Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen pantry in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and white benchtop.

Mayfair Neighborhood Tudor Kitchen Update

Gather and Spruce Design Remodel

Updated Tudor kitchen in Denver's Mayfair neighborhood boasts brushed brass fixtures, dark cabinets, original wood flooring, walnut butcher block, and quartz countertops.

Takapuna Reflecting Nostalgia

Du Bois Design Ltd

Classic small compact kitchen in Takapuna.
Small transitional galley eat-in kitchen in Auckland with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Farmhouse on the Hills

Signature Designs Kitchen | Bath | Interiors

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen on the Hills of San Marcos New window that floods the kitchen with light
Design ideas for a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Denver with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Custom Clean Kitchen

SOD Home Group

Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

KBD Project: Shaw

Karin Bennett Designs

Inspiration for a contemporary galley kitchen in Toronto with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, an undermount sink and quartzite benchtops.

The White Kitchen

Sanctuary Kitchen and Bath Design

Susan Brenner
Design ideas for an expansive transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Custom Traditional Home in Bellaire, Texas

Purser Architectural

Purser Architectural Custom Home Design
Inspiration for a small traditional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Houston with dark hardwood floors, brown floor, black benchtop, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances and no island.

Fortson Avenue

Spruill Custom Homes, LLC

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Jeffrey Reed Insidesign Mt Paran

Jeffrey Reed

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Atlanta with white cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets and quartzite benchtops.

Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

Buckminster Green LLC

Courtney Apple - photo J Thom - design
This is an example of a traditional eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor, an undermount sink and raised-panel cabinets.

Kitchen

R|House Design Build

Bright and open kitchen with industrial lights, large island, stainless appliances and quartz counters.
Photo of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, brown floor, shaker cabinets and dark hardwood floors.

ELEGANT LIVING

Coyle Construction Company

Inspiration for a large traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Built in coffee bar- doors open

Benvenuti and Stein

Chicago modern kitchen remodel with concealed breakfast center. Pocket doors hide pull out drawer for cup storage, coffee unit and microwave. Norman Sizemore-Photographer

Allied Arts II

Arcanum Architecture

Alyssa Rosenheck
Design ideas for a modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Cole

Kelly Tivey Interior Design

Photography by Brian Pettigrew
Design ideas for a large modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, metallic splashback, metal splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

New York Renovation

Daniel Contelmo Architects

This Chappaqua kitchen renovation completely reorganized the space in order to support the family’s needs. The kitchen was extended by six feet to allow room for a walk-in pantry with a built-in desk. The extra space also provided room for more counter space, an eight foot island, and an added wine refrigerator. The tray ceiling is set at the height of the original kitchen, and the rest of the ceiling was dropped to add drama to the space through use of crown molding detailing. All of the cabinetry is custom. The island has bookshelves at both ends, and a space for the dog’s water and food bowls. The quartzite slab backsplash adds a touch of modern sensibility. A fully custom chef’s kitchen gets warmed by the tin tray ceiling and polished nickel fittings. Interior Designer: Adams Interior Design Photo by: Daniel Contelmo Jr.

West Branch Residence

At Home Design LLC

Gray painted and dark stained walnut cabinets with quartzite counter tops.
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped kitchen in New York with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and multiple islands.

Summerland Kitchen

BMC Cabinet Specialists

This is an example of a large traditional galley open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and ceramic splashback.

Contemporary Kitchen

This is an example of an expansive contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and dark hardwood floors.

Kitchen with Quartzite Benchtops 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!