Black Accented Picture Window Compliments the Kitchen

Beautiful white kitchen with an accented black hood and black island. A 48" Wolf range stands in the middle of this open-concept kitchen and is perfect for this family of 5. Photos by VLG Photo

Clovelly Hamptons Kitchen

Blue Tea Kitchens and Bathrooms

A beautiful Hamptons kitchen featuring slimline white shaker and V-groove cabinetry, Carrara marble bench tops and splash back with fluted glass with black and timber accents. A soaring v-groove vaulted ceiling and a light filled space make this kitchen inviting, warm and fresh. A black butlers pantry with brass features punctures this space and is visible through a steel black door.

Four-Square Craftsman Classic

Sheila Mayden Interiors

Neatly outfitted pantry concealed behind furniture-style doors, resembling a built-in armoire.
Photo of a large arts and crafts u-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Three Arch Cottage

Nate Fischer Interiors

Bright and airy cottage kitchen with natural wood accents and a pop of blue.
This is an example of a small beach style single-wall open plan kitchen in Orange County with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, terra-cotta splashback, panelled appliances, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

Black & White Kitchen with Accents of Gold

Amazing Spaces

The existing U-shaped kitchen was tucked away in a small corner while the dining table was swimming in a room much too large for its size. The client’s needs and the architecture of the home made it apparent that the perfect design solution for the home was to swap the spaces. The homeowners entertain frequently and wanted the new layout to accommodate a lot of counter seating, a bar/buffet for serving hors d’oeuvres, an island with prep sink, and all new appliances. They had a strong preference that the hood be a focal point and wanted to go beyond a typical white color scheme even though they wanted white cabinets. While moving the kitchen to the dining space gave us a generous amount of real estate to work with, two of the exterior walls are occupied with full-height glass creating a challenge how best to fulfill their wish list. We used one available wall for the needed tall appliances, taking advantage of its height to create the hood as a focal point. We opted for both a peninsula and island instead of one large island in order to maximize the seating requirements and create a barrier when entertaining so guests do not flow directly into the work area of the kitchen. This also made it possible to add a second sink as requested. Lastly, the peninsula sets up a well-defined path to the new dining room without feeling like you are walking through the kitchen. We used the remaining fourth wall for the bar/buffet. Black cabinetry adds strong contrast in several areas of the new kitchen. Wire mesh wall cabinet doors at the bar and gold accents on the hardware, light fixtures, faucets and furniture add further drama to the concept. The focal point is definitely the black hood, looking both dramatic and cohesive at the same time.

Manhattan Beach, CA

Interior Motives LA

This is an example of a country l-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Farmhouse Renovation

Square Inch Design

photography: Viktor Ramos
This is an example of a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Cincinnati with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Modern Living in Downtown Birmingham

Stalburg Design

This stylish, family friendly kitchen is also an entertainer’s dream! This young family desired a bright, spacious kitchen that would function just as well for the family of 4 everyday, as it would for hosting large events (in a non-covid world). Apart from these programmatic goals, our aesthetic goal was to accommodate all the function and mess into the design so everything would be neatly hidden away behind beautiful cabinetry and panels. The navy, bifold buffet area serves as an everyday breakfast and coffee bar, and transforms into a beautiful buffet spread during parties (we’ve been there!). The fridge drawers are great for housing milk and everyday items during the week, and both kid and adult beverages during parties while keeping the guests out of the main cooking zone. Just around the corner you’ll find the high gloss navy bar offering additional beverages, ice machine, and barware storage – cheers! Super durable quartz with a marbled look keeps the kitchen looking neat and bright, while withstanding everyday wear and tear without a problem. The practical waterfall ends at the island offer additional damage control in bringing that hard surface all the way down to the beautiful white oak floors. Underneath three large window walls, a built-in banquette and custom table provide a comfortable, intimate dining nook for the family and a few guests while the stunning chandelier ties in nicely with the other brass accents in the kitchen. The thin black window mullions offer a sharp, clean contrast to the crisp white walls and coordinate well with the dark banquette. Thin, tall windows on either side of the range beautifully frame the stunningly simple, double curvature custom hood, and large windows in the bar/butler’s pantry allow additional light to really flood the space and keep and airy feel. The textured wallpaper in the bar area adds a touch of warmth, drama and interest while still keeping things simple.

