Partners, completed 2006. Architect: Michael Allan Eldridge of West Edge Studios. Contractor: Art Lopez of D+Con Design Plus Construction. Designer: Tim Braseth. Flooring: solid oak. Cabinetry: vertical grain rift oak. Range by Viking. Integrated panel-front refrigerator by Sub-Zero. Sliders by Fleetwood. Custom dining table by Built, Inc. Vintage dining chairs by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin. Photo by Michael McCreary.

Ranch Chic

RAD Designs (Robert Adam Dorn)

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Orange County with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, travertine floors and a peninsula.

Küchenblock Bateig Azul

Steinmanufaktur Gross GmbH

Naturstein hat eine besondere Wirkung, wenn er eine gewisse, massive Stärke zeigt. Auch bei Küchenarbeitsplatten ist dies möglich. Ist es technisch nicht möglich, massive Stücke einzubauen, kann die massive Optik durch Verkleben dünnerer Platten erreicht werden. Hier wurde die Wirkung des Blocks noch durch den flächenbündigen Einsatz von Spüle, Kochfeld und Steckdoseneinsatz unterstützt. Das Material Bateig Azul, einen spanischen Kalksandstein, könnte man fast für Beton halten, wenn nicht die fein geschliffene Oberfläche diesen speziellen warme Sandstein-Touch hätte.

White Kitchen Cabinets

The Cabinetry Of Madisonville

Mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Arredamenti Giugliano

GM Arreda

Cucina in legno effetto finta muratura, colonna forno, base per lavastoviglie e dispensa ad angolo con effetto tegole sulla cornice. Lavello in pietra collocato sulla penisola; Tavolo e sedie in legno coordinato con la finitura della cucia. Progetto ideale per gli amanti dello shabby-chic e rustico.

Clark Street Before/After

AlphaStudio Design Group

West 70th Street Residence

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Calacatta marble tile backsplash. Atlantic Bluestone counter. Concealed GFCI outlets. Photo: Mikiko Kikuyama
Inspiration for a small modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and white splashback.

Woodside

Nicola Hicks Designs

Mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in London with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, limestone benchtops, mirror splashback, panelled appliances, a peninsula and grey floor.

Famington Hall - Warwickshire UK

Floren Design Ltd.

Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in West Midlands with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, limestone benchtops, limestone splashback, porcelain floors, a peninsula and grey floor.

Kitchen with Limestone Benchtops and a Peninsula 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!