Fresh, clean, white apartment kitchen with living room in mirrored reflection.
Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Melbourne with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Ferndale Cottage

Kitty Lee Architecture

Inspiration for a small contemporary open plan kitchen in Sydney with an undermount sink, medium wood cabinets, terrazzo benchtops, pink splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and pink benchtop.

Kitchen with Bronzed Mirror Splashbacks

Nouvelle Kitchens & Bathrooms

This is an example of a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, metallic splashback, mirror splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula and beige benchtop.

Warriewood Kitchen + Laundry

Northern Beaches Kitchens and Bathrooms

Small contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and beige splashback.

Weather House

Mihaly Slocombe

Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Elmhurst Cottage

DESIGN LAB 444

Stephanie Russo Photography
Photo of a small country single-wall open plan kitchen in Phoenix with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, laminate floors, a peninsula and grey floor.

Black in the 'Stow

PlaceDesign Kitchens and Interiors

The view from the sofa into the kitchen. A relatively small space but good coming has meant the area feels uncluttered yet still has a lot of storage.

Three Arch Cottage

Nate Fischer Interiors

Bright and airy cottage kitchen with natural wood accents and a pop of blue.
This is an example of a small beach style single-wall open plan kitchen in Orange County with shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, blue splashback, terra-cotta splashback, panelled appliances, with island, white benchtop and vaulted.

modern beach cottage / lantern villager , dana point

Moss Yaw Design studio

modern furnishings and a palette of white oak, quartz, and wood paneling create a warm, inviting open kitchen, living and dining space
Photo of a small l-shaped open plan kitchen in Orange County with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey benchtop, black floor, exposed beam, an undermount sink and porcelain floors.

Kitchen remodel in Friedrichshain, Berlin.

Nomads at home

Kitchen remodel, apartment renovation, 35 m2 | Berlin | Friedrichshain | 2020 Scope of work: Conception Planning, Furniture Design, Budgeting, Detailed Planning, Sourcing, Contractors Evaluation, Site Supervision ulia and Mathieu are a couple who have lived in Berlin-Friedrichshain for several years. Although they loved their apartment, they were never satisfied with their kitchen and dining area. Although the space was large, it felt cramped. There were many doorways and it was difficult to make it functional. Plus, there just wasn't enough counter space, and it was difficult to find enough room for all of their kitchen utensils. Julia and Mathieu are two wonderful people who radiated warmth and welcome but the gloomy kitchen did not do justice to their personalities. That is why they reached out to me, hoping that an architect would help them better plan their apartment remodel.

No way this is laminate? Believe it!

CraftedWild Cabinetry

Photo Credit: Pawel Dmytrow
Photo of a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Cucina aperta

Arch. Cristina De Marco

Fotografie Antonio La Grotta
Photo of a small beach style u-shaped open plan kitchen in Turin with black cabinets, black splashback, porcelain floors, a peninsula, black benchtop, flat-panel cabinets and grey floor.

Tiny House Residence

suba | Suanne Bassett, Architect

Photographed by Michele Lee Willson. Contractor: Bay Area Custom Homes. 800+ sq. ft. with 12'-0" ceilings, 10'-0" windows, french oak floors and custom Douglas Fir doors.

VIA CAMPO AUREO KITCHEN

Tomlinson Kitchen and Bath

Small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors, a peninsula, multi-coloured floor and white benchtop.

Rénovation complète d'une maison individuelle

Anne Rose BOUYER - KAURI ARCHITECTURE

Création d'une cuisine sur mesure avec "niche" bleue. Conception d'un casier bouteilles intégré dans les colonnes de rangements. Joints creux parfaitement alignés. Détail des poignées de meubles filantes noires.

Maroubra 2022

Sartorial Interiors

Photo of a small contemporary l-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, stone slab splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Restauro Appartamento Via Magnolie

Arch. Alessandra Cipriani

Open space con cucina, corner breakfast studiati nel minimo dettaglio
This is an example of a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Florence with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

04 apartment Berlin

studiocape

Es handelt sich um eine kleine, 44 qm große Wohnung im Seitenflügel eines Berliner Altbaus. Durch die Entfernung einer Wand konnte eine offenen Wohnküche geschaffen werden. Der l-förmig geschnittene Küchenblock mit hellgrauer Fenix Oberfläche steht auf einem Feld aus Zementfliesen.

No way this is laminate? Believe it!

CraftedWild Cabinetry

Photo Credit: Pawel Dmytrow
This is an example of a small contemporary single-wall open plan kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Projet rénovation complète et architecture d'intérieure appartement familial

Pétillance

L'ancienne cuisine était à l'autre bout de l'appartement et est devenue une chambre. La cuisine a trouvé sa place dans le séjour, pour cela nous avons déplacé un mur et gagné de l'espace dans un ancien dressing et un couloir inutile.

Small Open Plan 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!