Free standing pantry in the kitchen creates a portal to the living room behind. john todd, photographer
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, open cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Tonimbuk Residence

Maxa Design

Industrial single-wall open plan kitchen in Melbourne with open cabinets, stainless steel cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, stainless steel appliances, with island and medium hardwood floors.

Chiado Charm

Ana Antunes Homestyling

Photo of a transitional kitchen in Other with open cabinets, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

Contemporary Kitchen

This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in St Louis with open cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

Guest House

KELLY + CO DESIGN

Paul Johnson
Country eat-in kitchen in New York with open cabinets, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

French Place Cottage

Rick & Cindy Black Architects

Photo by Whit Preston
Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Austin with open cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, green splashback, glass tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

The Green Kitchen

CustomMade.com

A complete painted poplar kitchen. The owners like drawers and this kitchen has fifteen of them, dovetailed construction with heavy duty soft-closing undermount drawer slides. The range is built into the slate-topped island, the back of which cantilevers over twin bookcases to form a comfortable breakfast bar. Against the wall, more large drawer sections and a sink cabinet are topped by a reclaimed spruce countertop with breadboard end. Open shelving above allows for colorful display of tableware.

California Dreamin'-Kitchen

Mark Brand Architecture

For this remodel and addition to a house in Marin County our clients from the Washington D.C. area wanted to create a quintessentially Californian living space. To achieve this, we expanded the first floor toward the rear yard and removed several interior partitions creating a large, open floor plan. A new wall of French doors with an attached trellis flood the entire space with light and provide the indoor-outdoor flow our clients were seeking. Structural wood posts anchor a large island that defines the kitchen while maintaining the open feel. Dark Venetian plaster walls provide contrast to the new maple built-ins. The entry was updated with new railings, limestone floors, contemporary lighting and frosted glass doors.

Price

Spyglass Design, Inc.

Photographer: Thomas Robert Clark
Inspiration for a mid-sized country galley separate kitchen in Philadelphia with open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

高槻の家（takatsuki hause）

ALTS DESIGN OFFICE (アルツデザインオフィス)

This is an example of a mid-sized asian single-wall open plan kitchen in Osaka with an undermount sink, open cabinets, grey cabinets, laminate benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, with island, grey floor, grey benchtop and wallpaper.

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.

5th Street Brooklyn NYC

Graham Atkins-Hughes Photography

Graham Atkins-Hughes
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.

Chestnut Hill

J. Stewart Designs

Large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Jackson with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island and grey floor.

Open Shelving Kitchen

Kraft Custom Construction

For this kitchen and bathroom remodel, our goal was to maintain the historic integrity of the home by providing a traditional design, while also fulfilling the homeowner’s need for a more open and spacious environment. We gutted the entire kitchen and bathroom and removed an interior wall that bisected the kitchen. This provided more flow and connection between the living spaces. The open design and layout of the kitchen cabinets provided a more expansive feel in the kitchen where the whole family could gather without overcrowding. In addition to the kitchen remodel, we replaced the electrical service, redid most of the plumbing and rerouted the furnace ducts for better efficiency. In the bathroom, we installed a historically accurate sink, vanity, and tile. We refinished the hardwood floors throughout the home as well as rebuilt the front porch staircase, and updated the backdoor and window configuration to reflect the era of the home.

Kinney Ave

Glauser Building Company

Inspiration for a country open plan kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Provincial Kitchen With Mouthwatering Butler's Pantry

Smith & Smith Kitchens

Did we say mouthwatering? We all wish we could have a butler's pantry this well organised. Open shelving in a butler's pantry keeps everything readily accessible, a combination of deep and shallow shelving ensures there is a place for everything. Adjustable shelving allows for changes in what you want to store. Tim Turner Photography

Photographie d'intérieur

User

Philippe Pasdeloup
Photo of a mid-sized country u-shaped separate kitchen in Montpellier with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors and no island.

Renew

Zola European Windows

This Boulder, Colorado remodel by fuentesdesign demonstrates the possibility of renewal in American suburbs, and Passive House design principles. Once an inefficient single story 1,000 square-foot ranch house with a forced air furnace, has been transformed into a two-story, solar powered 2500 square-foot three bedroom home ready for the next generation. The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials including; reclaimed wood finishes, FSC-certified pine Zola windows and doors, and natural earth and lime plasters that soften the interior and crisp contemporary exterior with a flavor of the west. A Ninety-percent efficient energy recovery fresh air ventilation system provides constant filtered fresh air to every room. The existing interior brick was removed and replaced with insulation. The remaining heating and cooling loads are easily met with the highest degree of comfort via a mini-split heat pump, the peak heat load has been cut by a factor of 4, despite the house doubling in size. During the coldest part of the Colorado winter, a wood stove for ambiance and low carbon back up heat creates a special place in both the living and kitchen area, and upstairs loft. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. These windows also provide a seamless indoor/outdoor connection, with 9′ wide folding doors from the dining area and a matching 9′ wide custom countertop folding window that opens the kitchen up to a grassy court where mature trees provide shade and extend the living space during the summer months. With air-tight construction, this home meets the Passive House Retrofit (EnerPHit) air-tightness standard of

Shelf Storage

Organization & Relocation

We utilized these great kitchen shelves for cook books and cooking supplies.
This is an example of a mid-sized modern eat-in kitchen in Denver with a double-bowl sink, open cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Historic Charmer in Santa Fe

Samuel Design Group

This is an example of a mid-sized galley kitchen in Albuquerque with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, brown splashback, stainless steel appliances and ceramic floors.

Kitchen with Open Cabinets and Stainless Steel Appliances 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!