Francis Combes
This is an example of a small modern separate kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, ceramic floors and no island.

Schomberg installation

KitchenArt

Design ideas for an eclectic l-shaped kitchen in Toronto with stainless steel appliances, orange cabinets, grey splashback, stone tile splashback and recessed-panel cabinets.

Country House

Meridian Construction Corp.

Design ideas for a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Kansas City with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Teri Turan

Turan Designs, Inc.

Traditional Dark Wood Kitchen Sacha Griffin
Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Hanover Rustic Kitchen

Kathleen Doyle Interior Designs LLC

Bill Secord
Inspiration for an expansive arts and crafts eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an integrated sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, green splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and with island.

Pullout Pantry Storage

Kitchen & Bath Design + Construction

Tucked away behind a cabinet panel is this pullout pantry unit. Photography by Chrissy Racho.
Inspiration for a large eclectic l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Bridgeport with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and with island.

Ponce Davis

Preschel + Bassan Studio

Large modern open plan kitchen in Miami with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors, with island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Gallery Before & After, San Luis Kitchen, Brookhaven

San Luis Kitchen Co.

Wheelchair Accessible Kitchen Custom height counters, high toe kicks and recessed knee areas are the calling card for this wheelchair accessible design. The base cabinets are all designed to be easy reach -- pull-out units (both trash and storage), drawers and a lazy susan. Functionality meets aesthetic beauty in this kitchen remodel. (The homeowner worked with an occupational therapist to access current and future spatial needs.)

Residence Nevada City CA

Trisha Conley Design

Trisha Conley
Design ideas for a mid-sized country l-shaped separate kitchen in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, light wood cabinets, zinc benchtops, brown splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island and grey floor.

Capitol Heights, MD SFH Renovation

Innovative Estates

Small modern l-shaped separate kitchen in DC Metro with a double-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and medium hardwood floors.

Corte Madera

ARCD

Clean and fresh flush inset white Shaker kitchen and island with end grain butcher block counter top
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Corner View

Matrix Design Group LLC

Cabinets are a custom green with a black glaze. Island is distressed black stain. Photo Credit: Kathy Bustard, Mija Art + Design www.mijaartanddesign.com

Ladera

Lewis Builders

Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Orange County with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stone tile splashback, light hardwood floors, no island, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances and grey benchtop.

Irving Park (3)

Cabinet Concepts, Greensboro

Traditional Kitchen Remodel, features painted & glazed beaded-inset cabinetry with rift & quartered oak accents in stylized X door design.
This is an example of a traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, distressed cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Kitchen and Bathroom Renovation

Granite Center

Dawn Earles
Photo of a transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback and stainless steel appliances.

Robbinsville Kitchen Addition

New Outlooks Construction

Rich, purple accents, detailed white cabinets, and marble counter tops are what makes the DeBenedetto Kitchen both traditional and elegant. While still using updated, stainless steel appliances, this kitchen remodel uses designs from past eras to create a unique, inviting atmosphere. Open up your kitchen layout with large windows to allow for more natural light, courtesy of New Outlooks Construction.

Coffey & Co. House of Interiors

Design ideas for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Omaha with raised-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, copper benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Biere Kitchen

Turan Designs, Inc.

Transitional Kitchen Sacha Griffin
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional galley eat-in kitchen in Atlanta with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Apartment Renovation 130 East 94th Street

KBR Design & Build

This is an example of a small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and no island.

Gallery Before & After, San Luis Kitchen, Wood-Mode

San Luis Kitchen Co.

Tuscan design using a burnished & glazed finish on oak cabinets by Wood-Mode. The columns either side of the range pull out with spice and bottle storage behind. The curved profile of the top drawer-heads extends around the kitchen. When the homeowners decided to move from San Francisco to the Central Coast, they were looking for a more relaxed lifestyle, a unique place to call their own, and an environment conducive to raising their young children. They found it all in San Luis Obispo. They had owned a house here in SLO for several years that they had used as a rental. As the homeowners own and run a contracting business and relocation was not impossible, they decided to move their business and make this SLO rental into their dream home. As a rental, the house was in a bare-bones condition. The kitchen had old white cabinets, boring white tile counters, and a horrendous vinyl tile floor. Not only was the kitchen out-of-date and old-fashioned, it was also pretty worn out. The tiles were cracking and the grout was stained, the cabinet doors were sagging, and the appliances were conflicting (ie: you could not open the stove and dishwasher at the same time). To top it all off, the kitchen was just too small for the custom home the homeowners wanted to create. Thus enters San Luis Kitchen. At the beginning of their quest to remodel, the homeowners visited San Luis Kitchen’s showroom and fell in love with our Tuscan Grotto display. They sat down with our designers and together we worked out the scope of the project, the budget for cabinetry and how that fit into their overall budget, and then we worked on the new design for the home starting with the kitchen. As the homeowners felt the kitchen was cramped, it was decided to expand by moving the window wall out onto the existing porch. Besides the extra space gained, moving the wall brought the kitchen window out from under the porch roof – increasing the natural light available in the space. (It really helps when the homeowner both understands building and can do his own contracting and construction.) A new arched window and stone clad wall now highlights the end of the kitchen. As we gained wall space, we were able to move the range and add a plaster hood, creating a focal nice focal point for the kitchen. The other long wall now houses a Sub-Zero refrigerator and lots of counter workspace. Then we completed the kitchen by adding a wrap-around wet bar extending into the old dining space. We included a pull-out pantry unit with open shelves above it, wine cubbies, a cabinet for glassware recessed into the wall, under-counter refrigerator drawers, sink base and trash cabinet, along with a decorative bookcase cabinet and bar seating. Lots of function in this corner of the kitchen; a bar for entertaining and a snack station for the kids. After the kitchen design was finalized and ordered, the homeowners turned their attention to the rest of the house. They asked San Luis Kitchen to help with their master suite, a guest bath, their home control center (essentially a deck tucked under the main staircase) and finally their laundry room. Here are the photos: I wish I could show you the rest of the house. The homeowners took a poor rental house and turned it into a showpiece! They added custom concrete floors, unique fiber optic lighting, large picture windows, and much more. There is now an outdoor kitchen complete with pizza oven, an outdoor shower and exquisite garden. They added a dedicated dog run to the side yard for their pooches and a rooftop deck at the very peak. Such a fun house.

Purple Kitchen with Stone Tile Splashback 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!