Photo of a small contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, grey splashback, limestone splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and an undermount sink.

белый софт, графит софт, вотан

Smirnoff HOUSE

Inspiration for a small l-shaped kitchen in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white splashback, limestone splashback and no island.

Cuisine sur-mesure

QUADRO PARIS 16

This is an example of a small contemporary l-shaped separate kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, black splashback, limestone splashback, panelled appliances and black benchtop.

Lofty Ambitions

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

This project was a gut renovation of a loft on Park Ave. South in Manhattan – it’s the personal residence of Andrew Petronio, partner at KA Design Group. Bilotta Senior Designer, Jeff Eakley, has worked with KA Design for 20 years. When it was time for Andrew to do his own kitchen, working with Jeff was a natural choice to bring it to life. Andrew wanted a modern, industrial, European-inspired aesthetic throughout his NYC loft. The allotted kitchen space wasn’t very big; it had to be designed in such a way that it was compact, yet functional, to allow for both plenty of storage and dining. Having an island look out over the living room would be too heavy in the space; instead they opted for a bar height table and added a second tier of cabinets for extra storage above the walls, accessible from the black-lacquer rolling library ladder. The dark finishes were selected to separate the kitchen from the rest of the vibrant, art-filled living area – a mix of dark textured wood and a contrasting smooth metal, all custom-made in Bilotta Collection Cabinetry. The base cabinets and refrigerator section are a horizontal-grained rift cut white oak with an Ebony stain and a wire-brushed finish. The wall cabinets are the focal point – stainless steel with a dark patina that brings out black and gold hues, picked up again in the blackened, brushed gold decorative hardware from H. Theophile. The countertops by Eastern Stone are a smooth Black Absolute; the backsplash is a black textured limestone from Artistic Tile that mimics the finish of the base cabinets. The far corner is all mirrored, elongating the room. They opted for the all black Bertazzoni range and wood appliance panels for a clean, uninterrupted run of cabinets. Designer: Jeff Eakley with Andrew Petronio partner at KA Design Group. Photographer: Stefan Radtke

Lofty Ambitions

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Upper East Side Atelier

Weil Friedman Architects

A galley kitchen was reconfigured and opened up to the living room to create a charming, bright u-shaped kitchen.
Design ideas for a small traditional u-shaped kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, stainless steel appliances, limestone floors, beige floor and black benchtop.

Open Kitchen with Living room Sw16

MAKING THE WORLD BEAUTIFUL

The other side of this amazing remodeled kitchen with living room
Small arts and crafts l-shaped open plan kitchen in London with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, limestone splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors and no island.

Un caldo rifugio

TOLLOT&C LLC.

Design ideas for a small country u-shaped open plan kitchen with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, limestone benchtops, grey splashback, limestone splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island and grey benchtop.

French Country Cottage

Tailored Spaces, Natalie Spiniolas

Removing the existing kitchen walls made the space feel larger and gave us opportunities to move around the work triangle for better flow in the kitchen.

French Country Cottage

Tailored Spaces, Natalie Spiniolas

Removing the existing kitchen walls made the space feel larger and gave us opportunities to move around the work triangle for better flow in the kitchen.

French Country Cottage

Tailored Spaces, Natalie Spiniolas

Removing the existing kitchen walls made the space feel larger and gave us opportunities to move around the work triangle for better flow in the kitchen.

Lofty Ambitions

Bilotta Kitchen & Home

Loft Frochot

User

Création d'un loft dans un ancien atelier de couture
Inspiration for a small eclectic single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, grey cabinets, laminate benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, no island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Loft Frochot

User

Création d'un loft dans un ancien atelier de couture
Photo of a small eclectic single-wall open plan kitchen in Paris with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, grey cabinets, laminate benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, no island, grey floor and grey benchtop.

Reforma integral de vivienda en Leioa

Efecto 3 Diseño e Interiorismo

Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Bilbao with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and beige benchtop.

Reforma integral de vivienda en Leioa

Efecto 3 Diseño e Interiorismo

Design ideas for a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Bilbao with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, limestone benchtops, beige splashback, limestone splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and beige benchtop.

Chicago Condo

M Studio

Small condo kitchen in Chicago. This space was difficult due to mechanical chases taking up much of the space in this kitchen. We were able to wrap them in panels to conceal the and integrated them into the storage blocks.

Reforma integral de vivienda en Leioa

Efecto 3 Diseño e Interiorismo

Penthouse loft complete remodel in Los Angeles

Metropolis Drafting and Construction Inc

Loft kitchens are always tricky since they are usually very small and most don’t have much cabinet space. Going against the standard design of opening the kitchen to the common area here we decided to close off a wall to allow additional cabinets to be installed. 2 large pantries were installed in the end of the kitchen for extra storage, a laundry enclosure was built to house the stackable washer/dryer unit and in the center of it all we have a large tall window to allow natural light to wash the space with light. The modern cabinets have an integral pulls design to give them a clean look without any hardware showing. Two tones, dark wood for bottom and tall cabinet and white for upper cabinets give this narrow galley kitchen a sensation of space. tying it all together is the long narrow rectangular gray/brown lime stone backsplash.

Wohnküche mit blauem Akzent

Jana Kubischik Interior GmbH

Jana Kubischik
This is an example of a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Berlin with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, blue splashback, limestone splashback, white appliances, light hardwood floors, no island and brown floor.

Small Kitchen with Limestone 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!