Inspiration for a transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Modern Fun House, Danville, CA

Lauren Evans Interiors, LLC

Design ideas for a transitional u-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Wisconsin Project (25) by WLH Custom Homes

WLH Custom Homes

Photo of an u-shaped kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, distressed cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Winden Estate - Ourimbah

Penman Brown Interior Design

Photo of an expansive country open plan kitchen in Sydney with shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, with island, an undermount sink, blue cabinets, marble benchtops, painted wood floors, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Richmond | Scandinavian and Modern Parisian Influences

Davonport Kitchen & Home

Mid-sized scandinavian single-wall open plan kitchen in London with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and white benchtop.

Bristol Custom Home

Great Rooms Building Group

Photo of a mid-sized country l-shaped separate kitchen in Milwaukee with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, engineered quartz splashback, black appliances, brick floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and exposed beam.

Classic Newburyport

B&G Cabinet, LLC

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Bright Kitchen Renovation - Atlanta

Innovative Design Build

Our clients wanted to stay true to the style of this 1930's home with their kitchen renovation. Changing the footprint of the kitchen to include smaller rooms, we were able to provide this family their dream kitchen with all of the modern conveniences like a walk in pantry, a large seating island, custom cabinetry and appliances. It is now a sunny, open family kitchen.

Updated Two-Tone Kitchen with Saltillo Tile Floors

Paper Moon Painting

Painting this kitchen's cabinets in Sherwin Williams "Alabaster" (for the range wall cabinets) and Benjamin Moore "Iron One" (for the fridge wall and island) completely transformed this space.

Modern Mediterranean

Model Remodel

Encaustic cement tile backsplash with Moroccan pendant lights and built-in island seating.
Mid-sized mediterranean l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, with island, an undermount sink, multi-coloured splashback, cement tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, white benchtop and vaulted.

Modern Victorian

Zimmer Design LLC

Kitchen renovation replacing the sloped floor 1970's kitchen addition into a designer showcase kitchen matching the aesthetics of this regal vintage Victorian home. Thoughtful design including a baker's hutch, glamourous bar, integrated cat door to basement litter box, Italian range, stunning Lincoln marble, and tumbled marble floor.

RYE NY - Suburban Sophistication

DEANE Inc | Distinctive Design & Cabinetry

This beautiful yet highly functional space was remodeled for a busy, active family. Flush ceiling beams joined two rooms, and the back wall was extended out six feet to create a new, open layout with areas for cooking, dining, and entertaining. The homeowner is a decorator with a vision for the new kitchen that leverages low-maintenance materials with modern, clean lines. Durable Quartz countertops and full-height slab backsplash sit atop white overlay cabinets around the perimeter, with angled shaker doors and matte brass hardware adding polish. There is a functional “working” island for cooking, storage, and an integrated microwave, as well as a second waterfall-edge island delineated for seating. A soft slate black was chosen for the bases of both islands to ground the center of the space and set them apart from the perimeter. The custom stainless-steel hood features “Cartier” screws detailing matte brass accents and anchors the Wolf 48” dual fuel range. A new window, framed by glass display cabinets, adds brightness along the rear wall, with dark herringbone floors creating a solid presence throughout the space.

Boho Bungalow Kitchen

Arcata Cabinet & Design Company

Small scandinavian l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

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.

Lake Manor Home

Executive Developers, LLC

Butler's pantry with full kitchen for canning and home office
Inspiration for a large country l-shaped kitchen pantry in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Beacon Falls Kitchen Renovation

Mathieson Design

Photo of a country l-shaped kitchen in Raleigh with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Curves and Bevels

Timber Trails Development Company

Transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Chicago with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, no island, white benchtop, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Chelan South Shore Kitchen

Distinctive Kitchens

Inspiration images for our Lake Chelan South Shore kitchen and great room remodel
Large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, ceramic splashback, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Contemporary Farmhouse

Tindall Architecture Workshop

Design ideas for a mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Minerva Road

Metre Squared Architecture

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, granite benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, limestone floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen with Shaker Cabinets and Louvered Cabinets 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!