Expansive transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in St Louis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, multiple islands, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Brooklyn Townhouse

LAVA interiors

Photography by William Lavalette
Mid-sized traditional single-wall separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, soapstone benchtops, brick splashback, with island, brown floor, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, red splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors and black benchtop.

NC Countertops Projects

NC Countertops llc

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional single-wall kitchen in Raleigh with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, black floor and black benchtop.

West Chelsea Townhouse

Suk Design Group LLP

Photographer: Jeffrey Kilmer
Mid-sized transitional galley kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, with island, brown floor, black benchtop, shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances and dark hardwood floors.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen

Lustig Custom Cabinets

Modern plantation home boasts this striking chef's kitchen. Individual fridge & freezer towers anchor the back wall, centering the grand 48" stove & allowing space for a grand island. Mandi B Photography

Addition & Renovation to John Bartram Reproduction | Malvern, PA

Period Architecture Ltd.

Angle Eye Photography
Inspiration for an expansive traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

English Cottage

Kuklinski + Rappe Architects

Leslie Schwartz Photography
This is an example of a small traditional galley separate kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island and black benchtop.

Eco-friendly kitchen

Dream Kitchens, Inc.

The goal of the project was to create a more functional kitchen, but to remodel with an eco-friendly approach. To minimize the waste going into the landfill, all the old cabinetry and appliances were donated, and the kitchen floor was kept intact because it was in great condition. The challenge was to design the kitchen around the existing floor and the natural soapstone the client fell in love with. The clients continued with the sustainable theme throughout the room with the new materials chosen: The back splash tiles are eco-friendly and hand-made in the USA.. The custom range hood was a beautiful addition to the kitchen. We maximized the counter space around the custom sink by extending the integral drain board above the dishwasher to create more prep space. In the adjacent laundry room, we continued the same color scheme to create a custom wall of cabinets to incorporate a hidden laundry shoot, and dog area. We also added storage around the washer and dryer including two different types of hanging for drying purposes.

Wash Park

Evergreen Interior Designs

Painted blue kitchen cabinets, black soapstone counter, colorful rug. Brass lighting, brass hardware.
Design ideas for a small midcentury galley separate kitchen in Denver with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Kitchen and Family Room with Double Sided Fireplace

Platt Builders

KT2DesignGroup Michael J Lee Photography
Photo of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Windermere Renovation

Akers Custom Homes

Photo of a large mediterranean l-shaped separate kitchen in Jacksonville with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

The Parkway

Foster Custom Kitchens

Plain inset drawers and frame and panel doors. Natural cherry with sable glaze.
Photo of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

Old Saybrook - "Beach House"

Tiezzi Construction, LLC

This shingle style cottage was a complete renovation, enhancing its already charming attributes with new, modern amenities. Renovations included enclosing an existing sunroom, new windows and new roof dormers to gain access to a walk-out roof deck.

Panther Pond Camp

Winkelman Architecture

Trent Bell
This is an example of a country u-shaped kitchen in Portland Maine with a farmhouse sink, red cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and window splashback.

Beautiful + Functional Family Kitchen

User

A key storage feature in this space is the large built in pantry. full walnut interior, finished with Rubio oil in a custom blend of grays. Pantry drawers make full use of all space, and tall pull-out provides ample storage for the hungry family. Pocket doors close it off and hide any 'work in progress'. Sliding ladder makes upper storage accessible. Photography by Eric Roth

Madisonville Farmhouse Kitchen | Custom Amish Cabinets.

Cabinets by Design

beautifully handcrafted, painted and glazed custom Amish cabinets.
This is an example of a mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, distressed cabinets, stainless steel appliances, with island, raised-panel cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, ceramic splashback, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Modern Suburban Home

Patrick Farley Architect

Photo by Kip Dawkins
This is an example of a large modern u-shaped kitchen pantry in Richmond with a double-bowl sink, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and open cabinets.

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.

Price

Spyglass Design, Inc.

Photographer: Thomas Robert Clark
Mid-sized country galley separate kitchen in Philadelphia with open cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, a farmhouse sink and glass tile splashback.

Jane Street Brownstone

Key+Shade Interior Design

Francine Fleischer Photography
Design ideas for a small transitional galley separate kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, no island and blue floor.

Kitchen with Soapstone Benchtops and Recycled Glass 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!