photo by Clover_house
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Other with distressed cabinets, wood benchtops, dark hardwood floors, brown floor, brown benchtop, open cabinets and a peninsula.

South Austin Ranch

Shilshole and Company

Carol Zimmerman
Inspiration for a mid-sized country galley eat-in kitchen in Austin with a double-bowl sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and no island.

Grad Student's Apartment

Heather Pujals

This small in-law kitchen was a bit awkward and lacked counter space. The resident likes to cook, so I installed a custom shelving system with natural pine wood to flow upward from the kitchen islands she already owned. This removed clutter and provided ample workspace for prep work.

SW Portland Tudor

Ann McCulloch Shop & Studio

Walk-in pantry is adjacent to butler's pantry and provides lots of storage for large family. Photo by David Hiser
Traditional kitchen in Portland with open cabinets, light wood cabinets and dark hardwood floors.

Calm Cool Kitchen Makeover

Farm Fresh Therapy

Chelsea Mohrman | farm fresh therapy
Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped kitchen in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Grand Prato Estate

Design West

Guest House Living Room and Kitchen
Photo of an expansive traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Miami with a drop-in sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

light flat

Special-style

Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Moscow with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops and dark hardwood floors.

Los Gatos One Story to Two Story Transformation

J. Kretschmer Architect: Art & Architecture

Inspiration for a small transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in San Francisco with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Pantry

Southern Closet Systems Inc.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary galley kitchen pantry in Tampa with open cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops and dark hardwood floors.

Toronto Victorian Conversion

Klassmore

This is an example of a contemporary eat-in kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, open cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Progettazione Loft

Mezzetti Design

Zona cucina, con isola centrale con i fuochi e cappa a scomparsa sul piano.Colonne a parte che contengono frigo forno, forno a microonde e cantina per i vini.

Bryn Mawr English Tudor Kitchen Remodel

Pinemar, Inc

Pinemar, Inc.- Philadelphia General Contractor & Home Builder. Fabrics in seating area by Chairloom. www.chairloom.com Photos © Paul S. Bartholomew Photography

Compact Walk-In Pantry

TDV Design

Photo of a small contemporary u-shaped kitchen pantry in New York with open cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island and black floor.

Industrial Style Revamp in the heart of Melbourne

User

Mid-sized industrial galley open plan kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, open cabinets, distressed cabinets, concrete benchtops, grey splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Beverly Place - Kitchen Storage Wall

Studio Sarah Willmer Architecture

Room dividing cabinetry wall - tv room beyond. Photography by Sharon Risedorph In Collaboration with designer and client Stacy Eisenmann. For questions on this project please contact Stacy at Eisenmann Architecture. (www.eisenmannarchitecture.com)

Barn Door Walk-in Pantry, Transitional Kitchen Remodel

MainStreet Design Build

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

The Hammocks- new construction

User

Inspiration for a beach style kitchen pantry in Tampa with open cabinets, wood benchtops and dark hardwood floors.

Farmhouse Kitchen

Inspiration for a large country l-shaped kitchen pantry in Portland with open cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

HEIGHTS PANTRY

Wood Customs

Photo of a large traditional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Houston with open cabinets, grey cabinets, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Oakland Ave

EuroCraft Interiors Custom Cabinetry

This is an example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Detroit with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Kitchen with Open Cabinets and Dark Hardwood Floors 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!