Inspiration for a country kitchen in Denver with dark wood cabinets, brown splashback, stainless steel appliances, a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, wood benchtops, stone slab splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

North Portland St. Johns Modern Industrial Chic Remodel

Studio Define

This is an example of a small modern galley separate kitchen in Portland with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Kailua Vernacular

Trigg-Smith Architects

Small beach style u-shaped open plan kitchen in Hawaii with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, white appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Armstrong - Rustic Hardwood

A & E Flooring

This is an example of a large country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, brown splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Myers Park Renovation

Carolina Classic Builders

Mekenzie France
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in Charlotte with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, wood benchtops and brown floor.

Custom Wood Walk-in Pantry and Wine Bar

Jacksonville Organizer - Organized Home / Office

Kim Lindsey Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional galley kitchen pantry in Jacksonville with wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances and dark hardwood floors.

Vancouver - Shaughnessy Condo Kitchen

Alair Homes Vancouver

IKEA kitchen marvel: Professional consultants, Dave & Karen like to entertain and truly maximized the practical with the aesthetically fun in this kitchen remodel of their Fairview condo in Vancouver B.C. With a budget of about $55,000 and 120 square feet, working with their contractor, Alair Homes, they took their time to thoughtfully design and focus their money where it would pay off in the reno. Karen wanted ample wine storage and Dave wanted a considerable liquor case. The result? A 3 foot deep custom pullout red wine rack that holds 40 bottles of red, nicely tucked in beside a white wine fridge that also holds another 40 bottles of white. They sourced a 140-year-old wrought iron gate that fit the wall space, and re-purposed it as a functional art piece to frame a custom 30 bottle whiskey shelf. Durability and value were themes throughout the project. Bamboo laminated counter tops that wrap the entire kitchen and finish in a waterfall end are beautiful and sustainable. Contrasting with the dark reclaimed, hand hewn, wide plank wood floor and homestead enamel sink, its a wonderful blend of old and new. Nice appliance features include the European style Liebherr integrated fridge and instant hot water tap. The original kitchen had Ikea cabinets and the owners wanted to keep the sleek styling and re-use the existing cabinets. They spent some time on Houzz and made their own idea book. Confident with good ideas, they set out to purchase additional Ikea cabinet pieces to create the new vision. Walls were moved and structural posts created to accommodate the new configuration. One area that was a challenge was at the end of the U shaped kitchen. There are stairs going to the loft and roof top deck (amazing views of downtown Vancouver!), and the stairs cut an angle through the cupboard area and created a void underneath them. Ideas like a cabinet man size door to a hidden room were contemplated, but in the end a unifying idea and space creator was decided on. Put in a custom appliance garage on rollers that is 3 feet deep and rolls into the void under the stairs, and is large enough to hide everything! And under the counter is room for the famous wine rack and cooler. The result is a chic space that is comfy and inviting and keeps the urban flair the couple loves. http://www.alairhomes.com/vancouver ©Ema Peter

Transitional New Jersey Home

Leedy Interiors

Paul S. Bartholomew
Inspiration for a transitional l-shaped kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, dark hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Chestnut Hill

Millpond Kitchens and Cabinetry

A contemporary farmhouse kitchen renovation, made custom and built by Amish craftsmen. Cabinets are flat inset panel shaker style cabinetry, a custom distressed antique black glazed oak island countertop, marble countertops and a plethora of drawers, custom pull out trays, hidden book shelf, custom muffin drawer and more.

Elk Country Estate_French Country_Canning Storage Room

Cascade Builders & Associates Inc.

Design ideas for a large mediterranean l-shaped kitchen pantry in Other with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Scenic Acres Kitchen Transformation

Talee Renovations Inc.

Design ideas for a large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Calgary with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Vlahos • Coastal Beach Home • Orange Beach, AL

Saltaire Restoration

Last year we were chosen to provide a few finishing touches to a coastal home on Ono Island in Orange Beach, Alabama built by Phillip Vlahos Homes. As you will see in the photos to the left, we used hand-hewn reclaimed cypress beams to build the kitchen island top. It is a great compliment to the open, light-filled kitchen and the gorgeous iron pendents above. Home built by Phillip Vlahos Homes, LLC

VILLAGE DUPLEX

studio PPARK

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, wood benchtops, white splashback and marble splashback.

Vancouver - Shaughnessy Condo Kitchen

Alair Homes Vancouver

Cottage Charm

Petoskey Kitchen and Bath - Designs By Dawn

Phoenix Photographic
This is an example of a small country l-shaped separate kitchen in Grand Rapids with a farmhouse sink, wood benchtops, white cabinets, recessed-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, white splashback, timber splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Jordan / Veronica Huntzinger

Ultimate Remodel

Felicia Evans
Inspiration for a mid-sized country u-shaped separate kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, shaker cabinets, wood benchtops, red splashback, brick splashback, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Waconia Cottage

Mark D. Williams Custom Homes, Inc.

Photo of a mid-sized beach style l-shaped kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Wimberley Southwestern Retreat

Jennifer Garner Interiors

Southwestern Kitchen featuring wood countertop, blue island, custom chimney style vent hood in plaster finish, hand painted ceramic tile backsplash Photography: Michael Hunter Photography

Brooklyn Townhouse Kitchen

Brooks Custom

A closeup on the live edge detail on a walnut kitchen island countertop.
This is an example of a large transitional kitchen in New York with black cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Kitchens

Odyssey Woodworks

Design ideas for a mid-sized country single-wall separate kitchen in Charleston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor, black benchtop and wood benchtops.

Kitchen with Wood Benchtops and Dark Hardwood Floors 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!