Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Other with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Parkview

Warmington & North

Custom cabinetry by Warmington & North Architect: Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Photography: Haris Kenjar
This is an example of a traditional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Seattle with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops and white splashback.

Victorian Resurrection

Vicki Simon Interior Design

Open shelving and an antique hutch found on craigslist and re-designed (shape modified, crown moulding added, painted) store all the necessary acoutrements for serving food. Lighting was pieced together from Schoolhouse electric, recycled fixtures from a Whole Foods, and it was re-fitted and refinished by a local hardware company - Hippo Hardware in Portland. Photo by Lincoln Barbour

Студия 38м2 в стиле лофт для сдачи в аренду

$Бриц Анна \ Brits.design$ Бриц Анна \ Brits.design

Design ideas for a small contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Moscow with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, white appliances, a peninsula, brown benchtop and multi-coloured floor.

Pantry... well stocked

KuDa Photography

Photo by KuDa Photography
This is an example of a country u-shaped kitchen pantry in Portland with recessed-panel cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, light hardwood floors, grey floor and brown benchtop.

East Coast

Robyn McQuiston Design

Beach style u-shaped kitchen in Jacksonville with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Award Winning Kitchen Remodel

GMT Home Designs Inc.

This is an example of a transitional u-shaped separate kitchen in Boston with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, with island, grey floor, wood benchtops, multi-coloured splashback and ceramic splashback.

Colleton River

Randolph Stewart

Design ideas for a large mediterranean u-shaped kitchen in Atlanta with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, wood benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, a farmhouse sink, terra-cotta floors and brown benchtop.

Modern Berkeley Cabin

Gustave Carlson Design

Gustave Carlson Design
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in San Francisco with wood benchtops, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, medium wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

South Finley Rd. Kitchen

J Kennedy Design

Large contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in New York with panelled appliances, wood benchtops, white cabinets, beige splashback, an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, ceramic splashback, medium hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Cape Cod Kitchen, Corvallis, Oregon

Powell Construction

This Cape Cod kitchen with wood countertops underwent an enormous transformation that added 75 square feet and relocated all three legs of the work triangle: sink, refrigerator, and range. To accommodate traffic flow through the space, the upper corner of the kitchen was made into a pantry/baking center, and the remaining space was used to create the work triangle. The look of the cabinets was kept simple, but small flourishes such as crown molding throughout the room and staggered cabinet heights add visual interest. Some of the cabinets include glass doors with grids that match the windows, helping to pull together the design as a whole. Jenerik Images Photography

A Range Wall to Remember

Arciform

The addition of casement windows flanking the range opens this wall up to the stunning view, bringing light and color into the space. A slight jog in the base cabinet depth adds definition to the range and hood. The far end of the island switches from quartzite to butcher block counters, creating a perfect work space.

Modern Luxury Farmhouse Kitchen

Spires Interiors

Spires Interiors recently completed a new build project in Earls Colne, near Colchester Essex, encompassing the design and installation of a new kitchen and open-plan dining space, and utility room. The house is set in an incredibly scenic spot, and the customers have a passion for natural materials and in particular solid wood. They wanted a traditional finish in the kitchen, complemented by a colour palette that wouldn’t date, and found that our in-frame range offered exactly what they were looking for. The combination of different worktops works so well in the space as it adds character, charm, and a natural feel to the room, as well as warmth from the solid wood worktops. There is a living space at the end of the room and the colours and tone of the space reflect the relaxing area created. Made-to-measure doors and cabinets give us the flexibility to utilise every space in the kitchen by creating little units with pull-outs and custom-sized cabinets to make the room work as functionally as possible. The overmantle itself was manufactured in three parts after getting the specification from the design team and working with the clients to get it as the customers wanted. Working with these customers and understanding what they wanted was a pleasure, as they brought plenty of ideas to the project and were open to new ideas from our design team. Together we came up with a fantastic kitchen that they can enjoy for many years to come.

Heaver Estate family home

Imperfect Interiors

This Shaker kitchen in our SW17 Heaver Estate family home is cosy but elegant, and great for entertaining friends and family. We sanded and re-stained the floors, painted the kitchen & added new cupboard knobs to make it feel more premium

Dust Grey & Copper Silk Painted Shaker Kitchen

Idesign Interiors (SW) Ltd

Silk painted Shaker style kitchen designed for a busy family who desired a kitchen which would grow with the family. A space which would inspire aspiring young cooks, teenagers grabbing a midnight snack, and adults entertaining friends. Shades of grey combined with the warm tone of copper and iroko make for an easy living come work space.

Clamart 4P VEFA TMA

I F Rénovation

La cuisine depuis la salle à manger. Nous avons créé le muret et la verrière en forme de "L", le faux plafond avec son bandeau LED et ses 3 spots cylindriques sur le bar, la cuisine de toutes pièces et la belle crédence.

Transitional Gem in Willow Glen

Spaces By Juliana Linssen, Inc.

Small transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and brown benchtop.

60's Townhouse - Open plan living

Jackson Merrick Designs

Open-plan kitchen dining room with seamless transition to outdoor living space
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in London with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, yellow splashback, glass sheet splashback, grey floor, brown benchtop, a drop-in sink, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula.

Walnut End Grain Butcher Block

Hardwood Lumber Company

"Our 6’ Walnut butcher block top is wonderful! Great craftsmanship and customer service was a delight to work with!! Cheers to Hardwood lumber company!" Joshua

Bungalows & Butcherblock

Jones Design Group LLC

Inspiration for a small country u-shaped separate kitchen in Indianapolis with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, black floor and brown benchtop.

U-shaped Kitchen with Wood Benchtops 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!