Photo of a transitional u-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Victorian Kitchen

Traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, green cabinets, recessed-panel cabinets, quartz benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, medium hardwood floors and with island.

Moore II Residence

Hsu McCullough

Tiled kitchen with birch cabinetry opens to outdoor dining beyond windows. Entry with stair to second floor and dining room.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, beige splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, concrete floors, with island, grey floor and beige benchtop.

The Party's At Our House

Studio Dearborn

Designer Sarah Robertson of Studio Dearborn helped a neighbor and friend to update a “builder grade” kitchen into a personal, family space that feels luxurious and inviting. The homeowner wanted to solve a number of storage and flow problems in the kitchen, including a wasted area dedicated to a desk, too-little pantry storage, and her wish for a kitchen bar. The all white builder kitchen lacked character, and the client wanted to inject color, texture and personality into the kitchen while keeping it classic.

Contemporary Kitchen

Pineapple House Interior Design

The kitchen pantry is a camouflaged, surprising feature and fun topic of discussion. Its entry is created using doors fabricated from the cabinets.
Inspiration for a large modern u-shaped kitchen pantry in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, multiple islands, brown floor and white benchtop.

Best in American Living Winner: Caruthers

Frankel Design Build

Inspiration for an expansive transitional u-shaped open plan kitchen in Houston with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, grey splashback, light hardwood floors, with island and white benchtop.

Vintage Kitchen Remodel

TKS Design Group

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW The homeowners came to us looking to update the kitchen in their historic 1897 home. The home had gone through an extensive renovation several years earlier that added a master bedroom suite and updates to the front façade. The kitchen however was not part of that update and a prior 1990’s update had left much to be desired. The client is an avid cook, and it was just not very functional for the family. The original kitchen was very choppy and included a large eat in area that took up more than its fair share of the space. On the wish list was a place where the family could comfortably congregate, that was easy and to cook in, that feels lived in and in check with the rest of the home’s décor. They also wanted a space that was not cluttered and dark – a happy, light and airy room. A small powder room off the space also needed some attention so we set out to include that in the remodel as well. See that arch in the neighboring dining room? The homeowner really wanted to make the opening to the dining room an arch to match, so we incorporated that into the design. Another unfortunate eyesore was the state of the ceiling and soffits. Turns out it was just a series of shortcuts from the prior renovation, and we were surprised and delighted that we were easily able to flatten out almost the entire ceiling with a couple of little reworks. Other changes we made were to add new windows that were appropriate to the new design, which included moving the sink window over slightly to give the work zone more breathing room. We also adjusted the height of the windows in what was previously the eat-in area that were too low for a countertop to work. We tried to keep an old island in the plan since it was a well-loved vintage find, but the tradeoff for the function of the new island was not worth it in the end. We hope the old found a new home, perhaps as a potting table. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Modern Living in Downtown Birmingham

Stalburg Design

Today's pantries are functional and gorgeous! Our custom pantry creates ample space for every day appliances to be kept out of sight, with easy access to bins and storage containers. Undercounter LED lighting allows for easy night-time use as well.

Neutral Bay apartment

Lisa Burdus Interior Design

Photo of a mid-sized eclectic u-shaped open plan kitchen in Sydney with with island.

Modern Farm House in Cherry Hills

Haley Custom Homes

This open floor kitchen has a mixture of Concrete Counter tops as well as Marble. The range hood is made of a custom plaster. The T&G ceiling with accents of Steel make this room cozy and elegant. The floors were 8 inch planks imported from Europe.

Northwest Idea House

Coyote Design Architecture + Planning PLLC

Design ideas for a country u-shaped kitchen in Seattle with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Addition/Renovation

GREAT FALLS Construction

Bob Narod Photography
Inspiration for a large traditional u-shaped eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, multi-coloured benchtop, marble benchtops, mosaic tile splashback and brown floor.

kitchen 126

Savvy Kitchens

Photo of a large midcentury u-shaped kitchen in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, blue splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, medium wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, glass tile splashback and cement tiles.

Whitefish Bay Tudor Kitchen

Angela Westmore, LLC.

Mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Milwaukee with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, with island, grey floor, marble benchtops, white splashback, cement tile splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors and multi-coloured benchtop.

Edgerton 1910 / Point Breeze

Shelton Design//Build

Built and designed by Shelton Design Build Photo by: MissLPhotography
Large traditional u-shaped kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, brown floor, a farmhouse sink, quartzite benchtops, grey splashback and bamboo floors.

Carriage house

User

Mid-sized industrial u-shaped separate kitchen in New York with a farmhouse sink, black cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, no island, beige floor and flat-panel cabinets.

Rollingwood Slide House

Oliver Custom Homes

Architect: Tim Brown Architecture. Photographer: Casey Fry
This is an example of a large country u-shaped kitchen pantry in Austin with open cabinets, white splashback, concrete floors, marble benchtops, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, white benchtop and green cabinets.

Cupboard Kitchen and Bath Discounter

Cupboards Kitchen Bath Discounters

This is an example of a large modern u-shaped separate kitchen in San Diego with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, white splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Kitchen

brwarchitects

Photo credit: Virginia Hamrick
Photo of a large traditional u-shaped kitchen in Other with a farmhouse sink, stainless steel appliances, with island, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, granite benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

North Greenwich Cottage Renovation

Significant Homes LLC

Charles Hilton Architects, Robert Benson Photography From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

U-shaped 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!