Here’s an expansive look at a number of different kitchen designs and ideas, highlighting smart color choices, beautiful cabinet arrangements, center islands and smartly selected countertop materials.
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If there’s one room in a house the homeowners get the most excited about designing, it’s absolutely the kitchen. This makes sense when you think about it, as most people spend an enormous amount of time in their kitchens, whether their cooking dinner at night or fetching a cup of coffee in the morning.
Popular though kitchen design may be, designing an attractive and functional kitchen is actually quite difficult! There are many different design elements that have to be considered, and all of them need to be brought into a delicate balance with one another.
The big kitchen design elements are obviously the cabinets and countertops. More than anything else, the cabinets and countertops you select for your kitchen design will go a long way toward establishing the space’s look and feel. But, that’s not all you’ll want to consider.
For example, do you want your kitchen design to feature a center island? Doing so may increase the functionality of the space, but it will also increase the complexities of choosing a color scheme that works correctly for your kitchen design.
In addition, you’ll also want to select the right kinds of appliances. While stainless steel ovens and refrigerators might work well for contemporary kitchen designs, will they work just as well for one that features a country or even rustic style? Also, don’t forget lighting, as this will be vitally important for establishing the right mood in your kitchen space.
Below, we’re going to take a look at a diverse collection of 44 kitchen designs, pulling out key design concepts and ideas from each. From contemporary kitchens with minimalist looks, to ones with rustic design featuring ornate woodwork, it’s all here. By examining each, you should be able to develop some great concepts and ideas for a beautiful kitchen design of your own!
1. White Kitchen Featuring Island with Wood Countertop
For many, the ideal kitchen color scheme is the pure-white kitchen, despite how hard such a space is to keep clean. When designing such a kitchen, though, it’s important to develop some degree of visual contrast. This kitchen, which features contemporary styling, does this by using a wood countertop on the center island.
2. White Kitchen with Contrasting Grey Center Island
Of course, you don’t just have to use countertops in order to create visual contrast in a white kitchen design. Here, the homeowner has chosen to use a grey pain for the center island cabinets. This results in a space that has appreciable dimension and depth. Also worthy of note is the silver and grey tiles used for the backsplash over the range.
3. Contemporary Kitchen Featuring Classic Notes and Center Island
Here is a kitchen that does a beautiful job of combining the principles of contemporary kitchen design with contemporary styling. Of particular note is the center island, which features a darkly stained wood countertop with detail edges. Also, check out the edge of the island, which extends into the open-concept living space. It provides space for guest to gather in the kitchen area.
4. White Kitchen With Black Countertops and Cabinet Hardware
Turning back to white kitchen design and the importance of contrast, take a look at this splendid and charming design. The highlight here is the black granite countertops, which help to establish the dimension and lines of the kitchen. Also, note how the beige backsplash underneath the cabinets helps to accentuate this sense of dimension.
5. Rustic Kitchen Design with Countertop Fireplace and Farmhouse Sink
This rustic kitchen is able to achieve an incredible balance of design thanks to a number of difference choices. First, note how the unique countertop fireplace is made with brick, which is then mirrored in the ceiling above the center island. Also, notice how important the shape and lines of a farmhouse sink, which can also be found on the center island, are to establishing the look.
6. White Contemporary Kitchen with Contrasting Blue Colors
The enormous T-shaped center island in this white kitchen is a unique design choice that dramatically increases the functionality of the space, offering plenty of options for entertaining. But, what’s really striking about this design is the contrasting blue colors of the tile backsplash and the center island cabinets. With the backsplash lighter than the island, the eye is drawn into the space, creating an inviting atmosphere.
7. Contemporary Kitchen Design Featuring Mid-Century Styling
At first blush, the design of this modestly sized kitchen seems contemporary, but as you look deeper, you see that it’s definitely mimicking the lines of a mid-century home. The cylindrical light fixtures over the bar countertop help to accentuate this look, as does the wood paneling at right and also below the bar countertop. The espresso barstools really completely the look, too.
8. Rustic Grand Kitchen Design with Picture Window
Obviously, the center piece of this rustic kitchen, which exists inside of an open-concept living space, is the picture window above the sink. However, there’s plenty more to feast your eyes upon here. For one, be sure to note the mosaic tile work around the range and hood at the back of the kitchen. Also, note how the antiquing of the cabinet finish helps to blend in the wooden elements of the design.
9. Dark Grey Kitchen Design with Rustic Style Detailing
Although this is just a galley kitchen, the look is decidedly luxurious thanks to the use of Sherwin Williams’ “Serious Gray” paint color on the cabinets. But, that’s not all that gives this space an air of class. This sink hardware, for example, is the perfect complement to the detailing in solid white countertops. Also, windowed cabinets help to increase the kitchen’s sense of space and depth.
