Burlingame Restoration and Kitchen Remodel

Design ideas for a mid-sized arts and crafts separate kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Bright Modern Kitchen Remodel

Minneapolis Granite

This kitchen takes a fresh, modern approach by combining Mayfair White granite with contemporary wood cabinets. Mayfair White is a beautiful bright stone marbled with a wide black speckling and forms part of our Moda Stone Collection.

Old World Craftsmanship

Whitelaw Custom Homes

Design ideas for a traditional galley separate kitchen in Detroit with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and black floor.

Granite with Split Stone Backsplash

Granite Huggers

Small traditional l-shaped separate kitchen in Dallas with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, no island and beige floor.

PARK PLACE 411

Avoda Construction & Consulting Inc.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern galley separate kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, painted wood floors and no island.

Mediterranean Kitchen

Large mediterranean l-shaped separate kitchen in Los Angeles with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, an undermount sink, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback and subway tile splashback.

Transitional / Contemporary Kitchen, Plymouth, MN

Trinity Construction Services, LLC

Transitional / Contemporary Stained Walnut Frameless Cabinetry, Quartzite Countertops, Waterfall Island with Prep Sink, Wide Plank White Oak Flooring, Thermador Appliances, Gas Cooktop, Double Ovens

1920s Seattle Kitchen Remodel

Lara M

Build in spice and oil corner cabinet with custom Prairie Style stained glass to match inset Prairie style tiles.
This is an example 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.

Farmstead Renovation - Showplace Cabinetry Pendleton 275 MDF door

Showplace Cabinetry Design Center

Large country l-shaped separate kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Custom Kitchen with Heavy Timber accents

Barna Log Homes Of PA

This is an example of a mid-sized country l-shaped separate kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, dark wood cabinets, wood benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and recessed-panel cabinets.

Pendant Lighting

We Got Lites

Industrial Chic kitchen with Multi Pendant light fixture
This is an example of a mid-sized industrial u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, brown splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Oakland Craftsman Kitchen

Levitch Associates, Incorporated

Looking back toward the front of the house, sliding pantry door to right Photo by Sunny Grewal
Mid-sized arts and crafts galley separate kitchen in San Francisco with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, travertine splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Modern Kitchen

RIKB Design Build

Modern Kitchen by Rhode Island Kitchen & Bath of Providence, RI www.RIKB.com
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern l-shaped separate kitchen in Providence with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, matchstick tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and no island.

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Calais Custom Homes

Inspiration for a large traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Dallas with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Upper West Side - 94th St. Agile Renovation

Bolster

Renovation of a kitchen by NYC design-build firm Bolster on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

East Camelback Mountain - Phoenix

Timmons Design Studio

Gourmet Kitchen
Design ideas for an expansive mediterranean separate kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, beige splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, travertine floors, multiple islands, beige floor and beige benchtop.

Heswall Kitchen

H. Miller Bros

A modern dresser, in solid walnut, for this modern but classic home. This kitchen was designed around the idea of a ‘modern dresser’. We love rework and renew traditional kitchen typologies and the dresser, as a piece of kitchen furniture, seemed ripe for the challenge. With the client's love of dark timber, solid walnut was a great choice. Our first move was to float the piece off the floor, which increased the perception of space in the room. It’s a great feature that helps to avoided the bulkiness from which some kitchens suffer. A reading seat was incorporated, complete with Anglepoise lamp, with a backrest lined in solid hardwood. Walnut was used for all the feature elements in the kitchen, including a floating bookcase and lined entrance way. The drawers and cabinetry, in contrast to the walnut, were finished in a crisp, clean, block grey. A contemporary, white Aga finished the design.

Randolph Traditional Kitchen

Creative K&B LLC.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with a double-bowl sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, beige benchtop and granite benchtops.

Transitional Kitchen & Bath

Kitchen Art Design

Photography: Melody Davis Designer: Miranda Wall Design & Friesen Bros Construction
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Vancouver with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, glass tile splashback, a double-bowl sink, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Kitchen and Dining Spaces

Budget Blinds of Old Saybrook

Roman shades are a great choice for any room and come in a variety of stylish fabric and fun patterns.
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional separate kitchen in Bridgeport with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback and matchstick tile splashback.

Separate Kitchen with Dark Wood Cabinets 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!