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.

Ridgecrest Kitchen

Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized country u-shaped kitchen pantry in Little Rock with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, porcelain floors, white floor and white benchtop.

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.

Wide Open Spaces

Design Harmony

Cory Holland
Transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Seattle with open cabinets, white cabinets, brick splashback, light hardwood floors, no island and beige floor.

The Hammocks- new construction

User

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

Contemporary Retreat

Castle Homes

Reed Brown Photography
This is an example of a contemporary u-shaped kitchen pantry in Nashville with open cabinets, white cabinets, grey floor and white benchtop.

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.

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.

Santa Cruz Spectacular Transitional Kitchen

Design Matters

Crisp, clean, lines of this beautiful black and white kitchen with a gray and warm wood twist~
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in San Francisco with white cabinets, quartz benchtops, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, an undermount sink, open cabinets, white splashback and light hardwood floors.

La Fornella

Lisa Gabrielson Design

Country Inn apartment at La Fornella in Tuscany.
Country eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with open cabinets and white splashback.

Modern Living in Downtown Birmingham

Stalburg Design

Today's pantries are functional and gorgeous! Our custom pantry creates ample space for every day appliances to be kept out of sight, with easy access to bins and storage containers. Undercounter LED lighting allows for easy night-time use as well.

Dutch Colonial Charm

Cummings Architecture + Interiors

Joyelle West Photography
Mid-sized traditional kitchen pantry in Boston with open cabinets, white cabinets, light hardwood floors, a farmhouse sink, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances and with island.

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.

Rollingwood Slide House

Oliver Custom Homes

Architect: Tim Brown Architecture. Photographer: Casey Fry
This is an example of a large country u-shaped kitchen pantry in Austin with open cabinets, white splashback, concrete floors, marble benchtops, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, white benchtop and green cabinets.

Walk In Pantry

MAK Design + Build Inc.

This whole house remodel integrated the kitchen with the dining room, entertainment center, living room and a walk in pantry. We remodeled a guest bathroom, and added a drop zone in the front hallway dining.

Pantry

Dwellings Design Group

Photo of a large transitional kitchen pantry in Orange County with an undermount sink, white cabinets, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, subway tile splashback and open cabinets.

2018 Artisan Home Tour

Housing First Minnesota

2018 Artisan Home Tour Photo: LandMark Photography Builder: City Homes, LLC
Photo of a traditional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Minneapolis with open cabinets, white cabinets, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and brown benchtop.

NEAT Kitchens

NEAT Method Santa Barbara

Mid-sized transitional kitchen pantry in Santa Barbara with open cabinets, white cabinets and white floor.

Elk Country Estate_French Country_Walk in Pantry

Cascade Builders & Associates Inc.

Mid-sized u-shaped kitchen pantry in Other with a drop-in sink, grey cabinets, medium hardwood floors, no island, open cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback and subway tile splashback.

"Unfitted" Rustic Farmhouse

Angela Otten - Inspire Kitchen Design Studio

Emily Redfield; EMR Photography
Country kitchen in Denver with a farmhouse sink, white splashback, terra-cotta floors, open cabinets and dark wood cabinets.

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!