10. Creatively Colored Kitchen with Barstools
This kitchen design obviously goes for a much more eclectic look, thanks to its mix of red, white and blue cabinetry. While this color combination could be incredibly garish, it’s not here. That has to do with how the colors are subtly incorporate and how the backsplash behind the central range helps to suggest the red of the center island beyond. Also, check out the barstools and how their colonial styling perfectly complements the motif.
11. Unique Kitchen Design featuring Exciting Black-and-White Color Scheme
For this kitchen, let’s start from the bottom and work our way up. Naturally, the checkered black and wood pattern for the floor is unique. However, the rest of the kitchen’s design makes good on the floor’s promise. The grey cabinets with black countertops are contrasted with the black-and-white barstools, and the grey and white tile work for the backsplash also continues the design motif.
12. Open-Concept Contemporary Kitchen Design with Orange Accent
There’s not mistaking the design of this open-concept kitchen for anything other than contemporary. Keeping with contemporary styling’s sense of minimalism, the kitchen uses a black-and-white color scheme with stainless steel appliances. This could be too cold and industrial, but the designer did the right thing. The pop of the bright orange barstools helps to add some personality to this kitchen!
13. Wooden Contemporary Kitchen Featuring a Built-In Wine Rack
When you go for a contemporary style in your kitchen, you are affording yourself some design opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise. In this kitchen, for example, you can see how a built-in wine rack has been expertly incorporated in the space above the front counter, adding a sense of visual interest. Otherwise, this kitchen design maximizes its assets thanks to the use of smart lighting placement.
14. Open Kitchen with High Ceilings Featuring Two-Tone Cabinets
Some homes have an open concept, and other homes are just wide open. This home resides resounding in the latter category. In designing the kitchen, much was done to accentuate the openness and depth of the space. The high walls above the kitchen have been given a dark coat of paint to accentuate depth, and this design move is foreshadowed by the two-tone paint scheme on the kitchen cabinets that blends seamlessly into the countertops.
15. Luxury Kitchen with Wood Beams and Brick Floors
When one thinks of an open-concept kitchen, one often thinks of a contemporary style. However, this kitchen proves that the open-concept can also work for a home featuring a more rustic, classic vibe too! The brick floors obviously set the mood, but it’s the rich wood beams overhead that really make the space. Note how the center island plays delightfully with this contrast thanks to its wood countertop.
16. Clean Kitchen Design with Richly Stained Wood Cabinets
The deep brown stain of the cabinets in this relatively simple kitchen design imparts an air of luxury that’s hard to ignore. The stainless steel appliances help a great deal in this regard, but not nearly as much as the center island. The island’s contrasting light wood countertop and grey cabinets help to add some visual pop that adds excitement to the open-concept space.
17. Contemporary Kitchen with Airy Open Design and Wood Beams
Rather than going for hanging cabinets, this contemporary kitchen instead uses plain glass shelves above the countertops. This helps to let this open-concept contemporary and urban living space to breath, and also allows the natural beauty of the wood beams overhead to shine through. Also worthy of note are the simple light fixtures, which add the right amount of light without drawing too much attention to themselves.
18. Traditional Kitchen Featuring All-White Center Island with Contemporary Style
Talk about balancing two different design concepts! When first looking at this kitchen, one is obviously drawn to the classic, deep brown cabinets at the back. However, the classic styling blends into a more contemporary one that’s suggested by the all-white center island with wrap-around countertop. The effect is definitely completed by the rectangular porcelain tiles that are used for this open-concept living spaces’ flooring.
19. White Kitchen with Subtle Nautical Theme and Hardwood Floors
All things considered, this is a fairly standard white kitchen design, featuring a center island and granite countertops. However, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into here. For one, check out the luminescent beauty of the hardwood floors that flow throughout the space. Also notice how the wainscoting on the sides of the center island help to establish the nautical theme of the space, which is further accentuate by the décor above and around the sink.
20. All-Wood Kitchen Design Featuring Light Granite Countertops
When you’re fortunate enough to have a beautiful view in your kitchen, you want to use a design that allows that view to become the focal point. That’s why the all-wood design of this kitchen is so clutch; it suggests the wooded natural environment without. Note, though, that the space is given an air of luxury thanks to the granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. You can have your cake and eat it too!
21. Cabin Galley Kitchen with Unique Built-In Breakfast Nook
When space is at a premium, you have to get creative with how you layout your kitchen. This example does a tremendous job, most notably in how it includes a breakfast nook that perfectly blends into the cabinets and counters. But, that’s not the only smart kitchen design choice that’s been made here. Rather than going for a built-in, dedicated island, this kitchen instead features a floating one, which can be moved to accommodate different needs.
