Design ideas for a large beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Providence with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Palm Coast Modern

nFlight Photography

Photo of a beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Jacksonville with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, marble splashback, stainless steel appliances, marble floors, with island, white floor, grey benchtop and recessed.

Apartment in Dnipro

Dezest

Expansive contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, panelled appliances, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

Zilker Park MCM

Ashby Collective

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Austin with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, green splashback, stainless steel appliances, terrazzo floors, no island, white floor, black benchtop and medium wood cabinets.

Photo-shoot for architect Pierre-Louis Gerlier

Ercole Salinaro Photography

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Paris with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, yellow cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, no island, green floor and beige benchtop.

Mayfair Penthouse - Contemporary Open Plan Kitchen with Gaggenau Appliances

Simon Taylor Furniture

This open plan galley style kitchen was designed and made for a client with a duplex penthouse apartment in a listed Victorian property in Mayfair, London W1. While the space was limited, the specification was to be of the highest order, using fine textured materials and premium appliances. Simon Taylor Furniture was chosen to design and make all the handmade and hand-finished bespoke furniture for the project in order to perfectly fit within the space, which includes a part-vaulted wall and original features including windows on three elevations. The client was keen for a sophisticated natural neutral look for the kitchen so that it would complement the rest of the living area, which features a lot of natural light, pale walls and dark accents. Simon Taylor Furniture suggested the main cabinetry be finished in Fiddleback Sycamore with a grey stain, which contrasts with black maple for the surrounds, which in turn ties in with the blackened timber floor used in the kitchen. The kitchen is positioned in the corner of the top floor living area of the apartment, so the first consideration was to produce a peninsula to separate the kitchen and living space, whilst affording views from either side. This is used as a food preparation area on the working side with a 90cm Gaggenau Induction Hob and separate Downdraft Extractor. On the other side it features informal seating beneath the Nero Marquina marble worksurface that was chosen for the project. Next to the seating is a Gaggenau built-under wine conditioning unit to allow easy access to wine bottles when entertaining. The floor to ceiling tall cabinetry houses a Gaggenau 60cm oven, a combination microwave and a warming drawer, all centrally banked above each other. Within the cabinetry, smart storage was featured including a Blum ‘space tower’ in Orion Grey with glass fronts to match the monochrome scheme. The fridge freezer, also by Gaggenau is positioned along this run on the other side. To the right of the tall cabinetry is the sink run, housing the Kohler sink and Quooker Flex 3-in-1 Boiling Water Tap, the Gaggenau dishwasher and concealed bin cabinets, thus allowing all the wet tasks to be located in one space.

PADDINGTON Apartment

STUDIO OSCAR LEA.

Inspiration for a small contemporary u-shaped separate kitchen in Sydney with a drop-in sink, light wood cabinets, white splashback, mosaic tile splashback, black appliances, cement tiles, no island, grey floor, white benchtop and flat-panel cabinets.

White Kitchen Collection By Darash

By Darash - Kitchen Cabinets, Vanities & Closets

Small modern u-shaped separate kitchen in Austin with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, zinc benchtops, white splashback, stone tile splashback, panelled appliances, porcelain floors, with island, white floor and white benchtop.

Coastal Home in South Essex

Katie Malik Design Studio

Shot of this beautiful contemporary kitchen. We've opened the space between the kitchen and dining room to allow more light, create a feeling of space, increase the workspace, and transition between the spaces.

Crawford Road - Thomasz Developments

Crib Creative

Thomasz Developments
Inspiration for a contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Perth with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, grey floor and white benchtop.

St. Pauls Kitchen

Powell Picano bespoke furniture and kitchens

This fully bespoke kitchen in oak veneered birch plywood with corian worksurfaces and solid oak detailing was custom made for a beautiful but unusual and interesting space in a converted print factory. Our brief was to maximise storage space and working area. To achieve this, we built a small auxiliary worksurface on top of the parapet wall defining the raised kitchen area and extra deep storage drawers beneath.

HILL RESIDENCE

Kitchens by Emanuel

JUST A FEW DETAILS. - Satin 'profile' polyurethane doors - 40mm Talostone 'Calacatta Gold' with detailed edge on island bench - 40mm Caeserstone 'Snow' bench top - Talostone 'Calacatta Gold' splash back - Black handles - Chrome sink & Tap - Fitted with Blum hardware - Detailed post work - Twin pull out waste bins - Blum sink drawers - Appliance cabinet Sheree Bounassif, Kitchens by Emanuel

Wandsworth Kitchen

Lisa Melvin Design

Mid-sized modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in West Midlands with a drop-in sink, white cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, a peninsula, brown floor, white benchtop and flat-panel cabinets.

Nuova casa bifamigliare in centro abitato

Studio2D

Zona giorno mansardata open space con cucina ad U con isola, soppalco nella parte più alta.
Photo of a large contemporary u-shaped open plan kitchen in Other with white cabinets, grey splashback, with island, grey floor, white benchtop, a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, quartzite benchtops, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances and porcelain floors.

Grey Painted Balham Kitchen, with one side in Cherry

Tim Wood Limited

Tim Wood Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, raised-panel cabinets, grey cabinets, solid surface benchtops, stainless steel appliances, limestone floors, a peninsula and beige floor.

Private Residence. Blackrock / Dundalk

National Tile Ltd

Floor: Chambord Beige Lappato 60x90. Semi-polished porcelain tile. Photo by National Tile Ltd
This is an example of a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Other with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, marble benchtops, beige splashback, black appliances, porcelain floors, with island, beige floor and marble splashback.

Modern Scandinavian Kitchen Design

Mi-Kin Creations, Inc.

Upper cabinets are flat front natural birch, the lower cabinets are painted with Mark Twains Gray, from Valspar paints. Cory Locatelli Photography
Photo of a large scandinavian u-shaped open plan kitchen in Atlanta with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island and black floor.

Apartamento para 3

La Reina Obrera - Arquitectura e Interiorismo

Davide Curatola Soprana y La Reina Obrera
This is an example of a small modern u-shaped open plan kitchen in Madrid with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, panelled appliances, medium hardwood floors, a peninsula and brown floor.

Interior and Exterior Painting for Whole Home Remodel in Aurora

Adirondack Painting Company

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped separate kitchen in Denver with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, beige cabinets, tile benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, white appliances, ceramic floors, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Fennell's Farmhouse Renovation

Gipman Millwork

Design ideas for a mid-sized country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Vancouver with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, laminate benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

U-shaped Kitchen with a Drop-in Sink 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!