Lid and pots drawers. Photos by Spacecrafting Photography

Open and spacious kitchen layout was designed to encourage free flow between all spaces as well as functionality. A walkthrough pantry/mud room adjacent to the kitchen offers additional counter and shelving space to hide appliances and coral messes. Open style shelving keep functional and decorative items such as glasses and bowls withing easy reach.

Cardrona Views

Mal Corboy Design

This kitchen needs to have a day-to-day function and also function for corporate entertaining. As such, electric doors open up to a large back end, where a complete scullery can be found. Photography by Kallan MacLeod For inspiration, we drew from a palette of rich, earthy colours. Under-cabinet lighting complements these tones well, adding a softness to the clean lines and sleekness of the design. We chose hard-wearing and long-lasting Corian and black glass to create this unique look.

Modern Kitchen

Molly Bachelor Architect

photography by Jeff Garland

New Home: Iowa City

Cascade Lumber Company

Rosanna Residence

Lume Architecture

contemporary kitchen

Contemporary Walnut Kitchen

Becker Building & Remodeling Inc.

Kitchen expansion and remodel including reframing ceiling, custom walnut accents, 3D tile, extraordinary LED light fixtures, and custom cabinetry.

Bold Black and White Modern Kitchen

Parcels Design Studio

This modern kitchen proves that black and white does not have to be boring, but can truly be BOLD! The wire brushed oak cabinets were painted black and white add texture while the aluminum trim gives it undeniably modern look. Don't let appearances fool you this kitchen was built for cooks, featuring all Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances including a retractable down draft vent hood.

Cambridge Road

IMKO

Shaker style kitchen in side return extension

Paradise River: Modern Riverside Home

Timberlake Custom Homes

This gorgeous modern home sits along a rushing river and includes a separate enclosed pavilion. Distinguishing features include the mixture of metal, wood and stone textures throughout the home in hues of brown, grey and black.

Orakei

LaBella Kitchens Ltd.

Hamptons Style kitchen. White shaker style profile with grey stone tops

Custom Contemporary Kitchen in Northbrook

Fraerman Associates Architecture

Eric Hausman

Ross Custom Home

Jetton Construction, Inc.

Thoughtful design and detailed craft combine to create this timelessly elegant custom home. The contemporary vocabulary and classic gabled roof harmonize with the surrounding neighborhood and natural landscape. Built from the ground up, a two story structure in the front contains the private quarters, while the one story extension in the rear houses the Great Room - kitchen, dining and living - with vaulted ceilings and ample natural light. Large sliding doors open from the Great Room onto a south-facing patio and lawn creating an inviting indoor/outdoor space for family and friends to gather. Chambers + Chambers Architects Stone Interiors Federika Moller Landscape Architecture Alanna Hale Photography

The Black Barn

Laney LA, Inc.

The black and white palette is hard to beat.

Traditional Shaker Kitchen

Handmade Kitchen Co

Working very closely with our clients in Brunswick Quay, London, our talented team have designed and executed beautifully a handmade kitchen that flows on two floors, in our Traditional shaker style. One part is the existing home and the other is a stunning extension that has been extended out into the garden. A single galley layout lies and a compact kitchen island, designed in an L-shape with an overhang for a cute little seating area. The island is fully completed with plenty of storage, the main sink area, a generous prep area and a divine towel rail in a matching finish to the rest of the fixtures and fittings. We mirrored bi-fold doors and glazed fronted cabinets with full-height centre cabinetry to create a stunning backdrop of storage.

Traditional Shaker Kitchen

Handmade Kitchen Co

Simply Zen Kitchen

McCabe By Design LLC

The primary objective of this project was to create the ability to install a refrigerator sized for a family of six. The original 14 cubic foot capacity refrigerator was much too small for a four-bedroom home. Additional objects included providing wider (safer) isles, more counter space for food preparation and gathering, and more accessible storage. After installing a beaming above the original refrigerator and dual walk-in pantries (missing despite being in the original building plans), this area of the kitchen was opened up to make room for a much larger refrigerator, pantry storage, small appliance storage, and a concealed information center including backpack storage for the youngest family members (complete with an in-drawer PDAs charging station). By relocating the sink, the isle between the island and the range became much less congested and provided space for below counter pull-out pantries for oils, vinegars, condiments, baking sheets and more. Taller cabinets on the new sink wall provides improved storage for dishes. The kitchen is now more conducive to frequent entertaining but is cozy enough for a family that cooks and eats together on a night basis. The beautiful materials, natural light and marine view are the icing on the cake.

Oak & Olive Mid-Century Modern

Hometown Design-Build & Allens Creek Cabinetry

Minnetonka New Build

Laurie Mattson Interiors

Bold Black and White Modern Kitchen

Parcels Design Studio

Kitchen with Grey Splashback and Vaulted 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!