Inspiration for a mid-sized scandinavian galley open plan kitchen in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and black benchtop.

Stony Brook

Cole Harris Associates LLC

Design ideas for a large country galley open plan kitchen in New York with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, soapstone benchtops and dark hardwood floors.

The New Traditional

Blue Heron Signature Homes

Designed and built by Terramor Homes in Raleigh, NC. The kitchen cabinets were consciously chosen in classic farmhouse style. Pure white and designed to reach the ceiling, clean and simple inset doors with simple classic chrome hardware pulls make for an impressive statement. Soapstone was used on the perimeter, offering the aged traditional look you would find in a classic farm home. However, the island was topped with a slightly more modern white granite with beautiful gray movement to add interest and a hard, reliable prep surface. The island measures an impressive 7 feet by 10 feet, matches the same clean lines, but was custom painted in a deep grayed turquoise to make a statement. It serves 6 seats for everyday eating and conversation and also allows for full functionality while still enjoying all the activity and views surrounding anyone who is spending time the kitchen workspace. Photography: M. Eric Honeycutt

Saucon Valley Classic

Jarrett Design

Photo of a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, ceramic splashback, panelled appliances, light hardwood floors, with island and grey benchtop.

1902 Historic Kitchen & Pantry Alamo Heights Remodel

Haven Design and Construction

This 1902 San Antonio home was beautiful both inside and out, except for the kitchen, which was dark and dated. The original kitchen layout consisted of a breakfast room and a small kitchen separated by a wall. There was also a very small screened in porch off of the kitchen. The homeowners dreamed of a light and bright new kitchen and that would accommodate a 48" gas range, built in refrigerator, an island and a walk in pantry. At first, it seemed almost impossible, but with a little imagination, we were able to give them every item on their wish list. We took down the wall separating the breakfast and kitchen areas, recessed the new Subzero refrigerator under the stairs, and turned the tiny screened porch into a walk in pantry with a gorgeous blue and white tile floor. The french doors in the breakfast area were replaced with a single transom door to mirror the door to the pantry. The new transoms make quite a statement on either side of the 48" Wolf range set against a marble tile wall. A lovely banquette area was created where the old breakfast table once was and is now graced by a lovely beaded chandelier. Pillows in shades of blue and white and a custom walnut table complete the cozy nook. The soapstone island with a walnut butcher block seating area adds warmth and character to the space. The navy barstools with chrome nailhead trim echo the design of the transoms and repeat the navy and chrome detailing on the custom range hood. A 42" Shaws farmhouse sink completes the kitchen work triangle. Off of the kitchen, the small hallway to the dining room got a facelift, as well. We added a decorative china cabinet and mirrored doors to the homeowner's storage closet to provide light and character to the passageway. After the project was completed, the homeowners told us that "this kitchen was the one that our historic house was always meant to have." There is no greater reward for what we do than that.

Indianola Avenue

Studio M Interiors

Scott Amundson Photography
This is an example of a large country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and black benchtop.

Philly Americana Modern Kitchen

Airy Kitchens

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped kitchen in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, with island, soapstone benchtops, subway tile splashback, ceramic floors and grey floor.

Beach Street Residence

TINEKE TRIGGS

Suzanne Scott
Mid-sized transitional l-shaped open plan kitchen in San Francisco with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, grey splashback, mosaic tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, with island and brown floor.

Red Ledges (Oquirrh Mountain Drive)

Timberidge Custom Homes

Inspiration for a large country l-shaped open plan kitchen in Salt Lake City with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and with island.

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.

Belmont Remodel

Birdsmouth

Design ideas for a small traditional u-shaped kitchen in Portland with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, yellow cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and no island.

White Kitchen with Dark Countertops St. Louis, MO

Karr Bick Kitchen and Bath

Jeff Borts
Inspiration for a traditional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in St Louis with an integrated sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

WESTFIELD

Catherine M. Austin Interior Design

Emily Followill
Photo of a large traditional l-shaped kitchen in Charlotte with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and with island.

Farmhouse Maple Kitchen Island

Brooks Custom

Premium Wide Plank Maple kitchen island counter top with sealed and oiled finish. Designed by Rafe Churchill, LLC
Design ideas for a mid-sized country galley eat-in kitchen in New York with beaded inset cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, with island and green cabinets.

Severn River Modern kitchen

Allbright Bullock Architects

The thickness of the sapele wood kitchen countertop is expressed at the stone island counter. The existing ceilings were removed and replaced with exposed steel I-beam crossties and new cathedral ceilings, with the steel beams placed sideways to provide a cavity at the top and bottom for continuous linear light strips shining up and down. The full height windows go all the way to floor to take full advantage of the view angle down the hill. Photo by Lisa Shires.

Plymouth Meeting

Timeless Kitchen Cabinetry

Betsy Barron
Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen in Philadelphia with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white splashback, subway tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor, black benchtop and soapstone benchtops.

Inset Shaker Nordic White Kitchen

Main Line Kitchen Design

The best kitchen showroom in your area is closer than you think. The four designers there are some of the most experienced award winning kitchen designers in the Delaware Valley. They design in and sell 6 national cabinet lines. And their pricing for cabinetry is slightly less than at home centers in apples to apples comparisons. Where is this kitchen showroom and how come you don’t remember seeing it when it is so close by? It’s in your own home! Main Line Kitchen Design brings all the same samples you select from when you travel to other showrooms to your home. We make design changes on our laptops in 20-20 CAD with you present usually in the very kitchen being renovated. Understanding what designs will look like and how sample kitchen cabinets, doors, and finishes will look in your home is easy when you are standing in the very room being renovated. Design changes can be emailed to you to print out and discuss with friends and family if you choose. Best of all our design time is free since it is incorporated into the very competitive pricing of your cabinetry when you purchase a kitchen from Main Line Kitchen Design. Finally there is a kitchen business model and design team that carries the highest quality cabinetry, is experienced, convenient, and reasonably priced. Call us today and find out why we get the best reviews on the internet or Google us and check. We look forward to working with you. As our company tag line says: “The world of kitchen design is changing…”

Crisp Architects

Berkshire Retreat. Photographer: Rob Karosis
Inspiration for a country eat-in kitchen in New York with beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets and soapstone benchtops.

South Land Park

WOOL Design Studio

Walnut cabinets, soapstone countertops, built-in oven hood with floating shelves.
Photo of a midcentury u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Sacramento with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Meadow Crossing Modern Farmhouse

42 North - Architecture + Design

This is an example of a country u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Grand Rapids with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, brown floor and grey benchtop.

White Kitchen with Soapstone 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!