Photo of a mid-sized beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, distressed cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, shiplap splashback, coloured appliances, light hardwood floors, brown floor and grey benchtop.

W. Creekside Residence

Dillon Kyle Architects (DKA)

Casey Dunn Photography
Design ideas for a large beach style u-shaped kitchen in Houston with with island, white cabinets, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, open cabinets, a farmhouse sink, white splashback and timber splashback.

Barwon Heads II

Stonehouse + Irons Architecture

Inspiration for a beach style kitchen in Geelong with an integrated sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, metallic splashback and with island.

Parkview

Warmington & North

Custom cabinetry by Warmington & North Architect: Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Photography: Haris Kenjar
This is an example of a traditional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Seattle with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops and white splashback.

Large Walk-In Kitchen Pantry with Custom Baking Racks in Royersford, PA

Victory Closets

Large walk-in kitchen pantry with rounded corner shelves in 2 far corners. Installed to replace existing builder-grade wire shelving. Custom baking rack for pans. Wall-mounted system with extended height panels and custom trim work for floor-mount look. Open shelving with spacing designed around accommodating client's clear labeled storage bins and other serving items and cookware.

Kitchen and Living Room Design

Tunde Decor, LLC

We removed some of the top cabinets and replaced them with open shelves. We also added geometric backsplash tiles and light sconces.
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, with island, white benchtop, a drop-in sink, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Home Tex Homes

HomeTex Homes

This is an example of a country u-shaped kitchen pantry in Austin with red cabinets, cement tiles, no island, multi-coloured floor, black benchtop and open cabinets.

Eclectic Kitchen

Inspiration for an eclectic kitchen in Chicago with subway tile splashback, soapstone benchtops, a single-bowl sink, dark wood cabinets, white splashback and open cabinets.

Family Home in The Ramble

PLATT

Photography: David Dietrich Builder: Tyner Construction Interior Design: Kathryn Long, ASID
Design ideas for a traditional kitchen pantry in Other with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, green cabinets, white splashback and subway tile splashback.

Chalk Ridge

Emily Roose Interiors

A large open kitchen pantry with storage and countertop space that wraps around on three walls with lots of countertop space for small kitchen appliances. Both sides of the pantry are large roll-out drawers for ease of getting to all of the contents. Above the counters are open adjustable shelving. On the floor is the continuation of the wood looking porcelain tile that flows throughout most of the home. Th e pantry has two entrances, one off of the kitchen and the other close to the garage entrance.

Morningside Kitchen

Dove Studio

Small eclectic kitchen pantry in Atlanta with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances, brick floors and brown benchtop.

Before / After - some of our work

Homefulness Ltd

Pantry organisation by Homefulness
Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped kitchen pantry in Kent with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, no island and white benchtop.

Industrial Kitchen Design Ideas

Everingham Design

This is an example of a small industrial single-wall eat-in kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, open cabinets, black cabinets, concrete benchtops, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Posthill

Stephanie Brown Inc.

Transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Vancouver with open cabinets, grey cabinets and no island.

Channing

Sogno Design Group

Photo By: Michele Lee Wilson
This is an example of a traditional single-wall eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

5th Street Brooklyn NYC

Graham Atkins-Hughes Photography

Graham Atkins-Hughes
Photo of a mid-sized beach style u-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors, with island, white floor and grey benchtop.

Mill Valley Historical Remodel

Rasmussen Construction

Jonathan Mitchell
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen pantry in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, white benchtop, solid surface benchtops and brown floor.

Kitchen Pantry with Open Shelves and Pullout Drawers

Orren Pickell Building Group

Pantry with open shelves and pullout drawers allow for ample storage of appliances, bulk food items, and large serving dishes. Photo by Mike Kaskel
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Milwaukee with open cabinets, white cabinets, dark hardwood floors, no island and brown floor.

Wicked Awesome

SGDI - Sarah Gallop Design Inc.

photography: Paul Grdina
Photo of a transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Vancouver with open cabinets, white cabinets, panelled appliances and dark hardwood floors.

Agencement bureau & Agencement cuisine - TREVISE

Hopfab

Thibault Pousset
Photo of a contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Paris with open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

All Cabinet Finishes Kitchen with Open 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!