22. White and Blue Kitchen With Country Styling and Unique Center Island
A center island in your kitchen can be so much more than simple a place that offers extra work space and storage. Note how the center island here also creatively includes places for seating. Additionally, note how the glass-front cabinets help to accentuate the space’s natural beauty. Finally, check out how the island is perfectly incorporated into the broader space thanks to the color of the cabinets being mirrored in the paint around the range.
23. Contemporary Kitchen with Wood Cabinets and Over-Sink Television
Everyone loves to cook these days, but let’s face facts: sometimes doing all that prep work can get boring. So, why wouldn’t you consider including a flat-screen television in your kitchen’s design? This beautiful contemporary kitchen with wood cabinets does so by placing the small flat-screen television above the sink. But, the real highlight here is the dark beams and columns that separate the kitchen from the dining room in the foreground.
24. Green Open-Concept Kitchen with Brick Pizza Oven
With a beautiful kitchen like this, who would ever spend the money on delivery pizza? Obviously, the focal point here is the brick oven, which you’ll find on the right-hand side. However, there’s more to talk about here! For one, note how well the green cabinets work in conjunction with the tile floors and brick and stone walls. The effect is decidedly natural, which gives this space a warm and inviting vibe.
25. Black and White Country Kitchen with Luxury Touches
This beautiful country kitchen uses a black-and-white color scheme to great effect. Note how the paint on the center island is mirrored in the detailing around the oven and range, as well as in the crown molding above the cabinets. This contrasting visual effect is also suggested by the light antiquing that’s been done to the cabinet doors themselves. Ultimately, though, smart lighting helps to really bring out the beauty of the design.
26. Clean Contemporary Kitchen Design with Glass-Tile Backsplash
The clean and white contemporary styling of this kitchen is perfectly accented by the tobacco-color hardwood floors. But, the real stand out here is the grey backsplash, which is made from irregularly sized pieces of glossy glass. The mosaic styling reflects the rich grain of the hardwood floors, while also breaking up the lines of the space visually. Naturally, stainless steel appliances are necessary with this backsplash color choice.
27. Small Corner Kitchen Design with Beautiful Light Fixtures
In a smaller kitchen, making smart use of lighting is paramount, as a kitchen design can otherwise seem dark and foreboding, even if it uses lighter paint colors. Here, the use of both recessed lighting and the use of hanging light fixtures above the windows and over the sink is a smart choice. Also, the use of glass-front cabinets help to make this small kitchen feel more spacy and more open than it otherwise might.
28. Open-Concept Kitchen Design that Makes Excellent Use of Space
The L-shaped counter in the center of this kitchen design accomplishes two things. One it dramatically increases the available workspace in the kitchen, but it also turns the space into one that’s absolutely perfect for entertaining. Note also how a center island is included behind this L-shaped counter, which means that whoever is doing the cooking can stay in contact with whatever guests he or she might be entertaining.
29. Blue and White Kitchen Beautifully Incorporated into Open-Concept Space
When creating a kitchen design that will inhabit an open-concept space, you have to find a way of creating some degree of visual separation. Here, this is accomplished thanks to a steely-grey blue wall paint that’s slightly contrasted by the brighter color used on the center island. Otherwise, the kitchen goes for a subdued vibe with antiqued white cabinets and a polished granite countertop, both for the main cabinets and for the island.
30. Gorgeous Kitchen with Center Island Functioning as Main Workspace
This gorgeous and contemporary kitchen design has a lot to marvel at. For the main line-kitchen design, built-in ovens are included, and there’s also a tall wine cooler that signals this kitchen will be used as an entertaining space. With workspace at a premium in the main portion of the kitchen, the countertop on the center island is quite large. The space between the island and the main part of the kitchen, though, ensures that people can flow freely through the space.
31. Contemporary Urban Kitchen Design with White Countertops
Those who have an appreciation for urban living will find a lot to love about this small, yet charming contemporary kitchen design. The first thing to note is the inclusion of a beautiful wine rack in the side of the kitchen’s center island. But, what really makes this kitchen pop is the choice of using a solid-surface white countertop in conjunction with unadorned, dark-stained wood cabinets. The center light fixtures help to complete the urban feeling.
32. Beautiful White Kitchen with In-Cabinet Lighting
With a white kitchen design, it’s important to build a degree of visual interest with contrasts and smart lighting. The line of glass-front cabinets around the top of this design, which features in-cabinet lighting, helps to create a sense of dimension here. (Imagine what this will look like in the nighttime.) Also, the choice of the black, leathered granite countertops is super smart, yielding an overall design that feels fresh and clean.
