Design ideas for a midcentury galley separate kitchen in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and coloured appliances.

Tiny Dated Kitchen Gets Gigantic Renovation

Corinthian Fine Homes

This homeowner loved her home and location, but it needed updating and a more efficient use of the condensed space she had for her kitchen. We were creative in opening the kitchen and a small eat-in area to create a more open kitchen for multiple cooks to work together. We created a coffee station/serving area with floating shelves, and in order to preserve the existing windows, we stepped a base cabinet down to maintain adequate counter prep space. With custom cabinetry reminiscent of the era of this home and a glass tile back splash she loved, we were able to give her the kitchen of her dreams in a home she already loved. We attended a holiday cookie party at her home upon completion, and were able to experience firsthand, multiple cooks in the kitchen and hear the oohs and ahhs from family and friends about the amazing transformation of her spaces.

English Cottage

Kuklinski + Rappe Architects

Leslie Schwartz Photography
Design ideas for a small traditional galley separate kitchen in Chicago with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island and black benchtop.

French Country, Brookhaven

San Luis Kitchen Co.

French country styling is expressed here with the rustic plaster hood, muted colors and mullioned glass doors. The bountiful harvest mural and deco tiles (hand-painted in France with a crackle glaze!) are the epitome of country -- further accented by the faux window painting and yellow flower garland. (The faux window is hiding an oddly placed electronic controls.) Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry, Brookhaven's Pelham Manor

A Playful Shaker Kitchen

Sustainable Kitchens

A single cabinet Stone Blue (Farrow & Ball) island with oak worktop. This provides the perfect place for kitchen prep where the whole family can help out.The pendant light is painted Ferrari yellow adding a lovely pop of colour providing a great contrast to the exposed stone in this 19th century cottage.

Gore Creek Residence

Beth Levine Architect, Inc.

A blue Cornufe Stove imported from France is the focus of the kitchen. Beautiful William Ohs cabinets line the wall next to the stove, their white color brightening the room.

The Clerkenwell Kitchen by deVOL

deVOL Kitchens

Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors and no island.

Mai

The Cousins

Rustic meets luxe in the home of a fashionista and hunter couple. Wood paneled cabinets, hardwood flooring, and wood paneled walls play the more masculine counterpart to white snakeskin counters and backsplash. A chandelier made from deer antlers pops off the dark backdrop of a focal wall made with shou sugi ban technique. Aqua, retro kitchen appliances give a pop of color in this rustic space, while a live edge bar made from California redwood slabs tops off a glass partition between the dining room and living room, seamlessly blending the connected yet distinct spaces.

Willow Glen

Bridgford Construction Inc.

Photo of a traditional galley separate kitchen in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback and coloured appliances.

Rustic Mountain Home

Fedewa Custom Works

Another view of this lovely kitchen with green Viking appliances.
Photo of a large country l-shaped separate kitchen in Denver with coloured appliances, an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, slate splashback, slate floors, with island and multi-coloured floor.

Kitchen, Scullery, Pantry

Tim Moss

Emma Lewis
This is an example of a traditional galley separate kitchen in London with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, timber splashback, coloured appliances, with island and grey floor.

Kitchen

SITU DESIGN

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped separate kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, yellow splashback, stone slab splashback, coloured appliances, ceramic floors, no island, blue floor and white benchtop.

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.

Hampstead Cottage

Kia Designs

Inspiration for a small transitional l-shaped separate kitchen in London with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, coloured appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Creative Cottage Style Kitchen Remodel

Kelli Kaufer Designs

kelli kaufer
Photo of a mid-sized country separate kitchen in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, glass tile splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Listed Victorian Terrace in Kensington

Russell Taylor Architects

Design ideas for a large traditional galley separate kitchen in London with a single-bowl sink, beaded inset cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, coloured appliances, porcelain floors, with island, multi-coloured floor and grey benchtop.

Arlington Home Remodel

Alison Giese Interiors

Plaster hood and full custom cabinets with French, Lacanche range. Design by: Alison Giese Interiors.
Photo of a large transitional separate kitchen in DC Metro with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, green cabinets, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback, coloured appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop, timber and stone slab splashback.

Weed Street

DesignDot

Complete kitchen renovation, new cabinets, kitchen island, marble countertops, and wood flooring as well as furniture which includes a custom concrete table and lighting fixture. Photo Credit: Jane Beiles

Urban Retreat

GALUCHAT

A custom designed table base and cream leather upholstered chairs add character and style to the breakfast bar in this clean-lined, high gloss lacquer kitchen with subtle colour accents. Photos by Stefan Zander

NW Johnson Street House

User

Transitional single-wall separate kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, wood benchtops, green splashback, coloured appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Separate Kitchen with Coloured 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!