In the design stages many details were incorporated in this classic kitchen to give it dimension since the surround cabinets, counters and backsplash were white. Polished nickel plumbing, hardware and custom grilles on feature cabinets along with the island pendants add shine, while finer details such as inset doors, furniture kicks on non-working areas and lofty crown details add a layering effect in the millwork. Surround counters as well as 3" x 6" backsplash tile are Calacutta Gold stone, while island counter surface is walnut. Conveniences include a 60" Wolf range, a 36" Subzero refrigerator and freezer and two farmhouse sinks by Kallista. The kitchen also boasts two dishwashers (one in the island and one to the right of the sink cabinet under the window) and a coffee bar area with a built-in Miele. Photo by Pete Maric.

Beautiful hardwood floors and painted cabinets

Marvista Design + Build

The hardwood floors are a perfect contrast to the smooth painted finished of the cabinets.
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Repurposing a salvaged sink

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

This salvaged kitchen sink was found awhile ago by the client who new she wanted to use it if ever she renovated. Integrated beautifully into the Danby marble countertop and backsplash with new fixtures it is a real joy to clean up. This kitchen was formerly a dark paneled, cluttered, divided space with little natural light. By eliminating partitions and creating an open floorplan, as well as adding modern windows with traditional detailing, providing lovingly detailed built-ins for the clients extensive collection of beautiful dishes, and lightening up the color palette we were able to create a rather miraculous transformation. Renovation/Addition. Rob Karosis Photography

Fresh Berkshire Farmhouse

Jess Cooney Interiors

Custom kitchen with Danby Marble and Pietra Cardosa Counters
Photo of a country u-shaped kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Cooperstown Farmhouse

The Working Kitchen, Ltd.

Photo: Vicki Bodine
Large country kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen Herbs

Bright Green

Herb Living Wall, Bright Green GroVert Frame
Contemporary kitchen in Los Angeles with recessed-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, marble benchtops, white cabinets, white splashback and stone slab splashback.

Russian Hill - John Maniscalco Architecture

John Maniscalco Architecture

Inspiration for a contemporary galley kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances and white benchtop.

Belmont Modern Rif Oak Kitchen

Kitchen Inspiration Inc.

Cabinetry: Sollera Fine Cabinets Countertop: Quartz
Photo of a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and light wood cabinets.

Stacked House

First Lamp

John Granen
This is an example of a mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island and grey floor.

Windsor Square Traditional

BAR Design + Construction

James Ray Spahn
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

A Designer's Dream Home

RLH Studio

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback and stainless steel appliances.

FLYNN KITCHEN

Kate Roos Design LLC

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, vinyl floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Riverbend Guest House - Green With Character

Jarrett Design

This is an example of a small country l-shaped separate kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Riverbend Guest House - Green With Character

Jarrett Design

Small country l-shaped separate kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Butler's Pantry

Boyce Design + Build

Adjacent to the kitchen is a full-service butler’s pantry featuring rich charcoal gray Viatera Carbo quartz countertops and matching solid surface backsplash. The under counter, climate-controlled beverage center and separate wine cooler by Landmark are flanked by light-stained white oak Shaker cabinets and drawers with matte black hardware and subtle under cabinet lighting giving a refined style to the space.

Spruce Ave.

Ashley Martin Home

Design ideas for a large transitional galley open plan kitchen in Orlando with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, green cabinets, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances and grey benchtop.

Bayadere Newport Beach

William Guidero Planning and Design

Mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Bell Canyon Residence

Hsu McCullough

On the interior, the Great Room comprised of the Living Room, Kitchen and Dining Room features the space defining massive 18-foot long, triangular-shaped clerestory window pressed to the underside of the ranch’s main gable roofline. This window beautifully lights the Kitchen island below while framing a cluster of diverse mature trees lining a horse riding trail to the North 15 feet off the floor. The cabinetry of the Kitchen and Living Room are custom high-gloss white lacquer finished with Rosewood cabinet accents strategically placed including the 19-foot long island with seating, preparation sink, dishwasher and storage. The Kitchen island and aligned-on-axis Dining Room table are celebrated by unique pendants offering contemporary embellishment to the minimal space.

Roscoe Village Kitchen Remodel

Guided Design Cabinetry & Interiors

Beautiful kitchen remodel in Roscoe Village. We designed this project to go with the design of the existing house and to totally refresh the kitchen and attached living space. We used distressed cherry hardwood with a warm stain color for the island, not only for looks, but also for durability.

Cherokee Triangle Kitchen

Centered Interiors

Inspiration for a small transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Louisville with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and grey benchtop.

All Backsplash Materials Kitchen with Stone Slab 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!