Keeping the basic layout of the original kitchen, we completed a full upgrade on the appliances, cabinetry and fixtures, creating a clean and modern feel, maintaining warmth.

James Island Estate

Herlong Architects

Photo of a transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Charleston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, exposed beam and wood.

Terraced House

Hufft

This is an example of a mid-sized modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and black benchtop.

Transitional Style Home | Tuscaloosa, AL

Toulmin Kitchen & Bath

Transitional style home in Tuscaloosa, AL featuring an island with bar seating, a panel-style fridge, and an iron range hood.
Large transitional l-shaped kitchen in Birmingham with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

North Oaks - Modern Farmhouse New Home Build

Michels Homes

Builder: Michels Homes Architecture: Alexander Design Group Photography: Scott Amundson Photography
Design ideas for a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, black benchtop and timber.

Smythe || Axon Homes

Axon Homes

Photo of a beach style u-shaped kitchen in Charleston with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Appartamento Romilli

Rizzi Rogers

Contemporary galley kitchen in Milan with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and brown benchtop.

South Bend

Clearcut Construction, Inc.

These homeowners wanted an updated look for their kitchen while still having a similar style to the rest of the home. We love how it turned out!
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional single-wall open plan kitchen in Raleigh with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and exposed beam.

Chandler Remodel Project

Alisha Taylor Interiors

This modern Chandler Remodel project features a completely transformed kitchen with navy blue acting as neutral and wooden accents.
Photo of a mid-sized beach style eat-in kitchen in Phoenix with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen

Great Rooms Building Group

Design ideas for a large transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, exposed beam and white splashback.

Four-Square Craftsman Classic

Sheila Mayden Interiors

Neatly outfitted pantry concealed behind furniture-style doors, resembling a built-in armoire.
Photo of a large arts and crafts u-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Danville Hilltop Hideaway

Ridgecrest Designs

Situated at the top of the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Park in Danville, this mid-century modern hilltop home had great architectural features, but needed a kitchen update that spoke to the design style of the rest of the house. We would have to say this project was one of our most challenging when it came to blending the mid-century style of the house with a more eclectic and modern look that the clients were drawn to. But who doesn't love a good challenge? We removed the builder-grade cabinetry put in by a previous owner and took down a wall to open up the kitchen to the rest of the great room. The kitchen features a custom designed hood as well as custom cabinetry with an intricate beaded details that sets it apart from all of our other cabinetry designs. The pop of blue paired with the dark walnut creates an eye catching contrast. Ridgecrest also designed and fabricated solid steel wall cabinetry to store countertop appliances and display dishes and glasses. The copper accents on the range and faucets bring the design full circle and finish this gorgeous one-of-a-kind-kitchen off nicely.

Seventh Green

Sage Designs

View of Butler's Pantry toward Kitchen.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional galley kitchen pantry in Other with wood benchtops, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Manhattan Beach, CA

Interior Motives LA

This is an example of a country l-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen

Great Rooms Building Group

Inspiration for a transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Farmhouse Renovation

Square Inch Design

photography: Viktor Ramos
This is an example of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Cincinnati with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Lutz Project

Clearcut Construction, Inc.

Our take on an updated traditional style kitchen with touches of farmhouse to add warmth and texture.
Inspiration for a large traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Raleigh with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

From Seasoned to Sophisticated Home Renovation

Corinthian Fine Homes

Our busy young homeowners were looking to move back to Indianapolis and considered building new, but they fell in love with the great bones of this Coppergate home. The home reflected different times and different lifestyles and had become poorly suited to contemporary living. We worked with Stacy Thompson of Compass Design for the design and finishing touches on this renovation. The makeover included improving the awkwardness of the front entrance into the dining room, lightening up the staircase with new spindles, treads and a brighter color scheme in the hall. New carpet and hardwoods throughout brought an enhanced consistency through the first floor. We were able to take two separate rooms and create one large sunroom with walls of windows and beautiful natural light to abound, with a custom designed fireplace. The downstairs powder received a much-needed makeover incorporating elegant transitional plumbing and lighting fixtures. In addition, we did a complete top-to-bottom makeover of the kitchen, including custom cabinetry, new appliances and plumbing and lighting fixtures. Soft gray tile and modern quartz countertops bring a clean, bright space for this family to enjoy. This delightful home, with its clean spaces and durable surfaces is a textbook example of how to take a solid but dull abode and turn it into a dream home for a young family.

Appartement Martyrs

Source Architecture

Mid-sized transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Paris with marble benchtops, marble splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, grey splashback, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Claygate Home Renovation W13

Portal Property Services Ltd

The ground floor in this terraced house had a poor flow and a badly positioned kitchen with limited worktop space. By moving the kitchen to the longer wall on the opposite side of the room, space was gained for a good size and practical kitchen, a dining zone and a nook for the children’s arts & crafts. This tactical plan provided this family more space within the existing footprint and also permitted the installation of the understairs toilet the family was missing. The new handleless kitchen has two contrasting tones, navy and white. The navy units create a frame surrounding the white units to achieve the visual effect of a smaller kitchen, whilst offering plenty of storage up to ceiling height. The work surface has been improved with a longer worktop over the base units and an island finished in calacutta quartz. The full-height units are very functional housing at one end of the kitchen an integrated washing machine, a vented tumble dryer, the boiler and a double oven; and at the other end a practical pull-out larder. A new modern LED pendant light illuminates the island and there is also under-cabinet and plinth lighting. Every inch of space of this modern kitchen was carefully planned. To improve the flood of natural light, a larger skylight was installed. The original wooden exterior doors were replaced for aluminium double glazed bifold doors opening up the space and benefiting the family with outside/inside living. The living room was newly decorated in different tones of grey to highlight the chimney breast, which has become a feature in the room. To keep the living room private, new wooden sliding doors were fitted giving the family the flexibility of opening the space when necessary. The newly fitted beautiful solid oak hardwood floor offers warmth and unifies the whole renovated ground floor space. The first floor bathroom and the shower room in the loft were also renovated, including underfloor heating. Portal Property Services managed the whole renovation project, including the design and installation of the kitchen, toilet and bathrooms.

Kitchen with Panelled Appliances and Medium 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!