This light and airy marble kitchen is a stark contrast to the small compartmentalized kitchen that existed before. With the long 19-foot kitchen island we worked with a finish carpenter to cover the cabinetry in wooden pieces to create a ribbed effect. The texture really elevates this modern, minimalist kitchen and makes it interesting. An appliance garage to the left of the ovens keeps all the clutter out of sight! Practical, calming, and great for entertaining!

Nashville Kitchen Refresh

Usable Space Interiors, LLC

Another view- more roll outs!
Design ideas for a small country galley eat-in kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, terra-cotta splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

East Sheen Traditional Shaker Kitchen, Utility and Hallway

Higham Furniture

We designed a compact and functional utility room for our client. Although it is small in size, we were able to include a Belfast sink, two washing machines, a tumble dryer as well as space to store an ironing board and brooms, not to mention the open base cabinet and wall units. Painted in Little Green Normandy Grey, the cabinetry goes well with the other grey tones used throughout the house, in the kitchen and hallway.

Bryce Dallas Howard's Los Angeles Home

Emily Pertzborn Interiors

This is an example of a midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets, pink cabinets, quartz benchtops, pink splashback, ceramic splashback, with island and white benchtop.

Mrs Jordan

Decor Kitchens & Bathrooms

The wall unit has a secret. It contains the boiler! This unit cleverly disguises the boiler while keeping enough space inside to access the controls and allows it be be serviced. Continuing the unit to the ceiling keeps all pipes contained and keeps the kitchen looking streamline.

Project Vintage Vibes Kitchen

McGuire + Co. Kitchen & Bath

Mid-century modern kitchen in Medford, MA, with cherry cabinetry, a small workstation island, quartz countertops, paneled dishwasher, and a custom tile backsplash in shades of blue. We reused the client's vintage blue glass light fixture. Double wall oven, and under counter beverage refrigerator. Project also includes a mudroom and powder room.

Project Vintage Vibes Kitchen

McGuire + Co. Kitchen & Bath

Mid-century modern kitchen in Medford, MA, with cherry cabinetry, a small workstation island, quartz countertops, and a custom tile backsplash in shades of blue. We reused the client's vintage blue glass light fixture. Double wall oven, and under counter beverage refrigerator. Project also includes a mudroom and powder room.

Knightsbridge | A Scandinavian Inspired Design

Davonport Kitchen & Home

Photo of a mid-sized scandinavian l-shaped open plan kitchen in London with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Vancouver Dunbar Light & Airy

Tanya Schoenroth Design

Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Vancouver with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Sustainable Wonder in Wilmette

Kitchen Design Partners, Inc.

Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and exposed beam.

Resort Style Living

Shannon Pepper Design

This is an example of a mid-sized beach style galley kitchen pantry in Auckland with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, yellow floor and white benchtop.

Berkeley Hills Kitchen

Form + Field

This is an example of a modern eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Little Venice Residence

Margot Tsim Interiors

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional single-wall open plan kitchen in London with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances, with island and multi-coloured benchtop.

Hatfield Studio Space

WJ Photo

Photo of a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Hertfordshire with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Japandi-Inspired Kitchen

Fox Interiors

Inspired by their years in Japan and California and their Scandinavian heritage, we updated this 1938 home with a earthy palette and clean lines. Rift-cut white oak cabinetry, white quartz counters and a soft green tile backsplash are balanced with details that reference the home's history. Classic light fixtures soften the modern elements. We created a new arched opening to the living room and removed the trim around other doorways to enlarge them and mimic original arched openings. Removing an entry closet and breakfast nook opened up the overall footprint and allowed for a functional work zone that includes great counter space on either side of the range, when they had none before.

New Home design Bespoke Kitchen/ Dining

Golden Feathers Interiors

This bought off plan 9 year old home lacked all personality for my clients, option A,B,C in these new developments end up needing a lot of personalisation. we removed the entire kitchen/dining area and flooring. It was far from desireable. Now with new warming underfloor heating throughout, bright and fresh new palette, bespoke built furniture and a totally NEW layout. This Home is more than they have ever wanted! its incredible and the space also feels so much larger due to the design planned and products used. Finished to an excellent standard with our trade team.

A BEAUTIFULLY HANDMADE KITCHEN WITH EXPOSED BRICK AND SOLID TIMBER IN SURBITON

Bathroom + Kitchen Eleven

Photo of a traditional u-shaped kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, turquoise cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, beige floor and white benchtop.

Family home refurbishment Skerries

Carton Interiors

A contemporary kitchen with green cabinets in slab door and with brass profile gola channel accent. Worktops in calcatta gold quartz. Flooring in large format tile and rich engineered hardwood.

Urban Beach House

INKSPACE Architects & Interiors

Contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Dorset with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Cuisine joyeuse

Mars Avril

Tournant le dos à la terrasse malgré la porte-fenêtre qui y menait, l’agencement de la cuisine de ce bel appartement marseillais ne convenait plus aux propriétaires. La porte-fenêtre a été déplacée de façon à se retrouver au centre de la façade. Une fenêtre simple l’a remplacée, ce qui a permis d’installer l’évier devant et de profiter ainsi de la vue sur la terrasse.. Dissimulés derrière un habillage en plaqué chêne, le frigo et les rangements ont été rassemblés sur le mur opposé. C’est le contraste entre le papier peint à motifs et la brillance des zelliges qui apporte couleurs et fantaisie à cette cuisine devenue bien plus fonctionnelle pour une grande famille !. Photos © Lisa Martens Carillo

Kitchen with Multi-Coloured Benchtop and White Benchtop 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!