Complete renovation of Wimbledon townhome. Features include: vintage Holophane pendants Stone splashback by Gerald Culliford custom cabinetry Artwork by Shirin Tabeshfar

Bernal Heights Sustainable Kitchen

Sabrina Alfin Interiors

View of induction cooktop wall, including a wall oven and a 36" french door refrigerator. A bright orange backsplash of 4 x 4 ceramic tile adds brightness to the two-tone white/green cabinets.

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.

Dream Kitchen Design with White Oak Cabinets

Boxwood Avenue

This beautiful custom home built by Bowlin Built and designed by Boxwood Avenue in the Reno Tahoe area features creamy walls painted with Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee and white oak custom cabinetry. This dining room design is complete with a custom floating brass bistro bar and gorgeous brass light fixture.

Kitchen and Bath In Chestnut Hill

Airy Kitchens

Kitchen

David Watkins Home Design, LLC

Kitchen Cabinets follow slope of vaulted ceiling with lights.

Casa LBS Freixes

Verónica Mimoun Studio

Port Dalhousie Home

Thorpe Concepts

Two-toned white and navy blue transitional kitchen with brass hardware and accents. Custom Cabinetry: Thorpe Concepts Photography: Young Glass Photography

Walker Rd Staging

Metropolitan Staging LLC

Mission Transition

Renovisions

This kitchen had not been renovated since the salt box colonial house was built in the 1960’s. The new owner felt it was time for a complete refresh with some traditional details and adding in the owner’s contemporary tastes. At initial observation, we determined the house had good bones; including high ceilings and abundant natural light from a double-hung window and three skylights overhead recently installed by our client. Mixing the homeowners desires required the skillful eyes of Cathy and Ed from Renovisions. The original kitchen had dark stained, worn cabinets, in-adequate lighting and a non-functional coat closet off the kitchen space. In order to achieve a true transitional look, Renovisions incorporated classic details with subtle, simple and cleaner line touches. For example, the backsplash mix of honed and polished 2” x 3” stone-look subway tile is outlined in brushed stainless steel strips creating an edgy feel, especially at the niche above the range. Removing the existing wall that shared the coat closet opened up the kitchen to allow adding an island for seating and entertaining guests. We chose natural maple, shaker style flat panel cabinetry with longer stainless steel pulls instead of knobs, keeping in line with the clients desire for a sleeker design. This kitchen had to be gutted to accommodate the new layout featuring an island with pull-out trash and recycling and deeper drawers for utensils. Spatial constraints were top of mind and incorporating a convection microwave above the slide-in range made the most sense. Our client was thrilled with the ability to bake, broil and microwave from GE’s advantium oven – how convenient! A custom pull-out cabinet was built for his extensive array of spices and oils. The sink base cabinet provides plenty of area for the large rectangular stainless steel sink, single-lever multi-sprayer faucet and matching filtered water dispenser faucet. The natural, yet sleek green soapstone countertop with distinct white veining created a dynamic visual and principal focal point for the now open space. While oak wood flooring existed in the entire first floor, as an added element of color and interest we installed multi-color slate-look porcelain tiles in the kitchen area. We also installed a fully programmable floor heating system for those chilly New England days. Overall, out client was thrilled with his Mission Transition.

Rockbridge

CarsonSpeer Builders

Stainless Steel Farmhouse Sink

KraftMaster Renovations

Large stainless steel farmhouse sink has 2 sections and looks out into a beautiful yard. Photos by Chris Veith

Transitional Great Room, Dining Room, Kitchen

Oxbow & Olin Design Studio

Farmhouse modern meets transitional space. Dining room off large, bold kitchen. Black shaker cabinets combined with natural white oak. Tabarka concrete encaustic tiles behind stove with Akdo black subway tile backsplash. White and gold Viking appliances with Tob Knobs flat black hardware. Brushed brass Aqua Brass faucet and large white sink by Rohl. Custom white oak shiplap hood. Natural black marble countertops with white fossilized details. Black windows, doors and baseboards.

Middle Cormorant Update

Craftwell Architecture + Construction

Scott Amundson Photography

Arlington kitchen

aMortonDesign

Robert Umenhofer Photography

Highland Rd, Rye

Riemer Kitchens & Fine Cabinetry

The Deerhorn Residence

Arbor South Architecture

Mike Dean

Moorsbridge

AB2 Architecture

Door & drawer front replacements, cabinet box is painted; added maple trim edging for custom look. Glass tile splash; Ikea pulls

Lewisham Kitchen

piqu

A warm and very welcoming kitchen extension in Lewisham creating this lovely family and entertaining space with some beautiful bespoke features. The smooth shaker style lay on cabinet doors are painted in Farrow & Ball Green Smoke, and the double height kitchen island, finished in stunning Sensa Black Beauty stone with seating on one side, cleverly conceals the sink and tap along with a handy pantry unit and drinks cabinet.

Highlands Provincial

Rocky Mountain Cabinet Company

Full kitchen remodel including framing changes, island, Shaker cabinets, Butcher block countertop, lighting, appliances, and countertops.

Transitional Kitchen with Black Benchtop 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 Transitional 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!