An inviting kitchen and living space for family and friends to gather.
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island and beige floor.

Columbus kitchen renovation

NJW Construction

Karli Moore Photography
Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Traditional Midwestern Kitchen

Callier & Thompson Kitchens, Baths and Appliances

Traditional Midwestern kitchen renovation in St. Louis, MO. Medium stained cabinetry, frosted glass door fronts, granite countertops and custom glass tile and stone backsplash.

Grant Park Kitchen Remodel

Giulietti Schouten Weber Architects

The tiles come from Pental ( http://www.pentalonline.com/) and United Tile ( http://www.unitedtile.com/) in Portland. However, the red glass accent tiles are custom.

Saint Paul Craftsman

David Heide Design Studio

Architecture & Interior Design: David Heide Design Studio Photography: Karen Melvin
This is an example of an arts and crafts u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Trash can and paper towel storage

CDH Designs LLC

After going through the tragedy of losing their home to a fire, Cherie Miller of CDH Designs and her family were having a difficult time finding a home they liked on a large enough lot. They found a builder that would work with their needs and incredibly small budget, even allowing them to do much of the work themselves. Cherie not only designed the entire home from the ground up, but she and her husband also acted as Project Managers. They custom designed everything from the layout of the interior - including the laundry room, kitchen and bathrooms; to the exterior. There's nothing in this home that wasn't specified by them. CDH Designs 15 East 4th St Emporium, PA 15834

Transitional Remodel with Geometric Trim

McClure Contracting, Inc.

This was a whole house remodel, the owners are more transitional in style, and they had a lot of special requests including the suspended bar seats on the bar, as well as the geometric circles that were custom to their space. The doors, moulding, trim work and bar are all completely custom to their aesthetic interests. We tore out a lot of walls to make the kitchen and living space a more open floor plan for easier communication, The hidden bar is to the right of the kitchen, replacing the previous closet pantry that we tore down and replaced with a framed wall, that allowed us to create a hidden bar (hidden from the living room) complete with a tall wine cooler on the end of the island. Photo Credid: Peter Obetz

Larchmont, New York Kitchen

Debra Kling Colour Consultant

Photo Credit: Denison Lourenco
Photo of a traditional single-wall open plan kitchen in New York with stainless steel appliances, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback and light hardwood floors.

Lake Keowee: Cassidy Residence

Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home

Craftsman design components can be seen in the custom lighting, interior stained glass windows, and custom millwork throughout the Cassidy private residence at Lake Keowee. Copper elements are incorporated in various parts of the home: the farmhouse sink and the hood above the hand-made LaCanche enamel range in the kitchen; the custom bar countertop and backsplash; the gorgeous copper tub in the master bath. Materials of Note: Lacanche range, interior leaded glass windows, copper bathtub, mission style architectural features, cork and hardwood flooring, copper ceiling in wine room, custom iron stair rail, granite and travertine counters, custom tile design. Rachael Boling Photography

Log Cabin Kitchen

Leland Interiors, LLC

This kitchen is part of a new log cabin built in the country outside of Nashville. It is open to the living room and dining room. An antique pair of French Doors can be seen on the left; were bought in France with the original cremone bolt. Antique door knobs and backplates were used throughtout the house. Photo by Shannon Fontaine

Tracey Stephens Interior Design Inc

A small addition made all the difference in creating space for cooking and eating. Environmentally friendly design features include recycled denim insulation in the walls, a bamboo floor, energy saving LED undercabinet lighting, Energy Star appliances, and an antique table. Photo: Wing Wong

Surfers End Kitchen

Richard Bubnowski Design LLC

Paul S. Bartholomew Photography, Inc.
Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with with island, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

Petrie

KITCHEN CREATIONS LTD

This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and vaulted.

Dream Kitchen Design with White Oak Cabinets

Boxwood Avenue

This beautiful custom home built by Bowlin Built and designed by Boxwood Avenue in the Reno Tahoe area features creamy walls painted with Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee and white oak custom cabinetry. With beautiful granite and marble countertops and handmade backsplash. The dark stained island creates a two-toned kitchen with lovely European oak wood flooring and a large double oven range with a custom hood above!

Kitchen

Christie Architecture LLC

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, no island, black floor and black benchtop.

Adding the Character

W.L. Construction Inc.

Inspiration for a mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Town Mountain Renovation

Brent Campbell, Architect

Inspiration for a country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, black benchtop and exposed beam.

Grand Craftsman

MAC Renovations LTD.

Photo of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped open plan kitchen in Vancouver with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and beige benchtop.

Rustic Kitchen Remodel Purcellville, VA

Reico Kitchen & Bath

Designed by Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen & Bath in Frederick, MD in collaboration with Faber Custom Builders, this Rustic inspired kitchen design features Greenfield Cabinetry in the Augusta door style in 2 finishes. The perimeter kitchen cabinets feature Knotty Alder with the Federal finish. The island cabinets feature a paintable Cityscape finish. Kitchen countertops are granite in the color Steel Gray with a leathered finish. The kitchen tile backsplash features Unicom Starker Natural Slate Multi-color in 12x12 sheets. Photos courtesy of BTW Images LLC.

A Family Tradition in Bowie, MD

Solstice Kitchen and Bath

This Bowie, MD traditional kitchen design offers a welcoming setting for family life with HomeCrest by MasterBrand Cabinetry at the heart of the design. The Heritage Arch cherry cabinets in a Cinnamon finish bring warmth to the kitchen, complemented by Richelieu hardware. This is offset by Giallo Ornamental granite with a 4" splash along with a DalTile classic Rittenhouse subway tile backsplash in Almond. The cabinetry includes customized storage accessories, like the pull out spice rack. Stainless accents feature through the kitchen, including the chimney hood, Sharp undercounter microwave, two wall ovens, and an Allora USA double bowl sink plus Moen "Brantford" pull out spray faucet. Bruce Gunstock hardwood flooring adds natural charm to the design and pulls together the warm wood color scheme.

Kitchen with Medium Wood Cabinets and Granite 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!