This was a full gut an renovation. The existing kitchen had very dated cabinets and didn't function well for the clients. A previous desk area was turned into hidden cabinetry to house the microwave and larger appliances and to keep the countertops clutter free. The original pendants were about 4" wide and were inappropriate for the large island. They were replaced with larger, brighter and more sophisticated pendants. The use of panel ready appliances with large matte black hardware made gave this a clean and sophisticated look. Mosaic tile was installed from the countertop to the ceiling and wall sconces were installed over the kitchen window. A different tile was used in the bar area which has a beverage refrigerator and an ice machine and floating shelves. The cabinetry in this area also includes a pullout drawer for dog food.

Traditional Kitchen

Mid-sized traditional l-shaped kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, with island, brown floor, black appliances, dark hardwood floors and grey cabinets.

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.

Emerald City Beauty

Potter Construction Inc

Design ideas 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 and brown floor.

ShelfGenie Full Kitchen

ShelfGenie of Central & Coastal VA

Kitchen overview with ShelfGenie solutions on display.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Richmond with an undermount sink, granite benchtops, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

White Kitchen with Reclaimed Wood Accents and Dash of Blue

Normandy Remodeling

This white painted kitchen features a splash of color in the blue backsplash tile and reclaimed wood beams that add more character and a focal point to the entire kitchen.

Daniels Kitchen

Legacy Kitchens

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern single-wall kitchen in Cincinnati with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, white benchtop, an undermount sink, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

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.

New Construction in Charlotte, NC

Walker Woodworking

This large, custom kitchen has multiple built-ins and a large, cerused oak island. There is tons of storage and this kitchen was designed to be functional for a busy family that loves to entertain guests.

Medfield, Ma.

color theory Boston

photo: Michael J Lee
Photo of an expansive country galley eat-in kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, glass-front cabinets, distressed cabinets, brick splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, quartz benchtops, with island and red splashback.

Miami Charm in Highland Park

Robert Elliott Custom Homes

Nathan Schroder Photography BK Design Studio Robert Elliott Custom Homes
Inspiration for a contemporary galley open plan kitchen in Dallas with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, stone slab splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Eclectic kitchen, botcher block 10x3 island

Ayelet Designs

click here to see BEFORE photos / AFTER photos http://ayeletdesigns.com/sunnyvale17/ Photos credit to Arnona Oren Photography

Sherwood Custom Home - Ironwood Acres

Patrick Schmitt, designer Inc.

This is an example of a large transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Portland with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Contemporary White Kitchen

BGI Design

An airy and light feeling inhabits this kitchen from the white walls to the white cabinets to the bamboo countertop and to the contemporary glass pendant lighting. Glass subway tile serves as the backsplash with an accent of organic leaf shaped glass tile over the cooktop. The island is a two part system that has one stationary piece closes to the window shown here and a movable piece running parallel to the dining room on the left. The movable piece may be moved around for different uses or a breakfast table can take its place instead. LED lighting is placed under the cabinets at the toe kick for a night light effect. White leather counter stools are housed under the island for convenient seating. Michael Hunter Photography

Ocean Drive

Donna Benedetto Designs LLC.

Paul Johnson Photography
This is an example of a large kitchen in New York with raised-panel cabinets, panelled appliances, marble benchtops, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, an undermount sink, subway tile splashback, with island, brown floor and grey cabinets.

6 Via Aragon - San Antonio Parade of Homes

K. Miller Interiors

SilverLeaf Custom Homes' San Antonio 2012 Parade of Homes Entry. Interior Design by Interiors by KM. Photos Courtesy: Siggi Ragnar.
Inspiration for a large contemporary eat-in kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, white appliances, dark hardwood floors and multiple islands.

Back in Time

Signature Homes

Signature Homes kitchen at Chace Lake in Birmingham, AL
Mid-sized country l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Birmingham with stainless steel appliances, a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Best of Winter 2017

Charleston Home + Design Mag

Country u-shaped kitchen in Charleston with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, green splashback, black appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, black floor and white benchtop.

Elegant Brown granite island and counter tops with leathered finish brings a sof

Phinney Design Group

Elizabeth Pedinotti Haynes
Photo of a mid-sized country single-wall open plan kitchen with a drop-in sink, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, grey benchtop and shaker cabinets.

The 1977 Contemporary

Twelve Chairs Interiors

Photo: Joyelle West
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Boston with blue cabinets, terra-cotta splashback, with island, an undermount sink, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, quartz benchtops, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and raised-panel cabinets.

Turquoise Kitchen with Dark Hardwood Floors 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!