Kitchen after
U-shaped open plan kitchen in Austin with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop, vaulted and wood.

Project 42

The Main Company

This is an example of a country l-shaped open plan kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, orange cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor, beige benchtop, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Lakeside Estate

Stephen Shutts Design

Photo of a l-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and wood.

West Loop Loft on Monroe

Renovation Sells

Photo of an industrial galley open plan kitchen in Chicago with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, white benchtop, exposed beam and wood.

Kaula Project 2019

Freestyle Interiors

Mid-sized beach style eat-in kitchen in Miami with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, with island, brown floor, an undermount sink, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, white benchtop, recessed and wood.

VSM Prospect Kitchen

Bailey Remodeling and Construction LLC

Transitional l-shaped kitchen in Louisville with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, recessed and wood.

Lake Almanor Traditional

Deirdre Doherty Interiors

Design ideas for a beach style l-shaped kitchen in Sacramento with a farmhouse sink, grey cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and wood.

Bay House

Porebski Architects

The white kitchen with shaker joiner features curved edges to soften the space. The range hood cover features ship-lapped cladding to match the ceiling.

Morley Mountain Homes

Samurai Hardwood Flooring INC

Inspiration for a contemporary galley kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, wood benchtops, dark hardwood floors, with island, grey floor, black cabinets, black appliances, exposed beam and wood.

The Ramble White inset custom cabinetry

Kitchens of the South

Custom Framed Inset Bremtown Cabinetry in a Shaker door style
This is an example of a large traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Charlotte with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, black benchtop and wood.

Painted Brick Traditional Georgian

Wyrick Residential Design

Design ideas for a large traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and wood.

Miner's Climb kitchen

Colorado Timberframe

Country l-shaped kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, brown splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Warren Terrace Hinsdale

Plain & Posh

These homeowners were ready to update the home they had built when their girls were young. This was not a full gut remodel. The perimeter cabinetry mostly stayed but got new doors and height added at the top. The island and tall wood stained cabinet to the left of the sink are new and custom built and I hand-drew the design of the new range hood. The beautiful reeded detail came from our idea to add this special element to the new island and cabinetry. Bringing it over to the hood just tied everything together. We were so in love with this stunning Quartzite we chose for the countertops we wanted to feature it further in a custom apron-front sink. We were in love with the look of Zellige tile and it seemed like the perfect space to use it in.

Tailored

Chandos Collective

Design ideas for a kitchen pantry in Houston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, marble splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, white benchtop and wood.

Art Barn

ORA Inc

Photo of a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, beige benchtop, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Salty Fir Lodge

Asher Custom Homes

Design ideas for a country u-shaped kitchen in Albuquerque with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, brown splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, exposed beam and wood.

Acorn Deck House - Renovation

Lee Kimball

Inspiration for a midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Boston with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, blue splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, white benchtop and wood.

COTTAGE ON THE LAKE

JN Interior Spaces

The renovation of a mid century cottage on the lake, now serves as a guest house. The renovation preserved the original architectural elements such as the ceiling and original stone fireplace to preserve the character, personality and history and provide the inspiration and canvas to which everything else would be added. To prevent the space from feeling dark & too rustic, the lines were kept clean, the furnishings modern and the use of saturated color was strategically placed throughout.

Wild Apple

SV Design

Nestled in the hills of Vermont is a relaxing winter retreat that looks like it was planted there a century ago. Our architects worked closely with the builder at Wild Apple Homes to create building sections that felt like they had been added on piece by piece over generations. With thoughtful design and material choices, the result is a cozy 3,300 square foot home with a weathered, lived-in feel; the perfect getaway for a family of ardent skiers. The main house is a Federal-style farmhouse, with a vernacular board and batten clad connector. Connected to the home is the antique barn frame from Canada. The barn was reassembled on site and attached to the house. Using the antique post and beam frame is the kind of materials reuse seen throughout the main house and the connector to the barn, carefully creating an antique look without the home feeling like a theme house. Trusses in the family/dining room made with salvaged wood echo the design of the attached barn. Rustic in nature, they are a bold design feature. The salvaged wood was also used on the floors, kitchen island, barn doors, and walls. The focus on quality materials is seen throughout the well-built house, right down to the door knobs.

Burr Ridge Modern

Derrick Architecture

A symmetrical kitchen opens to the family room in this open floor plan. The island provides a thick wood eating ledge with a dekton work surface. A grey accent around the cooktop is split by the metallic soffit running through the space. A smaller work kitchen/open pantry is off to one side for additional prep space.

Kitchen with Dark Hardwood Floors and Wood 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!