Design ideas for a large transitional open plan kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, travertine floors, multiple islands, beige floor and white benchtop.

Travis Heights Vacation Rental

Christen Ales Interior Design

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and solid surface benchtops.

Marin Custom Home

Kelly Hohla Interiors

Photography by John Merkl
This is an example of a large transitional galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, shaker cabinets, beige floor, solid surface benchtops and black benchtop.

Product Gallery

Lampert Lumber - Rockford

This is an example of a mid-sized country galley separate kitchen in Minneapolis with solid surface benchtops, subway tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island, a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, green cabinets, beige splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Another view of the kitchen from the home's foyer.

FabCab

Location: Port Townsend, Washington. Photography by Dale Lang
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, a double-bowl sink, solid surface benchtops, with island and brown floor.

Garfield

Oakley Home Builders

Krista Sobkowiak
Design ideas for a large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, solid surface benchtops, dark hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Weston

Louis L'artisan

Warm inviting two tone kitchen with family style living and dinners. Custom colorful stain on cherry cabinets, corner cooktop, pot-filler, gold accent black stainless hood, fireclay apron sink. We can feel the warmth of this space inviting us in.

Brayer Design Studio Kitchen

Brayer Design

Nick Smith
Inspiration for a traditional single-wall eat-in kitchen in Surrey with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor and white benchtop.

Sugarloaf Alley

Brad Ramsey Interiors

This is an example of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Nashville with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, beige floor, solid surface benchtops and travertine floors.

West End Remodel

Evergreen Homecrafters LLC

Design ideas for a mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Richmond with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Greenwich

Forrester Roberts Interior Design

Nick White
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Hampshire with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors and a peninsula.

Modern/Contemporary Home

KCB Cabinets & Renovations

Location: Red Deer, AB, Canada Parkland Builders Cabinets Supplied by KCB Cabinets and Renovations Red Deer, AB, Canada
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Calgary with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Nightingale

Inside Stories

A transitional kitchen with patterned flooring.
Small transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Denver with recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, porcelain floors, an undermount sink, stainless steel appliances, no island and brown floor.

West Vancouver home gets a new life

Ritchie Construction Ltd

Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Vancouver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen with Double Row of Upper Cabinets with Glass Doors on Top

Columbia Cabinets

http://www.ccabinet.com Understated Elegance for Historic Saratoga Home Project Details Designer: Ray Roberts Cabinetry: Wood-Mode Framed Cabinetry Wood: Perimeter – Maple; Island – Quarter Sawn Oak Finishes: Perimeter – Nordic White; Island – Nut Brown Door: Perimeter – Regent Recessed Inset; Island – Alexandria Recessed Inset Countertop: Perimeter – Soapstone; Island – Calacatta Marble Perhaps one of my favorite projects of the year, this historic home on Broadway in Saratoga Springs deserved the finest of kitchens. And that it always fun to design. The real challenge here was to capture an understated elegance worthy of the history of the home, the street, the town itself. This particular refinement meant having the sum of the parts be greater than the whole…meticulous focus on every detail to create something grand but livable, historically appropriate but adapted for today’s modern family, luxe but quietly graceful. Some of the details include a beautifully detailed wooden hood, a rolling ladder to access the double stacked upper cabinets which feature antiqued mirror inserts, a substantial, grounding quarter sawn oak island in a contrasting nut brown finish as well as historically appropriate hardware contrasted with modern fixtures and lighting.

Ridge Oak Residence

McKinney York Architects

This property came with a house which proved ill-matched to our clients’ needs but which nestled neatly amid beautiful live oaks. In choosing to commission a new home, they asked that it also tuck under the limbs of the oaks and maintain a subdued presence to the street. Extraordinary efforts such as cantilevered floors and even bridging over critical root zones allow the design to be truly fitted to the site and to co-exist with the trees, the grandest of which is the focal point of the entry courtyard. Of equal importance to the trees and view was to provide, conversely, for walls to display 35 paintings and numerous books. From form to smallest detail, the house is quiet and subtle.

North Park Kitchen

Remcon Design Build

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern open plan kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and porcelain floors.

Cocina Mare de Deu dels desamparats

Lautoka Urbana - Reformas y Diseño de espacios

This is an example of a small industrial l-shaped separate kitchen in Barcelona with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors and no island.

Contemporary Mid Century Kitchen Remodel

J. Bryant Boyd, Design-Build

Inspiration for a traditional u-shaped kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, stainless steel appliances, no island, white splashback, subway tile splashback and solid surface benchtops.

WIMBLEDON FAMILY HOUSE

STEPHEN FLETCHER ARCHITECTS

Jib doors in the panelling lead to a small study and utility room, located beneath the side passage. Photographer: Nick Smith
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in London with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen with Solid Surface Benchtops and Subway Tile Splashback 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!