This is an example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, ceramic floors, no island, black floor and grey benchtop.

5 B

Studio MW

Large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, no island, black floor and white benchtop.

Never Too Small

Atelier BC

Scandinavian design kitchen with stainless steel appliances. White quartz/laminam countertop and stainless steel kitchen sink and faucet.
Photo of a small scandinavian single-wall open plan kitchen in Vancouver with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, no island, beige floor, white benchtop and coffered.

Tiny AirBnB

Marta Bonesu | That Short Architect

Photo of a small scandinavian single-wall open plan kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, light hardwood floors, no island and grey benchtop.

Cuisine scandinave Airbnb

Studio Constelle

petite cuisine d'appartement de location qui joue sur les couleurs et les matériaux claires pour apporter un maximum de lumière à ce rez-de-jardin. Une pointe de vert amande souligne le coin cuisine qui rappelle le parti pris de la nature.

Mid-Century Fusion kitchen remodel and living space addition in Monrovia

Metropolis Drafting and Construction Inc

A Modern home that wished for more warmth... An addition and reconstruction of approx. 750sq. area. That included new kitchen, office, family room and back patio cover area. The custom-made kitchen cabinets are semi-inset / semi-frameless combination. The door style was custom build with a minor bevel at the edge of each door. White oak was used for the frame, drawers and most of the cabinet doors with some doors paint white for accent effect. The island "legs" or water fall sides if you wish and the hood enclosure are Tambour wood paneling. These are 3/4" half round wood profile connected together for a continues pattern. These Tambour panels, the wicker pendant lights and the green live walls inject a bit of an Asian fusion into the design mix. The floors are polished concrete in a dark brown finish to inject additional warmth vs. the standard concrete gray most of us familiar with. A huge 16' multi sliding door by La Cantina was installed, this door is aluminum clad (wood finish on the interior of the door).

Boho Bungalow Kitchen

Arcata Cabinet & Design Company

Inspiration for a small scandinavian l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

GDM House - Vicenza

ThoDes Interior Design Studios

Grande e spaziosa cucina, caratterizzata dalla grande isola centrale con piano ad induzione e lavabo, grandi colonne dietro con forno e microonde e zona laterale di lavoro con frigorigero free standing

Cold Springs Remodel

SV Kitchen & Bath

Full Kitchen Remodel Bellmont Cabinets Quartz Countertops Floating Shelves
This is an example of a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop, white splashback and stone slab splashback.

Harvard ADU

Lewis / Schoeplein architects

Inspiration for a small scandinavian single-wall eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, no island, grey floor, white benchtop and exposed beam.

Chevy Chase - Mid Century

$Teass \ Warren Architects$ Teass \ Warren Architects

Design ideas for a large midcentury u-shaped kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, light hardwood floors, with island and vaulted.

Mid-century modern kitchen

DMR Remodeling, Inc. Kitchen & Bath Specialist

Cramped, outdated cape cod kitchen remodeled from the floor up. removing one wall between the dining room and original kitchen opens the entire space.

Urban Loft Infill

AMD Architecture

This is an example of a modern galley open plan kitchen in Salt Lake City with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, black splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, with island, grey floor and black benchtop.

Modern Oak Kitchen Remodel

Neil Kelly Company

We moved the kitchen to the opposite side of the room to provide a better overall layout with more cabinets and continuous countertop space. Cabinets were placed under clerestory windows, allowing them to act as a light shelf and exponentially increasing natural light in the space. We removed the dropped ceiling to open up the space and create more evenly dispersed natural light. New appliances were installed, including a separate cooktop and wall oven to accommodate different cooking and baking zones. We implemented a warm Pacific Northwest material pallet with quarter-sawn oak cabinets, and added neutral yet sharp finishes in black, white, and chrome.

Upper East Side Townhouse

Harper Design Build

This 5,000 SF design/build townhouse was completely renovated for a new family of young professionals. The house design incorporates a new elevator, making it easier for the owners to entertain guests and friends over the 6 different levels of this urban dwelling. The kitchen and dining room are located on the garden level, adjacent to the lush backyard of the property. The garden level is connected to the 1st floor living room visually via a double height space with a balcony. A new rooftop patio was created with a kitchenette and chefs BBQ overlooking the NYC Uptown landscape. Finally one of the greatest challenges of this house was to create a full height cellar which was achieved by blasting the bedrock under the house.

Complete house remodeling

Visionary Home Remodeling Inc.

Plywood modern cabinets
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, black benchtop and exposed beam.

Modern Kitchen Renovation

Blejer Architecture

Photo of a modern kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, laminate benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, black benchtop and vaulted.

Holmes Point Kitchen Remodel

Cornerstone Home Renovators

This kitchen was renovated and features maple shaker style cabinets with a clear finish. Aphrodite Royal granite counters with a glossy black subway tile backsplash. Oak hardwood floors were refinished as part of this project.

Mid-Century Classic

Lucy Johnson Interior Design

Enlarged kitchen by removing a wall, back door & window, creating a U-shaped kitchen. Open site lines into Dining & Living room now.
This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula, grey floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Kitchen of Lakeside Cabin Addition and Renovation

J.B. Nicholson Architecture

Inspiration for a large arts and crafts l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, black benchtop, an undermount sink, ceramic floors and grey floor.

Kitchen with Light Wood Cabinets 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!