Chelsea House

Jo Cowen Architects

Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in London with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, porcelain splashback, limestone floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop, a farmhouse sink and panelled appliances.

Modern Classic Double Island Kitchen

Studio M Kitchen & Bath

The designer creatively increased kitchen storage by dropping the upper cabinets all the way to the countertops on each side of the window. She used pocket doors so the hidden undercounter space could be more easily utilized.

Wildflower Remodel

The Cabinet Gallery

Transitional kitchen in Salt Lake City with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, multiple islands and white benchtop.

The 4th

CMM Custom Homes

Beach style l-shaped kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Interior House Painting

Lund Professional Painters

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Beachy Beauty

Emily Moss Designs

Inspiration for a large beach style l-shaped open plan kitchen in Tampa with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Quince Project

Stonington Cabinetry & Designs

Transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured benchtop and white floor.

Capitol Hill

Heidi Caillier Design

Inspiration for a traditional galley separate kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

West Annapolis

Rogue Home Interiors

Modern farmhouse kitchen with a rustic, walnut island which features a shelf to stash electronics for easy access.
This is an example of a mid-sized country l-shaped open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Contemporary country Kitchen Renovation

reDesign home | chicago

With tall ceilings, an impressive stone fireplace, and original wooden beams, this home in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago, had plenty of character and a style that felt coastal. Six months into the purchase of their home, this family of six contacted Alessia Loffredo and Sarah Coscarelli of ReDesign Home to complete their home’s renovation by tackling the kitchen. “Surprisingly, the kitchen was the one room in the home that lacked interest due to a challenging layout between kitchen, butler pantry, and pantry,” the designer shared, “the cabinetry was not proportionate to the space’s large footprint and height. None of the house’s architectural features were introduced into kitchen aside from the wooden beams crossing the room throughout the main floor including the family room.” She moved the pantry door closer to the prepping and cooking area while converting the former butler pantry a bar. Alessia designed an oversized hood around the stove to counterbalance the impressive stone fireplace located at the opposite side of the living space. She then wanted to include functionality, using Trim Tech‘s cabinets, featuring a pair with retractable doors, for easy access, flanking both sides of the range. The client had asked for an island that would be larger than the original in their space – Alessia made the smart decision that if it was to increase in size it shouldn’t increase in visual weight and designed it with legs, raised above the floor. Made out of steel, by Wayward Machine Co., along with a marble-replicating porcelain countertop, it was designed with durability in mind to withstand anything that her client’s four children would throw at it. Finally, she added finishing touches to the space in the form of brass hardware from Katonah Chicago, with similar toned wall lighting and faucet.

Direct Depot | White & Dark Kitchen with Designer Appliances

Direct Depot Kitchen Wholesalers

A large transitional l-shaped kitchen design in Wayne, NJ, with white shaker cabinets, and a dark island. This kitchen also has a farmhouse sink, quartz countertops, green subway tile backsplash, designer appliances and black countertops.

Mudroom and Butler's Pantry - Versatile & Function is key

Innovative Design Build

Our clients wanted to utilize this particular area of their home and really give it a function. It has been many things over the years: bonus room, dining area, etc. The kitchen is the natural gathering spot. They wanted to create a space that was an extension of the kitchen for entertaining and serving family and friends. Architect, Cynthia Karegeannes was hired to draw up plans for a mudroom to corral the couple’s two dogs and stash the pet’s leashes, treats, etc. A large butler pantry was imagined with a full size refrigerator, prep sink, dishwasher and custom cabinetry to have items handy for entertaining. Innovative Construction, helped finalize the details and implemented the plans for the new addition. Interior Designer, Beth Weltlich with The House Dressing worked with homeowners, to select materials and finishes to unify the areas of the existing kitchen and the new spaces. A custom banquette was created with room under the staircase so that all of the space could be utilized. Furniture and accessories are still in the works as the homeowners let the area evolve to see exactly what their needs are. A collaborative effort-for sure! The challenges included creating three separate areas (mudroom, banquette and butler pantry) with storage and versatility in one existing space. Having this additional space that was not always utilized, the homeowners feel the new addition will become an integral part of the families' living area.

Kitchen with Shaker Cabinets and Panelled 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!