Photo of a mid-sized beach style u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Melbourne with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, distressed cabinets, concrete benchtops, white splashback, shiplap splashback, coloured appliances, light hardwood floors, brown floor and grey benchtop.

Traditional Pantry

CLOSET FURNISHINGS & CABINETRY

Traditional white pantry. Ten feet tall with walnut butcher block counter top, Shaker drawer fronts, polished chrome hardware, baskets with canvas liners, pullouts for canned goods and cooking sheet slots.

Farmhouse Kitchen

Inspiration for a large country l-shaped kitchen pantry in Portland with open cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, dark hardwood floors, no island, brown floor and white benchtop.

Walk-in Pantry

Closet Factory

This well designed pantry has baskets, trays, spice racks and many other pull-outs, which not only organizes the space, but transforms the pantry into an efficient, working area of the kitchen.

Custom pantry

Marie Newton, Closets Redefined

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen pantry in Boston with white cabinets and open cabinets.

Eclectic Kitchen Design

Karr Bick Kitchen and Bath

Design ideas for a transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in St Louis with white cabinets, soapstone benchtops, porcelain floors, open cabinets, grey splashback, black floor and black benchtop.

Barn Door Walk-in Pantry, Transitional Kitchen Remodel

MainStreet Design Build

This beautiful Birmingham, MI home had been renovated prior to our clients purchase, but the style and overall design was not a fit for their family. They really wanted to have a kitchen with a large “eat-in” island where their three growing children could gather, eat meals and enjoy time together. Additionally, they needed storage, lots of storage! We decided to create a completely new space. The original kitchen was a small “L” shaped workspace with the nook visible from the front entry. It was completely closed off to the large vaulted family room. Our team at MSDB re-designed and gutted the entire space. We removed the wall between the kitchen and family room and eliminated existing closet spaces and then added a small cantilevered addition toward the backyard. With the expanded open space, we were able to flip the kitchen into the old nook area and add an extra-large island. The new kitchen includes oversized built in Subzero refrigeration, a 48” Wolf dual fuel double oven range along with a large apron front sink overlooking the patio and a 2nd prep sink in the island. Additionally, we used hallway and closet storage to create a gorgeous walk-in pantry with beautiful frosted glass barn doors. As you slide the doors open the lights go on and you enter a completely new space with butcher block countertops for baking preparation and a coffee bar, subway tile backsplash and room for any kind of storage needed. The homeowners love the ability to display some of the wine they’ve purchased during their travels to Italy! We did not stop with the kitchen; a small bar was added in the new nook area with additional refrigeration. A brand-new mud room was created between the nook and garage with 12” x 24”, easy to clean, porcelain gray tile floor. The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

A Graceful White Kitchen in Encinitas

Hamilton-Gray Design, Inc.

Transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in San Diego with open cabinets, white cabinets, blue splashback, no island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Wilmington Court - Pantry

Paul N. Brow, Architect, LLC

Inside view of pantry showing stainless steel mesh drawer fronts for dry-good storage and adjustable shelves.
Photo of a mid-sized traditional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Houston with open cabinets, grey cabinets, no island, beige floor and travertine floors.

Family Home in The Ramble

PLATT

Photography: David Dietrich Builder: Tyner Construction Interior Design: Kathryn Long, ASID
Design ideas for a traditional kitchen pantry in Other with a farmhouse sink, open cabinets, green cabinets, white splashback and subway tile splashback.

Oakland Ave

EuroCraft Interiors Custom Cabinetry

This is an example of a transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Detroit with open cabinets, white cabinets, wood benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Dutch Colonial Charm

Cummings Architecture + Interiors

Joyelle West Photography
Mid-sized traditional kitchen pantry in Boston with open cabinets, white cabinets, light hardwood floors, a farmhouse sink, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances and with island.

Painted Brick Villa

Atwood Custom Homes

Blane Balduf
Inspiration for a large transitional u-shaped kitchen pantry in Dallas with white cabinets, open cabinets and dark hardwood floors.

Black Mountain Rustic Modern Farmhouse

ACM Design

Inspiration for a traditional kitchen pantry in Other with open cabinets and medium wood cabinets.

Meriam Hill House

JW Construction

Shelly Harrison
Photo of a beach style kitchen pantry in Boston with white cabinets, wood benchtops, stainless steel appliances and open cabinets.

New York Transformation

Crisp Architects

Photography by Rob Karosis
Photo of a traditional kitchen pantry in New York with open cabinets and white cabinets.

Kitchen Transformation

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

This kitchen was formerly a dark paneled, cluttered, divided space with little natural light. By eliminating partitions and creating a more functional, open floorplan, as well as adding modern windows with traditional detailing, providing lovingly detailed built-ins for the clients extensive collection of beautiful dishes, and lightening up the color palette we were able to create a rather miraculous transformation. The wide plank salvaged pine floors, the antique french dining table, as well as the Galbraith & Paul drum pendant and the salvaged antique glass monopoint track pendants all help to provide a warmth to the crisp detailing. Renovation/Addition. Rob Karosis Photography

Tiger Oak

Robison Home Builders

Photo of a transitional l-shaped kitchen pantry in Salt Lake City with open cabinets, green cabinets, multi-coloured floor and brown benchtop.

Mediterranean Kitchen

Design ideas for a mediterranean l-shaped kitchen pantry in Orange County with open cabinets, white cabinets, light hardwood floors, no island and beige floor.

Bernal Heights Residence

Gast Architects

Ed Ritger Photography
This is an example of a transitional kitchen pantry in San Francisco with blue cabinets, open cabinets, wood benchtops, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and brown benchtop.

Kitchen with Open Cabinets 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!