Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, soapstone benchtops, yellow splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Amherst Gray Shaker Kitchen- Before and After

New York Kitchen & Bath

Lovely updated kitchen located in Amherst, NY. Gray Shaker cabinets were chosen along with a solid white quartz countertop to make a statement. Featuring vinyl plank flooring, long white subway tile, stainless steel appliances, and recessed lighting.

Hawley's Kitchen Remodel

ALCOVA architecture

Pietro Potestà
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary separate kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, yellow splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Onyx + Cherry Kitchen

Blue Hot Design, LLC

Kitchen Design: Wells Design Material Selections: Blue Hot Design
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, yellow splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Charming Cape Cod

McCabe Design & Interiors

Photography: 360hometours.ca A Charming Cape Cod Home in West Vancouver underwent a full renovation and redesign by Tina McCabe of McCabe Design & Interiors. The homeowners wanted to keep the original character of the home whilst giving their home a complete makeover. The kitchen space was expanded opening up the kitchen and dining room, adding French doors off the kitchen to a new deck, and moving the powder room as much as the existing plumbing allowed. A custom kitchen design with custom cabinets and storage was created. A custom "princess bathroom" was created by adding more floor space from the adjacent bedroom and hallway, designing custom millworker, and specifying equisite tile from New Jersey. The home also received refinished hardwood floors, new moulding and millwork, pot lights throughout and custom lighting fixtures, wainscotting, and a new coat of paint. Finally, the laundry was moved upstairs from the basement for ease of use.

Reclaimed Timber & Elegant Brass

Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens

We designed this cosy grey family kitchen with reclaimed timber and elegant brass finishes, to work better with our clients’ style of living. We created this new space by knocking down an internal wall, to greatly improve the flow between the two rooms. Our clients came to us with the vision of creating a better functioning kitchen with more storage for their growing family. We were challenged to design a more cost-effective space after the clients received some architectural plans which they thought were unnecessary. Storage and open space were at the forefront of this design. Previously, this space was two rooms, separated by a wall. We knocked through to open up the kitchen and create a more communal family living area. Additionally, we knocked through into the area under the stairs to make room for an integrated fridge freezer. The kitchen features reclaimed iroko timber throughout. The wood is reclaimed from old school lab benches, with the graffiti sanded away to reveal the beautiful grain underneath. It’s exciting when a kitchen has a story to tell. This unique timber unites the two zones, and is seen in the worktops, homework desk and shelving. Our clients had two growing children and wanted a space for them to sit and do their homework. As a result of the lack of space in the previous room, we designed a homework bench to fit between two bespoke units. Due to lockdown, the clients children had spent most of the year in the dining room completing their school work. They lacked space and had limited storage for the children’s belongings. By creating a homework bench, we gave the family back their dining area, and the units on either side are valuable storage space. Additionally, the clients are now able to help their children with their work whilst cooking at the same time. This is a hugely important benefit of this multi-functional space. The beautiful tiled splashback is the focal point of the kitchen. The combination of the teal and vibrant yellow into the muted colour palette brightens the room and ties together all of the brass accessories. Golden tones combined with the dark timber give the kitchen a cosy ambiance, creating a relaxing family space. The end result is a beautiful new family kitchen-diner. The transformation made by knocking through has been enormous, with the reclaimed timber and elegant brass elements the stars of the kitchen. We hope that it will provide the family with a warm and homely space for many years to come.

Tudor Guest House

Nyhus Design Group

Photo of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, yellow splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

Onyx + Cherry Kitchen

Blue Hot Design, LLC

Kitchen Design: Wells Design Material Selections: Blue Hot Design
Mid-sized traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, yellow splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

A Street Northeast

Bullseye Wood Specialties, L.L.C

Kitchen renovation involving removal of interior wall to open up space. New design includes dine in breakfast bar, custom, shaker cherry cabinets in honey stain, granite counter tops, under mount sink, slide in range, 30" wall cabinets with 18" cabinet above, glass cabinets, lazy susan, wine rack. Addtional custom elements include louvered door cabinet which houses a steam radiator.

Lombok - Kaleng dining room: Industrial inspired, oak & iron parquetry furniture

Lombok

Handcrafted from oak and iron, our striking Kaleng collection combines industrial design with traditional craftsmanship. Each piece of parquetry is expertly placed by hand, giving it an endearing hand finished touch.

River Rock Chefs Kitchen

C. Boesch Design

Gold Marinace, River Rock Granite was the inspiration for this Bay Area kitchen remodel. Jerusalem Gold natural stone floors and backsplash coordinate perfectly. Swimming Fish cabinet hardware finishes off the nature theme. Photographer: Craig Burleigh

Tarrytown Mid-Century

Jameson Design Group

Design Build: Jameson Interiors Photography: Andrea Calo
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, yellow splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors and a peninsula.

Shades Of Grey; Elegant Main Floor Kitchen Renovation

Dependable Renovations Ltd

Inspiration for a large contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Calgary with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, a peninsula, an undermount sink, marble benchtops, yellow splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and dark hardwood floors.

Building for America's Bravest - Gaithersburg, MD

Mercer Floor and Home Carpet One

southwestern style ceramic tile for the kitchen backsplash
This is an example of a mid-sized u-shaped kitchen in DC Metro with recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, yellow splashback, ceramic splashback, vinyl floors, a peninsula, brown floor and grey benchtop.

250 Carolina - Modern Timeless Chic

Wolfe Rizor Interiors

Black kitchen on white walls makes this elegant space stand out. Photo Credit: Stephen Allen Photography
Large modern l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orlando with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite benchtops, yellow splashback, a peninsula and black benchtop.

Modern Media Kitchen

WPL Interior Design

A suburban Philadelphia mid-century home in Media, Pennsylvania needed an updated kitchen and dining area for a professional couple with no children. The contemporary open design reflects their lifestyle and how they wanted to use the space. The light filled modern space created is dramatic yet inviting and serves as a backdrop to showcase this couple’s growing art collection. Nestled in the trees, this suburban home feels like it’s in the country while just a short distance to the city. Photography by Jay Greene.

It’s All About the Stove

O'Hanlon Kitchens, Inc.

This kitchen is a perfect mix of vintage & modern. Homeowners, Arthur and Karen M, already had the vintage stove and they wanted “to modernize the kitchen without making the stove look completely out of place.” Karen thought the farm sink and reclaimed wood shelves would help. She knew she wanted grey granite counters with white cabinetry and an additional oven since the one in the vintage stove is tiny. Our designer took this kitchen from dark and dated to new and bright, showcasing the beauty of the vintage piece. Cabinets: Allwood Maple-Ivory Hardware: Bremen-Gun Metal-Pulls Countertop: Granite-Azul Platino Backsplash: Interceramic-Ultra White Gloss Flooring: Extrema II glazed porcelain-Black-Silver Grout Sink: Blanco-Apron/Farm-White, Faucet: Delta w/pull down spray

3 Palms - Counter Seating

Real Estate Judge

Midcentury Modern Open Concept Kitchen
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, yellow splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and a peninsula.

Modern Kitchen, Burlington

ATD Contracting Services Inc.

Larry Arnal
Photo of a large modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Toronto with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, yellow splashback, subway tile splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Modern Princeton Condo

Distinctive Interior Designs

Small modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in Philadelphia with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, yellow splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, multi-coloured floor and grey benchtop.

Kitchen with Yellow Splashback and a Peninsula 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!