Small transitional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, no island, black floor and grey benchtop.

Rénovation complète d'une maison individuelle

Anne Rose BOUYER - KAURI ARCHITECTURE

Création d'une cuisine sur mesure avec "niche" bleue. Conception d'un casier bouteilles intégré dans les colonnes de rangements. Joints creux parfaitement alignés. Détail des poignées de meubles filantes noires.

Flatiron New York | Luxury Minimalist Apartment Remodel

Buildplan

Design ideas for a small modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, light hardwood floors, white benchtop and a peninsula.

Holmberg Park

Erika Jayne Design Build

A conceptual kitchen design in Arlington, Virginia with decor and materials inspired by African art, handicrafts and organic materials juxtaposted with modern lines, materials, and fixtures. Floating marble shelves are used in lieu of wall cabinets to allow for easy-access to kitchenware and to display decorative items and cookbooks.

Potrero Hill House & Studio

Cathie Hong Interiors

This young married couple enlisted our help to update their recently purchased condo into a brighter, open space that reflected their taste. They traveled to Copenhagen at the onset of their trip, and that trip largely influenced the design direction of their home, from the herringbone floors to the Copenhagen-based kitchen cabinetry. We blended their love of European interiors with their Asian heritage and created a soft, minimalist, cozy interior with an emphasis on clean lines and muted palettes.

Mid Century Kitchen

DDK Kitchen Design Group

Kitchens are a part of our personality. Sophisticated yet so simple. The cabinets are maple with nothing but a natural finish. Highlighting the beautiful character of maple wood. Slab doors on frameless construction. Simple hardware and a long butcher block island. Tile that really draws your eye to the shelves. The white tile on the range wall sets the stage to admire the hood. Designed by Jean Thompson for DDK Kitchen Design Group. Photographs @michaelakaskel

Yandina Sunrise

Atelier Chen Hung

The lightness of the Vic Ash timber highlights view apertures, while the limestone floor marking adds a layer of tactility, complementing the polished concrete floor to subtly delineate space. Photography by James Hung

Woods Kitchen Remodel

Bombeck Design

Design ideas for a small scandinavian l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Salt Lake City with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Three Arch Cottage

Nate Fischer Interiors

Bright and airy cottage kitchen with natural wood accents and a pop of blue.
This is an example of a small beach style single-wall open plan kitchen in Orange County with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, terra-cotta splashback, panelled appliances, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

Narrow Kitchen Concept

Bauen Construction

Narrow Kitchen Concept for Modern Style Design
This is an example of a small modern eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, concrete benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, panelled appliances, cement tiles, with island, grey floor and beige benchtop.

Oneida-2

CANTILEVER STUDIO

kitchen, mobile island, maple cabinets, flush cabinets, linoleum floor, ceiling fan, barn wood trim, led light, Quartz tile backsplash
This is an example of a small contemporary galley eat-in kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, laminate benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, linoleum floors, with island, multi-coloured floor, black benchtop and vaulted.

PADDINGTON Apartment

STUDIO OSCAR LEA.

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.

Mini studio à Neuilly Plaisance

AGENCE MARN DÉCO

Espace cuisine? Un rendu sur mesure avec des meubles du commerce. Salle d'eau avec verrière.
Photo of a small modern single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, laminate benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, terrazzo floors, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Compact Modern Kitchen Design-Chicago

Benvenuti and Stein

Zen-like kitchen has white kitchen walls & backsplash with contrasting light shades of beige and brown & modern flat panel touch latch cabinetry. Custom cabinetry made in the Benvenuti and Stein Evanston cabinet shop. Norman Sizemore-Photographer

The Cor-Ten House

Herron Horton Architects, Inc.

Chad Mellon Photography
This is an example of a small contemporary galley separate kitchen in Little Rock with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops and no island.

Modern Kitchen Remodel

Marcia Moore Design

ASID award for kitchen design. Suzy Gorman Photography
Small midcentury l-shaped kitchen with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Battery Park City Residence

Evelyn Lee Interiors

Beth Bates
Small modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Northcote Workers Cottage

Olivia van Dijk Architecture

Home of Emily Wright of Nancybird. Timber open shelving and cabinets in the kitchen. Hand made sky blue ceramic tiles line the cooktop splash back. Stand alone cooktop. Carrara Marble benchtop, timber floor boards, hand made tiles, timber kitchen, open shelving, blackboard, walk-in pantry, stainless steel appliances

Mid-century Modern

Theresa Franklin, ASID

Moss Custom Homes, Affinity Kitchens
Design ideas for a small midcentury l-shaped open plan kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Worthington, OH Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Remodel

NJW Construction

What this Mid-century modern home originally lacked in kitchen appeal it made up for in overall style and unique architectural home appeal. That appeal which reflects back to the turn of the century modernism movement was the driving force for this sleek yet simplistic kitchen design and remodel. Stainless steel aplliances, cabinetry hardware, counter tops and sink/faucet fixtures; removed wall and added peninsula with casual seating; custom cabinetry - horizontal oriented grain with quarter sawn red oak veneer - flat slab - full overlay doors; full height kitchen cabinets; glass tile - installed countertop to ceiling; floating wood shelving; Karli Moore Photography

Small 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!