This is an example of an eclectic kitchen in Seattle with stainless steel appliances, an integrated sink, open cabinets, yellow cabinets and soapstone benchtops.

kitchen and breakfast room

Rasmussen / Su Architects

Halkin Mason Photography
Traditional eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a double-bowl sink, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, raised-panel cabinets and green cabinets.

Reclaimed Blend

Candace Nordquist Interiors

Photo Credit: Roger Turk
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, shaker cabinets, medium hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, panelled appliances and brown floor.

LaGrange Craftsman

Briggs Design Associates, Inc.

Alex Claney Photography
Photo of an arts and crafts u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and an undermount sink.

Mid-Century Modern Remodel

Sardone | McLain Construction

Sardone Construction
This is an example of a midcentury kitchen in Dallas with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets and soapstone benchtops.

Life, Love and Food

User

This kitchen was designed and crafted by Jewett Farms + Co Cabinetry. Photos by Eric Roth
Photo of a traditional kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink and soapstone benchtops.

San Anselmo Kitchen

Barbra Bright Design

Andrew McKinney By choosing Viking appliances in graphite grey vs. stainless steel, the focus stays on the cabinets and back splash.

Period Inspired Kitchen Remodel: Wayne, PA

HomeTech Renovations, Inc.

This kitchen is reflective of the period style of our clients' home and accentuates their entertaining lifestyle. White, beaded inset, shaker style cabinetry provides the space with traditional elements. The central island houses a fireclay, apron front sink, and satin nickel faucet, soap pump, and vacuum disposal switch. The island is constructed of Pennsylvania cherry and features integral wainscot paneling and hand-turned legs. The narrow space that was originally the butler's pantry is now a spacious bar area that features white, shaker style cabinetry with antique restoration glass inserts and blue painted interiors, a Rohl faucet, and a Linkasink copper sink. The range area is a major feature of the kitchen due to its mantle style hood, handcrafted tile backsplash set in a herringbone pattern, and decorative tile feature over the cooking surface. The honed Belgium bluestone countertops contrast against the lighter elements in the kitchen, and the reclaimed, white and red oak flooring provides warmth to the space. Commercial grade appliances were installed, including a Wolf Professional Series range, a Meile steam oven, and a Meile refrigerator with fully integrated, wood panels. A cottage style window located next to the range allows access to the exterior herb garden, and the removal of a laundry and storage closet created space for a casual dining area.

Portland Craftsman Bungalow

Designer's Edge Kitchen & Bath

refrigerator with tray storage above Designer's Edge
Photo of a small arts and crafts galley separate kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beaded inset cabinets and black benchtop.

Granite Hill Project - LEED for Homes "Gold"

Image Design LLC

Re-Use Farm house Sink and Soap Stone Counter Tops along with a Antiques Kitchen Island and Hoosier Copyrighted Photography by Jim Blue, with BlueLaVaMedia

Walnut horizontal grain kitchen

Susan Brook Interiors

This amazing kitchen was a total transformation from the original. Windows were removed and added, walls moved back and a total remodel. The original plain ceiling was changed to a coffered ceiling, the lighting all totally re-arranged, new floors, trim work as well as the new layout. I designed the kitchen with a horizontal wood grain using a custom door panel design, this is used also in the detailing of the front apron of the soapstone sink. The profile is also picked up on the profile edge of the marble island. The floor is a combination of a high shine/flat porcelain. The high shine is run around the perimeter and around the island. The Boos chopping board at the working end of the island is set into the marble, sitting on top of a bowed base cabinet. At the other end of the island i pulled in the curve to allow for the glass table to sit over it, the grain on the island follows the flat panel doors. All the upper doors have Blum Aventos lift systems and the chefs pantry has ample storage. Also for storage i used 2 aluminium appliance garages. The glass tile backsplash is a combination of a pencil used vertical and square tiles. Over in the breakfast area we chose a concrete top table with supports that mirror the custom designed open bookcase. The project is spectacular and the clients are very happy with the end results.

Bungalow Kitchen

w.b. builders

Incorporated charming, original cabinetry with the new design and custom cabinets in this inviting, vintage inspired kitchen.
Inspiration for an arts and crafts u-shaped kitchen in Minneapolis with recessed-panel cabinets, soapstone benchtops, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Kitchen

Great Rooms Building Group

Photo by Linda Oyama-Bryan
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with stainless steel appliances, subway tile splashback, soapstone benchtops, white cabinets, white splashback, glass-front cabinets, a farmhouse sink, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Shades of Gray

SV Design

This once modest beach cottage was slowly transformed over the years into a grand estate on one of the North Shore's best beaches. Siemasko + Verbridge designed a modest addition while reworking the entire floor plan to meet the needs of a large family. Photo Credit: Michael Rixon

The Woodshop of Avon

Matt Schmitt Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, light hardwood floors and with island.

The Woodshop of Avon

Matt Schmitt Photography
Mid-sized traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, light hardwood floors and with island.

Miller Kitchen

Turan Designs, Inc.

Transitional Small Space White Kitchen
Small transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island, beige floor and green benchtop.

Lincoln Square Family Kitchen

Claudia Martin, ASID

Traditional l-shaped kitchen in Chicago with glass-front cabinets, white appliances, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops and white splashback.

Barrington RI Kitchen

Venegas and Company

Design ideas for a traditional kitchen in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, soapstone benchtops and limestone splashback.

Kitchen Family Fare

Jane Ellison

Kitchen-Family Fare Kitchen features 10’ ceilings, limestone counters, and a cutting/work surface of African bubinga wood. The Venetian plaster range hood, simple cabinets and floating shelves evoke an Earthy English cottage. The easy-care “green” floor is renewable cork covered with polyurethane. “We need more green awareness. If it’s a product that holds up in my house, I feel comfortable recommending it to clients,” she says.

Kitchen with Soapstone Benchtops and Limestone 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!