The kitchen was designed two years ago and was then erased and redesigned when the world became a different place a year later. As everyone attempted to flatten the curve, our goal in this regard was to create a kitchen that looked forward to a sharp curve down and of a happier time To that promise for happier times, the redesign, a goal was to make the kitchen brighter and more optimistic. This was done by using simple, primary shapes and circular pendants and emphasizing them in contrast, adding a playful countenance. The selection of a dynamic grain of figured walnut also contributes as this once-living material and its sinuous grain adds motion, rhythm, and scale. Proud of their 1970s home, one challenge of the design was to balance a 1970's feel and stay current. However, many ‘70s references looked and felt outdated. The first step was a changed mindset. Just like the return of the ‘40s bath and the retro movement a few years ago, every era returns in some way. Chronologically, the '70s will soon be here. Our design looked to era-specific furniture and materials of the decade. Figured walnut was so pervasive in the era: this motif was used on car exteriors such as the 1970 Town and Country Station Wagon, which debuted the same year the existing home was built. We also looked at furniture specific to the decade. The console stereo is referenced not only by high legs on the island but also by the knurled metal cabinet knobs reminiscent of often-used stereo dials. Knurled metalwork is also used on the kitchen faucet. The design references the second piece of '70s furniture in our modern TV tray, which is angled to face the television in the family room. Its round pencil and mug holder cutouts follow the design of walnut consoles and dashboard of the station wagon and other elements of the time.

Minimalist apartment

Crewzz, Inc

Modernist clean kitchen
Inspiration for a small industrial single-wall open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, brick splashback, black appliances, ceramic floors, with island, black floor and brown benchtop.

City of Westminster London - Contemporary 2 Bedroom Apartment

Homeconcepts

Contemporary Apartment Renovation in Westminster, London - Matt Finish Kitchen Silestone Worktops
This is an example of a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in London with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island, yellow floor, white benchtop and wallpaper.

Tiny But Mighty Kitchen

Lucy Johnson Interior Design

Small midcentury galley eat-in kitchen in Seattle with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, linoleum floors, no island, grey floor and white benchtop.

Reforma integral de un piso de 27m2 en Madrid

StudioMadera s.l.

Small scandinavian l-shaped open plan kitchen in Madrid with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, panelled appliances, laminate floors, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

42 m2 coloré

Emilie Melin architecte DPLG

Inspiration for a small contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Paris with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, terrazzo floors, multi-coloured floor and brown benchtop.

Putney extension and ground floor refurbishment

Active Builders London ltd

Kitchen with island and herringbone style splashback with floating shelves
Inspiration for a small eclectic single-wall eat-in kitchen in London with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

West 5 Apartment

Brosh Architects

Kitchen
Inspiration for a small contemporary galley separate kitchen in London with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, solid surface benchtops, beige splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, beige floor and beige benchtop.

Autonomi in 60 mq: Casa, Ufficio, Palestra, Cinema

Liadesign

Liadesign
Small industrial single-wall open plan kitchen in Milan with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, no island and recessed.

Reforma integral en Premià de Mar

DianaHome - La Eco-Reforma

Inspiration for a small scandinavian eat-in kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, marble floors, with island, white floor and white benchtop.

niguel west mid-century modern

Moss Yaw Design studio

modern geometries, pendant lighting and contrasting materials add visual interest while a new peninsula and oversize island provide for increased functionality at the open kitchen

La casa di famiglia divisa tra madre e figlia - Progetto in corso

Liadesign

Liadesign
This is an example of a small contemporary galley separate kitchen in Milan with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, no island, green floor, white benchtop and recessed.

Reforma integral en El Carmen

GOSENDE NAVARRO · studio

Una cocina pensada para cubrir altas necesidades en un espacio de reducidas dimensiones. Todo lo necesario para el día a día diseñado de forma que quede integrado en un espacio mixto de salón - estudio.

Retreat on 1st St

Beyond Beige Interior Design Inc.

Beyond Beige Interior Design | www.beyondbeige.com | Ph: 604-876-3800 | Photography By Provoke Studios |
Small contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Vancouver with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and white benchtop.

GZ Nuovo appartamento 120 m2

Filippo Zuliani Architetto

Photo of a small modern single-wall separate kitchen in Milan with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, black splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, black floor and black benchtop.

Carnot

Anouck Charbonnier

Design ideas for a small scandinavian l-shaped kitchen in Lyon with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, with island, white floor and beige benchtop.

КУХНЯ

АСЯ БОНДАРЕВА

This is an example of a small contemporary single-wall eat-in kitchen in Moscow with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor, black benchtop, an undermount sink, granite benchtops, black splashback, granite splashback and black appliances.

Small Galley Kitchen

Wilkinson Brochier Interior Design

Open plan apartment living for urban dwellers optimizes small space city living. Here a galley kitchen in white and dark gray makes a style statement.

Montebello 01_Milano

studioariamilano

Small arts and crafts u-shaped kitchen in Milan with flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Paradise Tiny Homes LLC- The Oasis Tiny Home

Ellie K Design

This coastal, contemporary Tiny Home features a warm yet industrial style kitchen with stainless steel counters and husky tool drawers with black cabinets. the silver metal counters are complimented by grey subway tiling as a backsplash against the warmth of the locally sourced curly mango wood windowsill ledge. I mango wood windowsill also acts as a pass-through window to an outdoor bar and seating area on the deck. Entertaining guests right from the kitchen essentially makes this a wet-bar. LED track lighting adds the right amount of accent lighting and brightness to the area. The window is actually a french door that is mirrored on the opposite side of the kitchen. This kitchen has 7-foot long stainless steel counters on either end. There are stainless steel outlet covers to match the industrial look. There are stained exposed beams adding a cozy and stylish feeling to the room. To the back end of the kitchen is a frosted glass pocket door leading to the bathroom. All shelving is made of Hawaiian locally sourced curly mango wood. A stainless steel fridge matches the rest of the style and is built-in to the staircase of this tiny home. Dish drying racks are hung on the wall to conserve space and reduce clutter.

Small Kitchen with Flat-panel 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!