This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Columbus with a farmhouse sink, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, white benchtop and shaker cabinets.

Docking Drawer in Studio Dearborn kitchen

Studio Dearborn

A 1920s colonial in a shorefront community in Westchester County had an expansive renovation with new kitchen by Studio Dearborn. Countertops White Macauba; interior design Lorraine Levinson. Photography, Timothy Lenz.

Transitional Kitchen Remodel and Addition in Birmingham, MI

MainStreet Design Build

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

White and gray kitchen.

Gallery Kitchens and Baths

St. Martin White Gray kitchen
Photo of a large traditional l-shaped kitchen in New York with an undermount sink, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and recessed-panel cabinets.

Westport Country

Christine Donner Kitchen Design Inc.

An oversize island in walnut/sap wood holds its own in this large space. Imperial Danby marble is the countertop and backsplash. The stainless Sub Zero Pro fridge brings an exciting industrial note.

Desco Project

Faulkner Perrin Custom Homes

Transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Dallas with open cabinets, white cabinets, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

Квартира на ул. Чайковского

Maxim Maximov

Design ideas for a small transitional single-wall eat-in kitchen in Saint Petersburg with grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, no island, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, cement tiles, brown floor and white benchtop.

Transitional Kitchen Renovation in Washington, DC

BOWA

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, light wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, white benchtop, exposed beam and recessed-panel cabinets.

Baker's Kitchen

Haus Interior Design

Before renovating, this bright and airy family kitchen was small, cramped and dark. The dining room was being used for spillover storage, and there was hardly room for two cooks in the kitchen. By knocking out the wall separating the two rooms, we created a large kitchen space with plenty of storage, space for cooking and baking, and a gathering table for kids and family friends. The dark navy blue cabinets set apart the area for baking, with a deep, bright counter for cooling racks, a tiled niche for the mixer, and pantries dedicated to baking supplies. The space next to the beverage center was used to create a beautiful eat-in dining area with an over-sized pendant and provided a stunning focal point visible from the front entry. Touches of brass and iron are sprinkled throughout and tie the entire room together. Photography by Stacy Zarin

Garden Court, Philadelphia: Open Kitchen Concept with Breakfast Nook Addition

Bellweather Design-Build, LLC

Ronnie Bruce Photography Bellweather Construction, LLC is a trained and certified remodeling and home improvement general contractor that specializes in period-appropriate renovations and energy efficiency improvements. Bellweather's managing partner, William Giesey, has over 20 years of experience providing construction management and design services for high-quality home renovations in Philadelphia and its Main Line suburbs. Will is a BPI-certified building analyst, NARI-certified kitchen and bath remodeler, and active member of his local NARI chapter. He is the acting chairman of a local historical commission and has participated in award-winning restoration and historic preservation projects. His work has been showcased on home tours and featured in magazines.

Hideen Storage Kitchen

Morgan McMurphy Renovation & Design

Design ideas for an expansive country kitchen pantry in Chicago with a double-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and brown floor.

French Country Chateau Custom Home

Fautt Homes

Design ideas for an expansive l-shaped kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor, beige benchtop, white cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, stone tile splashback and raised-panel cabinets.

Modern Farmhouse-Upstate

Crisp Architects

Kitchen with concrete countertop island and pendant lighting.
Design ideas for a large country u-shaped kitchen in New York with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, timber splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

The Basement Makes a Statement: Pantry

Tamara Day Design

Design ideas for a large traditional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Kansas City with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Дом для работы

АР-КА бюро - Илона Болейшиц, Игорь Орлов

This is an example of a mid-sized industrial l-shaped open plan kitchen in Moscow with an undermount sink, blue cabinets, laminate benchtops, blue splashback, ceramic splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor, black benchtop, recessed and flat-panel cabinets.

Küche mit Beton-Arbeitsplatte

bop architects

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open plan kitchen in Berlin with an integrated sink, concrete benchtops, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Emerald City Beauty

Potter Construction Inc

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, panelled appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, green benchtop and quartz benchtops.

Kitchen Remodel - Ann Arbor, MI

User

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Detroit with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, engineered quartz splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, white benchtop and recessed.

Highlands Ranch Sleek Transitional Kitchen

JM Kitchen & Bath Design

Omega Cabinets: Puritan door style, Pearl White Paint, Paint MDF door Heartwood: Alder Wood, Stained with Glaze (floating shelves, island, hood)
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in Denver with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

FOR SALE: Tanglewood Transitional Estate

Frankel Design Build

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary open plan kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, multi-coloured benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

Turquoise Kitchen with Brown Floor 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!