Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Petworth Residence

$Teass \ Warren Architects$ Teass \ Warren Architects

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley open plan kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, quartz benchtops and marble splashback.

2018 Fall Remodelers Showcase

Knight Construction Design Inc.

Large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Transitional Kitchen Newton Square Remodel - Geneva

Redstart Construction, Inc.

Picture Perfect House
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley open plan kitchen in Chicago with white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets and glass tile splashback.

Soft Toned Kitchen & Great Room Remodel

Scott Hall Remodeling

Inspiration for a large modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Columbus with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Tempo Bonus Side Load- 2018 Parade of Homes

Prodigy Homes Inc.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Tempo Side Load

Prodigy Homes Inc.

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Daniel Island Drive

Delpino Custom Homes

Photo of an expansive country single-wall open plan kitchen in Charleston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, with island and white benchtop.

Rivetta

April Balliette

Ryan Gamma
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Tampa with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Kitchens

Cline Architects

This is an example of a mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Somerville Project

User

Photography: Lisa Atkinson
Photo of a mid-sized u-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, a peninsula and white benchtop.

Cooper Woods Modern Tudor

Havlicek Builders Inc.

This 2 story home with a first floor Master Bedroom features a tumbled stone exterior with iron ore windows and modern tudor style accents. The Great Room features a wall of built-ins with antique glass cabinet doors that flank the fireplace and a coffered beamed ceiling. The adjacent Kitchen features a large walnut topped island which sets the tone for the gourmet kitchen. Opening off of the Kitchen, the large Screened Porch entertains year round with a radiant heated floor, stone fireplace and stained cedar ceiling. Photo credit: Picture Perfect Homes

Bucktown House

Actual Architecture Company

Photo by Paul Crosby
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Omaha with an undermount sink, louvered cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and quartz benchtops.

White Street Loft

kimberly peck architect

photos by Pedro Marti This large light-filled open loft in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City was purchased by a growing family to make into their family home. The loft, previously a lighting showroom, had been converted for residential use with the standard amenities but was entirely open and therefore needed to be reconfigured. One of the best attributes of this particular loft is its extremely large windows situated on all four sides due to the locations of neighboring buildings. This unusual condition allowed much of the rear of the space to be divided into 3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms, all of which had ample windows. The kitchen and the utilities were moved to the center of the space as they did not require as much natural lighting, leaving the entire front of the loft as an open dining/living area. The overall space was given a more modern feel while emphasizing it’s industrial character. The original tin ceiling was preserved throughout the loft with all new lighting run in orderly conduit beneath it, much of which is exposed light bulbs. In a play on the ceiling material the main wall opposite the kitchen was clad in unfinished, distressed tin panels creating a focal point in the home. Traditional baseboards and door casings were thrown out in lieu of blackened steel angle throughout the loft. Blackened steel was also used in combination with glass panels to create an enclosure for the office at the end of the main corridor; this allowed the light from the large window in the office to pass though while creating a private yet open space to work. The master suite features a large open bath with a sculptural freestanding tub all clad in a serene beige tile that has the feel of concrete. The kids bath is a fun play of large cobalt blue hexagon tile on the floor and rear wall of the tub juxtaposed with a bright white subway tile on the remaining walls. The kitchen features a long wall of floor to ceiling white and navy cabinetry with an adjacent 15 foot island of which half is a table for casual dining. Other interesting features of the loft are the industrial ladder up to the small elevated play area in the living room, the navy cabinetry and antique mirror clad dining niche, and the wallpapered powder room with antique mirror and blackened steel accessories.

Ingram Kitchen

User

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

Blue & White Transitional Kitchen

Tesi Design, Inc. Interiors and Cabinetry

Placing white statuary stone on the island and a solid grey quartz on the perimeter of the kitchen gave them a cohesive yet high stylized kitchen mixing up cabinet and stone colors. Brass accents in the hardware, lighting and furnishings adds a warm metallic sparkle to a functional space.

Vallejo Court Project

AFT Construction

Open Kitchen with large island. Two-tone cabinetry with decorative end panels. White quartz counters with stainless steel hood and brass pendant light fixtures.

Vallejo Court Project

AFT Construction

Open Kitchen with large island. Two-tone cabinetry with decorative end panels. White quartz counters with stainless steel hood and brass pendant light fixtures.

Allin St.

Hamilton Architects

Inspiration for a small modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

Wood's End

Narofsky Architecture + ways2design

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary galley open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island, beige floor, white benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

Open Plan Kitchen with Quartz Benchtops 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!