Inspiration for a transitional u-shaped kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Classic Kitchen Gets Modern Makeover

Corinthian Fine Homes

Our homeowner purchased this home with a kitchen update in mind. Her cramped kitchen had a wall with a passthrough and countertop separating it from a family room, and she wanted an open floor plan for aesthetics and function. The space was re-designed with the purpose of relocating and reusing many of the current cabinets while building new ones where needed to match the existing. We tweaked appliance locations and installed a new island with prep sink and faucet. We built a floating custom circular table/eat-in area on the end of the island with a radius bulkhead to mimic the architectural curvature of the table. New lighting and plumbing fixtures were added with a modern white backsplash of various sized tile and a stainless vent hood. The finished result is a space that is reflective of her style with improved utilization of the space she has.

Kitchen

10K Architecture

Transitional style kitchen
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Jericho4

Artista Kitchen & Bath Design

Open Concept floor plan comprising of kitchen, dining room, and den also utilizing a dry bar for entertaining
Photo of a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and dark hardwood floors.

Beautiful modern renovation in Silicon Valley

Spaces By Juliana Linssen, Inc.

This is an example of a large modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, metallic splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Valle Verde Kitchen

Svetlana Hanzyy Design

Photo of a large traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Nashville with a single-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and stone slab splashback.

Bondi Project

Blue Tea Kitchens and Bathrooms

Putting cabinetry along the back wall of our Condo project would have looked clumsy butted up against the window. Instead we made this otherwise awkward corner shine with a striking marble splash back to the ceiling. Keeping the upper cabinets white (which keeps the space open and spacious) adding a splash of colour below and hint of timber and brass means that this small kitchen is not small on style.

Deepwood Drive

Gathered

This is an example of a beach style galley kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

CALI RESIDENCE

FOHR DESIGN STUDIO INC.

This is an example of a large contemporary l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

TAHAN - le confort monacal

maéma architectes

Design ideas for a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island, grey floor and beige benchtop.

Clean Crisp Coastal Cottage

Covenant Kitchens & Baths, Inc.

Plenty of counters in this modern coastal kitchen where homeowner wanted striking dark countertops. The adjoining dining room features a builtin bar area with wavy glass in upper cabinets and zinc countertops.

Bleriot Southern Charmer

Alison White Homes

Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

White Kitchen

Chi Renovation & Design

An open-concept kitchen with large amounts of storage utilizing white cabinets, countertops, a built-in hutch, and kitchen island. The kitchen island comes with drawers, cabinets, shelves, a spot for the microwave (to avoid taking up counter space), and a seating area. Dark hardwood floors, an off-white subway tile backsplash, and stainless steel appliances and pendant lighting give contrast to the mostly white-colored room, giving it a bright, clean, and balanced look. Project designed by Skokie renovation firm, Chi Renovation & Design. They serve the Chicagoland area, and it's surrounding suburbs, with an emphasis on the North Side and North Shore. You'll find their work from the Loop through Lincoln Park, Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, and all of the way up to Lake Forest. For more about Chi Renovation & Design, click here: https://www.chirenovation.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.chirenovation.com/portfolio/lake-bluff-kitchen/

FMF - Cuisines - Kitchen

FMF Atelier

La cuisine, le coeur de l'habitat.
Photo of a large contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Nice with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and white benchtop.

Farmhouse chic kitchen

Refined Renovations & Refined Home

This farmhouse-chic kitchen is a combination of white and blue cabinets with wood countertops. These materials, paired with metal stools and lighting, clean backsplash tiles and a chalkboard wall give the kitchen an updated farmhouse feel.

Grace Lane Haven

HOMEesque

Gorgeous cabinetry, black and white contrasting colors, beautiful hardware and accenting
This is an example of a transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, quartz benchtops, white splashback and porcelain splashback.

Blakemore

Shear Construction

Traditional l-shaped kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Hancock Park Modern Organic Renovation

SHAPESIDE

Contemporary and minimal kitchen featuring white cabinetry with finger pull hardware, and a textured paint to complete the backsplash with stove top.
Photo of a small contemporary l-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island, brown floor, white benchtop, an undermount sink and medium hardwood floors.

Arjen Spec Home

Revamp Decor & Redesign

Photo of a transitional l-shaped kitchen in Tampa with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, marble floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Transitional Kitchen

Inspiration for a transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in New York with white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, yellow benchtop, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, metal splashback and brown floor.

Kitchen with White Cabinets and Stainless Steel Appliances 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!