Rustic hickory kitchen featuring Kraftmaid cabinetry, granite countertops, an expansive island, hardwood flooring, tile backsplash, and an undermount sink.

Nordlund Kitchen--After

Distinctive Kitchens

What had been an outdated and dark space with old appliances, is now a bright, stylish and textural open-floor plan kitchen and dining space. Before the gut remodel, the spaces lacked the cool Midcentury style the homeowners craved. Distinctive Kitchens was brought in to help choose finishes--tile backsplash and floors, sink, faucet, lighting, countertops and cabinet hardware. The goal was to bring the style and flare of the Midcentury Modern aesthetic back to the home using a neutral palette and lots of texture. The adjacent dining room was also part of the design, because the rooms have such a strong relationship to each other. We consulted on furniture and lighting in that room, making sure the two light fixtures (one over the sink, the other over the dining table) didn't compete for attention. We feel the end result is fresh, clean, and texturally beautiful. Kitchen and dining room staging by Allison Scheff of Distinctive Kitchens. Photos by Wynne H Earle

Carani Kitchen

Detailed Designs By Denise

Expansive traditional l-shaped kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, stainless steel appliances and grey cabinets.

Cocina en zona Chamberi, Madrid

Nimú

Vista frontal de la cocina. Foto: Jose Luis de Lara
Mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Madrid with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island and ceramic floors.

Kemper Kitchen

Miller Woodworks

Photo of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Cincinnati with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, a peninsula, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Midwest Lake Home

Wade Weissmann Architecture

A library ladder is a charming, unexpected addition to a kitchen, but totally functional for accessing storage.
This is an example of an expansive country l-shaped kitchen in Milwaukee with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Traditional Kitchen Remodel in Portland Oregon Bungalow

Sitka Projects

This kitchen had been remodeled multiple times throughout the years and was in dire need of a fresh remodel. The home owners now have a time period appropriate style kitchen with modern creature comforts every cook will love.

Millstone Terrace

Webber Development & Construction

Rustic White Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Industrial Chic kitchen

Christopher Howard

Kitchen design with large Island to seat four in a barn conversion to create a comfortable family home. The original stone wall was refurbished, as was the timber sliding barn doors.

Barnett Mid-Century

Blue Hot Design, LLC

Ken Dahlin / Genesis Architecture
This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Milwaukee with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, black splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, vinyl floors and with island.

Sunny Kitchen Remodel

Bryhn Design/Build

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.

Contemporary Kitchen Remodel

Dreamstyle Remodeling

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Albuquerque with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, matchstick tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, with island and grey floor.

Residential Interior & Exterior

DiPasquale Painting

Kitchen with dark brown walls and stained wood cabinets
Mid-sized transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in St Louis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, brown splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Bathrooms

Shaw Design Group

Traditional kitchen in Salt Lake City with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stone tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Kitchen Projects

Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops

Contemporary kitchen in Boston with stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets.

Traditional Kitchen

Photo of a traditional kitchen in Newark with stainless steel appliances, raised-panel cabinets and dark wood cabinets.

Music Barn

Birdseye Design

Design ideas for a country u-shaped open plan kitchen in Burlington with a farmhouse sink, medium wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and shaker cabinets.

Balmoral House

CHROFI

Elegant and minimalist kitchen in classic marble and soft dark tones. The Balmoral House is located within the lower north-shore suburb of Balmoral. The site presents many difficulties being wedged shaped, on the low side of the street, hemmed in by two substantial existing houses and with just half the land area of its neighbours. Where previously the site would have enjoyed the benefits of a sunny rear yard beyond the rear building alignment, this is no longer the case with the yard having been sold-off to the neighbours. Our design process has been about finding amenity where on first appearance there appears to be little. The design stems from the first key observation, that the view to Middle Harbour is better from the lower ground level due to the height of the canopy of a nearby angophora that impedes views from the first floor level. Placing the living areas on the lower ground level allowed us to exploit setback controls to build closer to the rear boundary where oblique views to the key local features of Balmoral Beach and Rocky Point Island are best. This strategy also provided the opportunity to extend these spaces into gardens and terraces to the limits of the site, maximising the sense of space of the 'living domain'. Every part of the site is utilised to create an array of connected interior and exterior spaces The planning then became about ordering these living volumes and garden spaces to maximise access to view and sunlight and to structure these to accommodate an array of social situations for our Client’s young family. At first floor level, the garage and bedrooms are composed in a linear block perpendicular to the street along the south-western to enable glimpses of district views from the street as a gesture to the public realm. Critical to the success of the house is the journey from the street down to the living areas and vice versa. A series of stairways break up the journey while the main glazed central stair is the centrepiece to the house as a light-filled piece of sculpture that hangs above a reflecting pond with pool beyond. The architecture works as a series of stacked interconnected volumes that carefully manoeuvre down the site, wrapping around to establish a secluded light-filled courtyard and terrace area on the north-eastern side. The expression is 'minimalist modern' to avoid visually complicating an already dense set of circumstances. Warm natural materials including off-form concrete, neutral bricks and blackbutt timber imbue the house with a calm quality whilst floor to ceiling glazing and large pivot and stacking doors create light-filled interiors, bringing the garden inside. In the end the design reverses the obvious strategy of an elevated living space with balcony facing the view. Rather, the outcome is a grounded compact family home sculpted around daylight, views to Balmoral and intertwined living and garden spaces that satisfy the social needs of a growing young family. Photo Credit: Katherine Lu

Alameda Beach House Kitchen Remodel

Custom Kitchens by John Wilkins, Inc.

Francis Combes
Design ideas for a large transitional l-shaped separate kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, no island, blue floor and white benchtop.

Cook's Galley Kitchen

Covenant Kitchens & Baths, Inc.

Photo of a country kitchen in Bridgeport with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, brick floors, red floor, white benchtop and a peninsula.

Orange Kitchen with Stainless Steel Appliances 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!