Combining antique cabinets adds to the personality and warmth. The floor is concrete tiles. The island is a repurposed printers cabinet. Photo by Scott Longwinter

Beach Home with a French Twist

J G Popper Custom Builder LLC

Joseph G Popper III
Beach style kitchen in Philadelphia with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, porcelain splashback, coloured appliances and with island.

Crafted to Perfection

Showcase Kitchens

Custom range hood by Francois & Company add ‘ooh la la’ embellishment over the blue La Cornue Fe French range. Ric Marder Imagery
This is an example of a traditional kitchen in New York with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, coloured appliances and white splashback.

Kitchen Remodel - Phillips Ranch

Anderson Reconstruction, Inc

Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, coloured appliances, porcelain floors, no island, blue floor and white benchtop.

Farmhouse Modern in Shore Acres

Studio Dearborn

INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNER. 2018 NKBA Design Competition Best Overall Kitchen. 2018 TIDA International USA Kitchen of the Year. 2018 Best Traditional Kitchen - Westchester Home Magazine design awards. The designer's own kitchen was gutted and renovated in 2017, with a focus on classic materials and thoughtful storage. The 1920s craftsman home has been in the family since 1940, and every effort was made to keep finishes and details true to the original construction. For sources, please see the website at www.studiodearborn.com. Photography, Adam Kane Macchia and Timothy Lenz.

Designer’s Own Kitchen – Lower Manhattan

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

This kitchen was designed by Bilotta senior designer, Randy O’Kane, CKD with (and for) interior designer Blair Harris. The apartment is located in a turn-of-the-20th-century Manhattan brownstone and the kitchen (which was originally at the back of the apartment) was relocated to the front in order to gain more light in the heart of the home. Blair really wanted the cabinets to be a dark blue color and opted for Farrow & Ball’s “Railings”. In order to make sure the space wasn’t too dark, Randy suggested open shelves in natural walnut vs. traditional wall cabinets along the back wall. She complemented this with white crackled ceramic tiles and strips of LED lights hidden under the shelves, illuminating the space even more. The cabinets are Bilotta’s private label line, the Bilotta Collection, in a 1” thick, Shaker-style door with walnut interiors. The flooring is oak in a herringbone pattern and the countertops are Vermont soapstone. The apron-style sink is also made of soapstone and is integrated with the countertop. Blair opted for the trending unlacquered brass hardware from Rejuvenation’s “Massey” collection which beautifully accents the blue cabinetry and is then repeated on both the “Chagny” Lacanche range and the bridge-style Waterworks faucet. The space was designed in such a way as to use the island to separate the primary cooking space from the living and dining areas. The island could be used for enjoying a less formal meal or as a plating area to pass food into the dining area.

The Clerkenwell Kitchen by deVOL

deVOL Kitchens

Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors and no island.

Colorful Kitchen

User

A colorful small kitchen
Small traditional open plan kitchen in San Francisco with coloured appliances, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, subway tile splashback, linoleum floors, blue splashback, no island and blue benchtop.

Kitchen project in Thames Ditton

Bathroom + Kitchen Eleven

Built in kitchen sink with marble counter and splashback. Dove grey units below and above. Pantry to the left. Quooker tap in antique brass, matching the cabinet door handles Large island with curved marble counter and integrated Bora induction hob with built in extractor. Seating around the edge. Built in ovens against wall with integrated freezer one side and fridge the other. Three pendant lights over island.

Candy Land House

Alison Kandler Interior Design

Photo of a large eclectic eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, coloured appliances, ceramic floors, green floor, white benchtop and wallpaper.

Luxurious Hamptons Kitchen incl Butlers Pantry

Makings of Fine Kitchens & Bathrooms

Large island bench - 2pac shaker cabinetry with Caesarstone Statuario Maximus benchtop and island seating and ample storage with powerpoints at end of island bench.

Franklin Project

Studio H Designs, Inc.

Mid-sized eclectic galley eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, coloured appliances, vinyl floors, no island, black floor and white benchtop.

Warm Eclectic Kitchen

Wendy Glaister Interiors

Reinforced roll out hinges and glides keep mixers and tools safely stored.
Mid-sized traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Sacramento with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, coloured appliances, vinyl floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Blue and White Farmhouse

S&W Kitchens

Beautiful, recently remodeled blue and white farmhouse kitchen in Winter Park, Florida. The cabinets are Omega, Renner style - Blue Lagoon on the island and Pearl on the perimeter. The countertops and backsplash are Cambria Delgatie and Gold. The range is La Cornue CornuFe 110 in Provence Blue. Frigidaire refrigerator.

Kitchen, Scullery, Pantry

Tim Moss

Emma Lewis
This is an example of a traditional galley separate kitchen in London with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, timber splashback, coloured appliances, with island and grey floor.

Wallingford Colorful Craftsman

emily lauderback stewart design and renovation

Nice open concept of the entire main floor: arch between living room and dining room replicated when kitchen was opened to dining room. — at Wallingford, Seattle.

Cottonwood

Zoske Construction

Large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, distressed cabinets, limestone benchtops, brown splashback, stone tile splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

ASID San Diego Design Excellence Awards 2014

ASID San Diego Chapter

2nd Place Kitchen Design Rosella Gonzalez, Allied Member ASID Jackson Design and Remodeling
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped kitchen in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, tile benchtops, yellow splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, linoleum floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and yellow benchtop.

Quaint Kitchen Design in Middleburg, VA

Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath

Transitional l-shaped kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

1920s Seattle Kitchen Remodel

Lara M

Kitchen breakfast area
Photo of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, limestone floors, no island, black floor and black benchtop.

Kitchen with Shaker Cabinets and Coloured Appliances 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!