33. Grand Luxury White Kitchen with Tin and Wood Beam Ceiling
In a grander open-concept living space, you’ll also need to think more grandly with your kitchen design. This massive kitchen is, of course, incredibly grand in terms of size, but it’s also grand in terms of its design choices. The tin ceiling overhead creates an instant sense of luxury and refinement that’s only made better by the darkly stained wood beams overhead. Also, the large center island provides plenty of workspace while also providing plenty of space for guests.
34. Rustic Kitchen with Beautiful Luxury Touches and Black Color Scheme
There’s a lot to see in the design of this beautiful rustic kitchen that makes use of a black color scheme with minimal white accents. First, the all-brick ‘hearth’ area at the left, which houses the antique oven and range, helps to establish this rustic feel. However, the thing that really deserves attention are the bronzed hardware pieces that absolutely pop against the black cabinets and beige countertops.
35. Line Kitchen Design in Open Concept Space That’s Perfect for Entertaining
In an open-concept space where you want design elements to pull double duty, you’ll want to do something like this with your kitchen. The line design is incredibly efficient, while also making it possible for the long center island to double a place for guests to gather and drink. The use of recessed lighting (and the lack of hanging lights) also helps to ensure that the visual lines of the space are unbroken.
36. White Kitchen Design with Unique Center Island Featuring Stone and Wood
There’s no denying that a white kitchen design can feel visually sterile. This effect can be broken up, though, by using natural elements! Here, you’ll note that the center island features stone on the sides as well as a beautiful wood countertop with an inlaid farmhouse sink. This unique choice gives the space some visual pop and creates an inviting atmosphere.
37. Contemporary Kitchen with Mosaic Tile Walls
This contemporary kitchen design makes a number of unique choices. Extending the mosaic tile backsplash up the entire wall above the sink is one such choice. But, don’t let this distract you from the center island, which features an extended countertop that allows the island to double a dining area for the kitchen itself. Also, there are cabinets in every corner of the room, providing plenty of workspace.
38. Clean Wood and White Kitchen with Craftsman Styling
There’s no mistaking the Craftsman influence on this brand-new luxury kitchen design. What’s really cool, though, is how the kitchen deftly balances its wood and white elements. The main cabinets feature white countertops, while the center island features white cabinets with a wood countertop that shares its stain with the main cabinets. The effect is visually exciting and allows the cabinet detailing to shine through.
39. Black Wood Kitchen Design with Industrial Styling
If you like the idea of industrial styling, but want something for yourself that feels a bit warmer, then you should absolutely inspect the elements of this kitchen design. The choice of barstools is very smart, as is the choice to go for black cabinets that still allow their natural wood grain to shine through. But, what’s really cool here is the bare hanging light fixtures that hover over the granite countertop of the center island.
40. Luxury Country Kitchen with Breakfast Bar
You don’t need to be a fan of country style to recognize how splendid this kitchen design is. While we could talk about the rich wood, light fixtures and stonework, what’s really cool is the way that a breakfast bar has been included. Note how it runs parallel to the massive center island, creating a sense of visual cohesion, which is so instrumentally important to a grand kitchen design like this one.
41. Large White Kitchen with Square Center Island
Speaking of visual cohesion, check out this gorgeous white kitchen design. The main focal point here is obviously the square-shaped center island, which provides ample workspace for whoever’s cooking. Note also how this square center island works in perfect harmony with the box ceiling overhead, and also how the black countertops help to accentuate the design’s sense of perspective and depth.
42. Simple Kitchen Design with Aqua Blue Subway Tiles
In a simpler kitchen design that features white cabinets, getting some degree of visual pop is extremely important. This design does an excellent job of this by making use of aqua blue frost glass subway tiles on the walls both around and underneath the cabinets. This color choice adds a sense of relaxation to the space and works in perfect harmony with the picture window above the sink.
43. Clean Contemporary Kitchen Design without Wall Cabinets
While most homeowners will want to have wall cabinets in their kitchen, they’re not always necessary. In a smaller home, you may consider foregoing wall cabinets, as this will help you to preserve a sense of space and openness in your design. Take this kitchen that features no wall cabinets and instead has shelves and a wine rack. One feels the openness here, and one also gets a lot that’s visually exciting to look at.
44. Luxury Kitchen That Makes Interesting Use of Space
With more and more homes going open-concept these days, it’s important to remember that you can make interesting choices with respect to your kitchens layout. Here, the L-shaped center island is totally non-traditional, however it perfectly complements the flow of this open-concept space. In addition, the beautiful light fixtures over the island help to improve the visual beauty of the space overall.
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