Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Design ideas for a small eclectic l-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, porcelain floors, with island and brown floor.

House of Three Courtyards

Winn Wittman Architecture A.I.A.

Modern linear kitchen is lit by natural light coming in via a clerestory window above the cabinetry.
Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, quartz benchtops, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, a drop-in sink, ceramic splashback, beige benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

Baker's Kitchen

Haus Interior Design

Before renovating, this bright and airy family kitchen was small, cramped and dark. The dining room was being used for spillover storage, and there was hardly room for two cooks in the kitchen. By knocking out the wall separating the two rooms, we created a large kitchen space with plenty of storage, space for cooking and baking, and a gathering table for kids and family friends. The dark navy blue cabinets set apart the area for baking, with a deep, bright counter for cooling racks, a tiled niche for the mixer, and pantries dedicated to baking supplies. The space next to the beverage center was used to create a beautiful eat-in dining area with an over-sized pendant and provided a stunning focal point visible from the front entry. Touches of brass and iron are sprinkled throughout and tie the entire room together. Photography by Stacy Zarin

Transitional Kitchens

Hurst Design Build Remodeling

Mark Wayner
This is an example of a large traditional kitchen in Cleveland with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, subway tile splashback, quartzite benchtops and white splashback.

Lyon Village Addition

Moser Architects PLLC

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

Transitional Elegance

Kitchens by Eileen

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, stone tile splashback and brown floor.

Clean-lined, Transitional Kitchen in White & Grey

User

This clean profile, streamlined kitchen embodies today's transitional look. The white painted perimeter cabinetry contrasts the grey stained island, while perfectly blending cool and warm tones.

Award Winning Kitchen Remodel

GMT Home Designs Inc.

Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback and ceramic splashback.

Blue Ridge Modern

Berghuis Construction LLC

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in Grand Rapids with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, timber splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and beige floor.

Fence Post Lane Model

Cotner Building & Remodeling Company, LLC

Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Boise with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Beach Style Kitchen

This is an example of a large beach style galley kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

2015 PUR-FS TOPOS

Leicht Westchester-Greenwich

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern open plan kitchen in New York with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, with island, an integrated sink and concrete floors.

Cole

Deco Design

Closeup of the door to the hidden pantry. False panels and hardware to match the rest of the bank of cabinets. We custom made all of the kitchen cabinetry and shelving. The kitchen was a small area so maximizing usable space with function and design was crucial. The transitional design features a pantry wall with the Sub Zero all glass door refrigerator and oven cabinet centered and equal size pantry cabinets to either side with 3 large storage drawers below and rollout shelves and work surfaces behind the door cabinets above in each with a hidden walk-in pantry door next to the Sub Zero. The cabinets on the range wall all have large storage drawers with wood organizers in the top drawer for spices and utensils. The client also wanted floating shelves to either side of the steel hood which were made from re-sawn maple to look like cut pieces from an old beam, each shelf is lit from the underside with LED flush mounted puck lights. The island was our biggest challenge. It needed to house several appliances of different size, a farmhouse sink and be able to have function from all 4 sides and still have room for seating space on the backside. The sink side has the farmhouse sink centered with storage drawers to the right that feature wood organizers and a double middle drawer to help hold all the small utensils and still maintain the 3 drawer look from the front view that matches the integrated dishwasher to the left. The right side contains both the integrated soft close trash unit and an icemaker with a third false panel door to maintain the size balance for all three. The left side houses the Sub Zero undercounter freezer. I wanted the face to look like six equal sized drawers, which left the integrated drawer fronts for the freezer overlapping the side panel for the dishwasher. The back of the island has storage tucked up under the seating space. The quartz countertop meets up against the maple butcher block to create a stunning island top. All in all the end result of this kitchen is a beautiful space with wonderful function. We finished the false beams in our exclusive hand-rubbed cappuccino stain. Photos: Kimball Ungerman

The Lund Project

The Plumbery

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

CS Residence

Karen Aston Design

Photography by Thomas Dalhoff
Photo of a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Sydney with medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances and medium hardwood floors.

King Street Condo - Gilmans Kitchens and Baths

Gilmans Kitchens and Baths

Treve Johnson Photography
Small modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, glass tile splashback and medium hardwood floors.

Contemporary Kitchen Remodel - South San Jose, CA

CAGE Design Build

Contemporary Kitchen Remodel featuring DeWils cabinetry in Maple with Just White finish and Kennewick door style, sleek concrete quartz countertop, jet black quartz countertop, hickory ember hardwood flooring, recessed ceiling detail | Photo: CAGE Design Build

A Scandinavian Woodland Inspired Kitchen

Sustainable Kitchens

Shaker style oak kitchen painted in Farrow & Ball Pavilion Gray with Bianco Venato engineered quartz worktop. The island has a built in exposed oak breakfast bar with beech stools. It also features under mounted Shaws double farmhouse style sink. The three Lightyears Caravaggio steel hanging pendant lights add a subtle touch of colour. Cole and Son Woods wallpaper beautifully compliments the kitchen with floating oak shelves, oak mantelpiece and colourful ceramics adding the finishing touches this stunning kitchen.

Soft Modern Kitchen | Astro Design Centre | Ottawa, Canada

Astro Design Centre

Design & Supply: Astro Design Centre, Ottawa Canada Photo: JVL Photography We opted for using luxurious materials to add the warmth and glamour synonymous with a more traditional interior. Walnut, marble, brushed nickel and glass were all used to offset simple ivory lacquer cabinetry in the open concept living room. A massive slab of Taj Mahal Quartzite dictated the size of the kitchen island which we kept free of major utilities so that the room would bleed seamlessly into the adjacent living room. The base of the island is natural American walnut. The perimeter of the kitchen houses an industrial range and massive steel hood; which is juxtaposed on a backsplash of mosaic tile. The mosaic is delicate lattice work pattern gently nodding towards the traditional. To add additional depth and dimension to the space we made all the upper cabinetry open glass. The interiors of the glass cabinetry are in the same natural walnut as the island. This unexpected detail is the perfect backdrop to white dishes and crystal stemware. Ultimately the room is elegant and serene.

Garling Street

Provincial Kitchens

Design ideas for a large traditional galley open plan kitchen in Sydney with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen with Quartzite Benchtops and Quartz Benchtops 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!