Kitchen with concrete countertop island and pendant lighting.
Design ideas for a large country u-shaped kitchen in New York with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Uptown Family - Kitchen

Village West Design

This is an example of a mid-sized eclectic l-shaped separate kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, no island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Elegant Painted Shaker Kitchen

Dickinson Cabinetry

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Bourbon, Cigars and Guitars on the Water

Dalrymple | Sallis Architecture

Greg Riegler Photography
Inspiration for a l-shaped kitchen in Other with concrete benchtops, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, brick floors, with island and shaker cabinets.

Completed Projects

mortise concrete ltd

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall separate kitchen in London with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Hondros Cottage

S&W Home Builders

photos by G. Frank Hart
Photo of a traditional galley kitchen in Raleigh with stainless steel appliances, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops and shaker cabinets.

UPDATED GREENWICH RESIDENCE

Susan Glick Interiors

Transitional kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Pleasanton Custom Home

Ridgecrest Designs

Kitchen featuring white oak lower cabinetry, white painted upper cabinetry with blue accent cabinetry, including the island. Custom steel hood fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Custom wood beam light fixture fabricated in-house by Ridgecrest Designs. Steel mesh cabinet panels, brass and bronze hardware, La Cornue French range, concrete island countertop and engineered quartz perimeter countertop. The 10' AG Millworks doors open out onto the California Room.

Baneberry House

Matt Metcalf Architecture, PLLC

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped kitchen in Salt Lake City with shaker cabinets, black cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, porcelain floors, with island and white benchtop.

Irwin Farmhouse

Irwin Construction, LLC

Darby Kate Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Diamond Heights

x8 Property and Design

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, white appliances, dark hardwood floors, grey benchtop and a peninsula.

Napa Valley

TOTAL CONCEPTS

Photo of a country l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and concrete benchtops.

StarMark Cabinetry

Creative Kitchen and Bath Studio

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor and concrete benchtops.

Blue Steel Kitchen, Portland, Maine

Block Brothers Custom Cabinets

Photo of a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Portland Maine with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island and beige floor.

Mass Avenue Heights

Pyramid Builders

Photography by: David Burroughs
Mediterranean kitchen in DC Metro with concrete benchtops, stainless steel appliances, shaker cabinets and blue cabinets.

Spanish Oaks Residence

Paula Ables Interiors

This open kitchen/living concept was great for the homeowner that loves to cook, but still wants to be a part of the action in the house. Interior Designer: Paula Ables Interiors Architect: James LaRue, Architects Builder: Matt Shoberg Homes

Allambie Heights Kitchen

Danielle Victoria Design Studio P/L

This tired kitchen was updated with new paint, cabinetry, appliances and splashback tiles. It's been transformed into a calm and serene space with loads of additional storage including deep drawers for this small family that loves to cook. The subtle green cabinetry is soothing and modern, yet classic and timeless.

Irwin Farmhouse

Irwin Construction, LLC

Darby Kate Photography
Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen Extension Dulwich

dRAW Architecture

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in London with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island and grey floor.

Sophisticated Mercer Island interior

Cleft Painting

Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, slate floors, with island, multi-coloured floor, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets and concrete benchtops.

Kitchen with Shaker Cabinets and Concrete 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!