Here you can see the full kitchen space. The black & blue island is a nice accent to break up the natural brown hues of the flooring, cabinets, and granite counter top. High set pendant lights add function and beauty without being obstructive when working on the island.

Valley Horse Farm

Moore Design Builders

Paul Rogers
Mid-sized country l-shaped kitchen pantry in Burlington with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, distressed cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, limestone floors and with island.

1920s Seattle Kitchen Remodel

Lara M

Kitchen breakfast area
Photo of a mid-sized arts and crafts l-shaped separate kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, limestone floors, no island, black floor and black benchtop.

The 1790 Garvin-Weeks Farmstead

Cummings Architecture + Interiors

The 1790 Garvin-Weeks Farmstead is a beautiful farmhouse with Georgian and Victorian period rooms as well as a craftsman style addition from the early 1900s. The original house was from the late 18th century, and the barn structure shortly after that. The client desired architectural styles for her new master suite, revamped kitchen, and family room, that paid close attention to the individual eras of the home. The master suite uses antique furniture from the Georgian era, and the floral wallpaper uses stencils from an original vintage piece. The kitchen and family room are classic farmhouse style, and even use timbers and rafters from the original barn structure. The expansive kitchen island uses reclaimed wood, as does the dining table. The custom cabinetry, milk paint, hand-painted tiles, soapstone sink, and marble baking top are other important elements to the space. The historic home now shines. Eric Roth

Bay Village Renovation

Frank Valdes

This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in Boston with soapstone benchtops, a farmhouse sink and blue splashback.

Contemporary Feel, Classic Style on the NH Seacoast

User

Matthew designed the hutch as a furniture piece. It is made from antique Pine and provides a lovely space to display dishes while bringing a touch of history to the design. It also looks great with the Hickory flooring.

New In-Store Display

Sam's Ceramic Tile, Kitchen & Bath

New Plato Kitchen display in our Mahopac, NY showroom. Soapstone counter top with one piece soapstone sink. Island has a cherry butcher block counter top. Sage hand molded tiles back splash.

Casey Key Coastal

Perrone Construction Custom Homes

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style galley open plan kitchen in Tampa with an undermount sink, soapstone benchtops, blue splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor, grey benchtop, recessed-panel cabinets and turquoise cabinets.

Historic Pasadena period Original kitchen vent spanish style

Bethanis Homes

This is an example of a large mediterranean kitchen in Los Angeles with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, yellow splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

French Farmhouse

Mirador Builders

This is an example of a large mediterranean galley open plan kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, blue cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Kitchen

Wells Design Studio

Photo of a transitional kitchen in Denver with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and black benchtop.

White Shaker Kitchen with soapstone countertops

Bouchard-Pierce

Designer: Matt Welch Contractor: Adam Lambert Photographer: Mark Bayer
Mid-sized arts and crafts u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Burlington with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

An Updated Classic

SJ&J Design

Custom Spaces
Photo of a small traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and dark hardwood floors.

Chicago Bread Baker's Kitchen. Design by Fred M Alsen of fma Interior Design.

FMA Interior Design, Inc.

Mike Kaskel
Inspiration for a large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Chicago with a single-bowl sink, glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, stainless steel appliances, cork floors and with island.

New Hartford Traditional Country Kitchen

Showcase Kitchens

A long view of this stunning traditional kitchen with custom beaded inset cabinets.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional galley separate kitchen in Bridgeport with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, black benchtop, brick splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Washington Ave.

Stonehearth Remodeling

Mark Wingert - Wing Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, matchstick tile splashback, white appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and a drop-in sink.

Timber Frame Transitional Kitchen

Designs for Living by Wendy, LLC

Inspiration for a large country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Jacksonville with light wood cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, soapstone benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback and black benchtop.

Installed photos

Crocodile Rocks

Soapstone│Crocodile Rocks │Mary Hansen Design
Traditional single-wall eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, soapstone benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Contemporary Spaces

Fedewa Custom Works

This was a beautiful kitchen we fabricated, using quartersawn sapele wood. There is a horizontal grain match. The appliances are Wolf / Subzero. The countertops are soapstone (not currently oiled). The contractor is Zred, and architect is Michael JK Olsen.

Saucon Valley Classic

Jarrett Design

This is an example of a large transitional kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, with island, grey benchtop, shaker cabinets, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Orange Kitchen with Soapstone 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!