Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, light wood cabinets, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, black appliances, cement tiles, no island, grey floor, white benchtop and flat-panel cabinets.

Modern Kitchen

Photo of a mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, marble benchtops, black splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, white benchtop, a drop-in sink, light wood cabinets and cement tiles.

Riverside Transitional Modern Home

Osada Construction

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, cement tiles, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Rénovation cuisine complète à Monplaisir avec Elodie Chermette

Les cuisines d'Arno

Lotfi Dakhli
Inspiration for a mid-sized scandinavian eat-in kitchen in Lyon with quartzite benchtops, white splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, no island, white benchtop, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and multi-coloured floor.

Modern Kitchen

SEK Architects

Image by Peter Rymwid Architectural Photography © 2014
Photo of a large contemporary kitchen in New York with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, panelled appliances, cement tiles, multiple islands, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Wood Veneer Kitchen Cabinet Collection By Darash

By Darash - Kitchen Cabinets, Vanities & Closets

Mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in Austin with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white splashback, cement tile splashback, with island, grey floor, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, panelled appliances, cement tiles and grey benchtop.

Villa des Cimes

Nathalie Odiot Architecture d'Intérieur

Mid-sized mediterranean single-wall eat-in kitchen in Marseille with light wood cabinets, cement tiles, with island, green floor and exposed beam.

Maison Maisons-Alfort

AGENCE MARN DÉCO

Rénovation et aménagement d'une cuisine
Mid-sized modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, cement tiles, no island, blue floor and beige benchtop.

Modern Santiago

Chelsea Lauren Interiors

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Orange County with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, black splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, cement tiles, multiple islands, grey floor and white benchtop.

Modern Kitchzen

Meghan Grimbert Design

This Biscayne Bay kitchen renovation embraces a modern, monochromatic approach. The textured backsplash, fluted hood, and bold coffee table area inject personality into the space, while maintaining a sleek and modern culinary space.

Pavonia Avenue Loft - Kitchen

Jane Kim Architect

Located in an 1890 Wells Fargo stable and warehouse in the Hamilton Park historic district, this intervention focused on creating a personal, comfortable home in an unusually tall loft space. The living room features 45’ high ceilings. The mezzanine level was conceived as a porous, space-making element that allowed pockets of closed storage, open display, and living space to emerge from pushing and pulling the floor plane. The newly cantilevered mezzanine breaks up the immense height of the loft and creates a new TV nook and work space. An updated master suite and kitchen streamline the core functions of this loft while the addition of a new window adds much needed daylight to the space. Photo by Nick Glimenakis.

Solana Beach

Paschall Design and Clutch Modern

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Diego with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, a peninsula, white floor and white benchtop.

The Peninsula Kitchen

BJF Joinery

Mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen pantry in Gold Coast - Tweed with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, grey floor, an undermount sink and cement tiles.

Saint Petersbourg

SQUARE RENOVATION

Inspiration for a large l-shaped separate kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, cement tiles, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Reforma Integral de Vivienda SFS

Estudio Astiz

Cocina con isla central abierta al salón por cuatro correderas de vidrio con perfilería negra.
This is an example of a large modern single-wall open plan kitchen in Madrid with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, cement tiles, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Reforma Integral de Vivienda SFS

Estudio Astiz

Cocina con isla central abierta al salón por cuatro correderas de vidrio con perfilería negra.
Design ideas for a large modern single-wall open plan kitchen in Madrid with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, panelled appliances, cement tiles, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

myriam

Studio ido

Plan de travail linéaire en céramique. Façades et étagère murale en trois plis chêne. Barre de suspension et robinetterie en laiton.
Design ideas for a mid-sized scandinavian single-wall separate kitchen in Nantes with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, white splashback, cement tiles, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Transformation complète d'une cuisine

Céline Tsakyrellis - Interior Designer

Photo of a transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with cement tiles, black benchtop, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, blue floor, granite benchtops and mirror splashback.

Privatwohnung München

Wilhelm & Partner GmbH

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, black splashback, timber splashback, black appliances, cement tiles, no island and multi-coloured floor.

Cuisine

BOsens

Réalisation d'une cuisine élégante faisant partie de la pièce principale de l'appartement ; façades en bois, crédence et poignées en laiton, plan de travail en Dekton.

Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets and Cement Tiles 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!