Photo of a small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Columbus with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and white benchtop.

South Austin Craftsman Bungalow

Craftsman Homes of Austin

Inspiration for a small arts and crafts u-shaped kitchen in Austin with medium wood cabinets, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, no island, beige floor and black benchtop.

Belmont Remodel

Birdsmouth

Small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and no island.

James Kitchen

Rainbow Valley Design & Construction

Steve Smith Photography
This is an example of a small arts and crafts galley eat-in kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and no island.

Transitional Kitchen

This is an example of a small transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, brown splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula.

Refresh An Oak Kitchen

Encore Design LLC

R Keillor
Photo of a small traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Ellicott City, MD Chocolate Quartz Kitchen Countertops

Creative In Counters

This kitchen features Caesarstone Chocolate Truffle quartz countertops.
Design ideas for a small traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Baltimore with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and beige benchtop.

Suburban Condo Kitchen Remodel

Design First Kitchen and Bath

This warm, inviting kitchen is front and center when you enter this condo. Having the kitchen updated was critical to the entire feel of the home. Now the homeowners are settled in and happy.

Lancaster Kitchen Remodel

Creative Remodeling Services, LLC.

Inspiration for a small traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors and no island.

Galley Kitchen Remodel

Haskell Interiors

It is the details that make this small but efficient galley kitchen special. Featuring raised panel cherry cabinets with granite countertops and a porcelain floor.

Modern kitchen with wood mosaics

Simple Steps

This modern kitchen is a small space with a big personality. These large wooden mosaics make any wall amazing. This design is called Niteroi Legno and only Simple Steps has it.

Light and Cozy Galley Kitchen Designed By Cynthia Collins

Gilmans Kitchens and Baths

This kitchen was designed to function around a large family. The owners spend their weekend prepping large meals with extended family, so we gave them as much countertop space to prep and cook as we could. Tall cabinets, a secondary banks of drawers, and a bar area, were placed to the connecting space from the kitchen to the dining room for additional storage. Finally, a light wood and selective accents were chosen to give the space a light and airy feel.

Vermont goes Hobbit Modern

Meditch Murphey Architects

A view of the kitchen, loft, and exposed timber frame structure. photo by Lael Taylor
Inspiration for a small country single-wall open plan kitchen in DC Metro with flat-panel cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, brown floor, brown benchtop, grey cabinets, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Real Estate Photography

Hunter Loma

Design ideas for a small modern single-wall eat-in kitchen in Phoenix with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and medium wood cabinets.

Transitional Kitchen

Photo of a small transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, brown splashback, glass tile splashback, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula.

Rancho Mañana, Cave Creek, AZ

Camptin Concept and Design Center

Glass panel cabinets, white country oven and polished floor.
This is an example of a small country single-wall kitchen pantry in Orange County with glass-front cabinets, distressed cabinets and no island.

Distressed Engineered Oak Boards Tulse Hill, London

Fin Wood Ltd

The new wooden floor created a unity between the hallway area and lounge bringing the effect of a bigger space and making any visitor feeling welcomed. This was mainly achieved with the two steps seamlessly cladded and by precisely aligning the boards on both surfaces to have a continuity for each row. More details here -> http://goo.gl/FhjFZo

Mid-Century Modern Ranch

Laura Medicus Interiors

This Denver ranch house was a traditional, 8’ ceiling ranch home when I first met my clients. With the help of an architect and a builder with an eye for detail, we completely transformed it into a Mid-Century Modern fantasy. Photos by sara yoder

Upper East Side Pied-à-Terre

AGENCIE Architecture & Engineering P.C.

Inspiration for a small contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, panelled appliances, painted wood floors, with island, white benchtop, grey splashback, marble splashback and black floor.

"Container" House

Coates Design Architecture + Interiors

Container House interior
Design ideas for a small scandinavian l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, wood benchtops, concrete floors, with island, beige floor and beige benchtop.

Small Kitchen 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!