Photo of a traditional kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, metallic splashback and red benchtop.

Compact Kitchen with Colour

Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens

Our clients wanted a fresh approach to make their compact kitchen work better for them. They also wanted it to integrate well with their dining space alongside, creating a better flow between the two rooms and the access from the hallway. On a small footprint, the original kitchen layout didn’t make the most of the available space. Our clients desperately wanted more storage as well as more worktop space. We designed a new kitchen space for our clients, which made use of the footprint they had, as well as improving the functionality. By changing the doorway into the room, we changed the flow through the kitchen and dining spaces and created a deep alcove on the righthand-side of the dining room chimney breast. Freeing up this alcove was a massive space gain, allowing us to increase kitchen storage. We designed a full height storage unit to match the existing cupboards on the other wide of the chimney breast. This new, super deep cupboard space is almost 80cm deep. We divided the internal space between cupboard space above and four considerable drawer pull-outs below. Each drawer holds up to 70kg of contents and pulls right out to give our clients an instant overview of their dry goods and supplies – a fantastic kitchen larder. We painted the new full height cupboard to match and gave them both new matching oak knob handles. The old kitchen had two shorter worktop runs and there was a freestanding cupboard in the space between the cooking and dining zones. We created a compact kitchen peninsula to replace the freestanding unit and united it with the sink run, creating a slim worktop run between the two. This adds to the flow of the kitchen, making the space more of a defined u-shaped kitchen. By adding this new stretch of kitchen worktop to the design, we could include even more kitchen storage. The new kitchen incorporates shallow storage between the peninsula and the sink run. We built in open shelving at a low level and a useful mug and tea cupboard at eye level. We made all the kitchen cabinets from our special eco board, which is produced from 100% recycled timber. The flat panel doors add to the sleek, unfussy style. The light colour cabinetry lends the kitchen a feeling of light and space. The kitchen worktops and upstands are made from recycled paper – created from many, many layers of recycled paper, set in resin to bond it. A really unique material, it is incredibly tactile and develops a lovely patina over time. The pale-coloured kitchen cabinetry is paired with “barely there” toughened glass elements which all help to give the kitchen area a feeling of light and space. The subtle glass splashback behind the hob reflects light into the room as well as protecting the wall surface. The window sills are all made to match and also bounce natural light into the room. The new kitchen is a lovely new functional space which flows well and is integrated with the dining space alongside.

Restauro Casale Falecine

Arch. Alessandra Cipriani

Cucina - Piano Primo - Post Opera
This is an example of a large country galley eat-in kitchen in Florence with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, distressed cabinets, tile benchtops, stainless steel appliances, brick floors, with island, orange floor, orange benchtop and exposed beam.

View from Above

Destination Design, LLC

Looking down from the upper level, this seemingly small kitchen opens to a 2 story family room.
This is an example of a small midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and red benchtop.

Wood Kitchen with New Wood Interior Windows that Match

Renewal by Andersen of NJ-NY Metro

These wood interior windows we installed match the look and feel of this country kitchen perfectly! This entire home also got all new windows, a combination of white and wood throughout. Windows from Renewal by Andersen New Jersey

Breckenridge Discovery Hilltop Custom Home

Apex Mountain Homes

Inspiration for a large country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with louvered cabinets, distressed cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and red benchtop.

Smith Ridge I

Country Club Homes

Design ideas for a traditional kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, wood benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, panelled appliances, multi-coloured floor and red benchtop.

IceStone Counters

Photograph courtesy of IceStone
Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Portland with recycled glass benchtops and red benchtop.

Arlington, Virginia - Contemporary - Kitchen

Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath

Arlington, Virginia Contemporary Kitchen #JenniferGilmer http://www.gilmerkitchens.com/ Photography by Bob Narod

Arnold Kitchen

Complete Kitchens

Photo of a traditional kitchen in Denver with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets and red benchtop.

Las Gaviotas | Baja California, MX

Leanne Michael L U X E lifestyle design

The dining / living room of this vacation rental has a lovely collection of vintage Fausto Palanco Furniture with new updated hand gilded gold linen pillows from Rob Shaw and Stroheim upholstery with original art and decorative accessories collected throughout our travels through Mexico.

Armani Fine Woodworking Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Countertop.

Armani Fine Woodworking

Armani Fine Woodworking Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Countertop. Armanifinewoodworking.com. Custom Made-to-Order. Shipped Nationwide.
Large contemporary galley open plan kitchen in San Diego with beaded inset cabinets, dark wood cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, brown floor and red benchtop.

Bremonds Property - Spanish Modern

Designer Details LLC

Photo of a mid-sized u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, travertine splashback, stainless steel appliances, travertine floors, with island, beige floor and orange benchtop.

Eclectic Kitchen

This is an example of an eclectic kitchen in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, red cabinets, laminate benchtops, black appliances and red benchtop.

Anacapa Street Residence III

RRM Design Group

Photo of a large mediterranean l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Santa Barbara with an undermount sink, white cabinets, red splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, tile benchtops, recessed-panel cabinets and red benchtop.

Contemporary Kitchen 2011-12

Grandmontagne Designs and Warehouse 414

We designed this kitchen specifically for our clients. We had worked with them in the past. Quite frankly doing a facelift of their existing kitchen where we had them install the fantastic random Forbo Marmoleum floor that is in this photo. When it came time to totally redo the kitchen we weren't ready to get rid of the floor so it stayed and everything else is new around it. The perimeter cabinets are bamboo and the island is painted as well as the upper cabinets except for the aluminum and glass doors. The existing window was painted black to blend better with new contemporary design and the wall between the living room and kitchen was partially removed to open the space.

Neues Küchendesign

DOMANI INTERIOR

Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, brick floors, no island, beige floor and orange benchtop.

2016 Meta Remodeling Awards

NARI Silicon Valley Chapter

Residential Kitchen $120,001 and Over, Harrell Remodeling, Inc. and designer Sara Jorgensen plus team members Finishes Unlimited and The Tile & Grout King, Inc.

Gulf Island Custom

Classic Kitchens & Design

This custom waterfront home is situated on one of our favorite Gulf Islands. It features classic painted Prairie School cabinets by Merit Kitchens, mission style hardware, and various countertop surfaces including soapstone & live edge fir in the kitchen, maple butcher block in the pantry, stainless steel in the laundry, and quartz in the ensuite.

Mayhem Ranch

Kensington & Associates

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen in San Francisco with subway tile splashback and orange benchtop.

Kitchen with Orange Benchtop and Red 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!