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.

Modern Ranch Home

Destination Eichler, LLC

Small galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island and white floor.

Family friendly kitchen on the Hudson

Summit Street Design

Large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, linoleum floors and with island.

Croton On Hudson Kitchen

Joan Bigg Design LLC

Working within a set of constraints, whether of space or budget, challenges my creativity and leads to a beautiful end result. The old kitchen used the space very poorly. The intent was just to replace the countertop. But once we investigated, the inferior cabinets needed replacing, too, so a rethink of space usage created a small and stylish kitchen of lasting quality.

Hoot Owl Lane - 1970 Deck Home

LuxeMark Company

Steven Paul Whitsitt
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Raleigh with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula.

Transformation Creation!

Performance Kitchens & Home

Voted best of Houzz 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017! Since 1974, Performance Kitchens & Home has been re-inventing spaces for every room in the home. Specializing in older homes for Kitchens, Bathrooms, Den, Family Rooms and any room in the home that needs creative storage solutions for cabinetry. We offer color rendering services to help you see what your space will look like, so you can be comfortable with your choices! Our Design team is ready help you see your vision and guide you through the entire process! Photography by: Juniper Wind Designs LLC

Saratoga Creek House

WA Design Architects

Photo credit: WA design
Design ideas for a large contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, brown splashback, an undermount sink, soapstone benchtops, slate splashback, concrete floors and with island.

a house in a garden

Brennan + Company Architects

Mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, black splashback, panelled appliances, a double-bowl sink, soapstone benchtops, light hardwood floors, with island and red floor.

Beautiful + Functional Family Kitchen

User

Built in walnut coffee station sits behind a pocket door. Pull out walnut tray makes it easy to access the coffee maker and a drawer below holds all the supplies. Photography by Eric Roth

Eco-Friendly in Ball Square

Design Details

Red birch cabinetry, Soapstone countertops and recycled fir flooring contribute to the natural feel of the project.
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Price

Spyglass Design, Inc.

Photographer: Thomas Robert Clark
Inspiration for a 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 and brown floor.

Philly Americana Modern Kitchen

Airy Kitchens

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, soapstone benchtops, subway tile splashback, ceramic floors and grey floor.

Picturesque Parkside

M-Squared Contracting Inc.

Inspiration for an expansive transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Mountain Eclectic

Colossus Mfg.

Rustic industrial kitchen with textured dark wood cabinetry, black countertops and backsplash, an iron wrapped hood, and milk globe sconces lead into the dining room that boasts a table for 8, wrapped beams, oversized wall tapestry, and an Anders pendant.

Ocean Views Condo | Small Luxury Kitchen

Liza Nicole Interiors

Small kitchen big on storage and luxury finishes. When you’re limited on increasing a small kitchen’s footprint, it’s time to get creative. By lightening the space with bright, neutral colors and removing upper cabinetry — replacing them with open shelves — we created an open, bistro-inspired kitchen packed with prep space.

Kitchen Renovation

Joni Spear Interior Design

The appliance garage houses the espresso maker and toaster. When not in use it's hidden out of sight.
Photo of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in St Louis with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Peppermill & Englishpub Thin Brick Kitchen - North Carolina

General Shale

Rustic kitchen design featuring 50/50 blend of Peppermill and Englishpub thin brick with Ivory Buff mortar.
This is an example of a large country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with white cabinets, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, soapstone benchtops, red splashback and black benchtop.

Tops, Floors and Backsplash

Malsnee Tile and Stone, Inc.

This is an example of a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, brick floors, with island, red floor and black benchtop.

Saucon Valley Classic

Jarrett Design

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

Kitchen with Soapstone 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!