Beautiful Modern Kitchen Designs To inspire Your Next Renovation
Looking to upgrade your outdated kitchen? Here are the newest and latest in modern kitchen design trends.
What sets a modern kitchen apart from traditional or contemporary designs? Typically, it’s the sleek design that’s both beautiful and functional. Design elements like high-contrast colour palettes and minimalist decor are incorporated into an open-concept floor plan. In a modern kitchen, you will find chef-style appliances and amenities paired with clean lines and a touch of drama.
This aesthetic has rapidly grown in popularity, pair that with other styles to make it more approachable for residential homes. For instance, modern farmhouse pairs the clean modern design of high-contrast, simple colour palettes with southern charm and the warmth of rustic textures. Likewise, modern eclectic design takes the clean lines of modern design and pairs it with a more colourful palette and unique decor pieces throughout.
Choosing a modern design for your new kitchen is sure to future-proof it for years to come. Plus, a modern kitchen design accommodates optimal organization and supports sustainability. Check out these modern kitchen design elements that are sure to inspire your next kitchen renovation.
Let's Talk Countertop Styles
Kitchen countertops can bring a beautiful design element to your space and tie the room together.
In modern kitchen design, sleek stone counters in black or white are popular. People have moved away from using tile and laminate counters and focusing on natural materials that are more attractive and more durable.
Quartz
Quartz is an excellent choice for countertops as each piece of quartz is unique and beautiful. It’s an incredibly durable material and stronger than granite. It also offers a non-porous surface, helping reduce bacteria on your countertop.
Both white and black quartz kitchen countertops are especially appealing to modern kitchen design. They provide a sleek, clean look that can easily integrate into any design. White quartz resembles marble as a luxurious design element.
Concrete
Countertops made from concrete are a relatively new use for the material. Concrete offers a statement design element to your kitchen and is extremely durable. When properly sealed, concrete countertops can last a lifetime.
The matte, gray tone provides a sense of drama and contrast to the space. Choosing concrete countertops will surely transform your space and add modernity to your kitchen.
Stainless Steel
A widespread material in commercial kitchen design is the use of stainless steel countertops. They have made their way into residential kitchens because of their durability and sleek aesthetic. They cannot burn, stain, or rust and are difficult to scratch and dent.
Stainless countertops lean toward the industrial interior design style, but when utilized in a modern kitchen, they offer character and structure to the space. Stainless steel is an excellent choice for the home chef who greatly utilizes their kitchen.
Integrated Sink
An integrated kitchen sink is one that sits evenly or below your countertops. While integrated sinks look great, their main benefit is their function. Clean the countertop directly into the sink and there are no visible signs of installation on the counter. Non-integrated sinks tend to be smaller and appear dated.
Waterfall Countertops
A waterfall countertop feature is a gorgeous way to modernize your space. This is accomplished when the countertop is built to continue over the edge of the countertop to the ground. Use this on the side of your kitchen or over a kitchen island. It is extremely popular in modern kitchen design for its luxurious look and sleek lines it creates.
It can be done with any countertop material but looks especially attractive when done with quartz.
Butcher Block
Butcher block countertops are made from wood and are available in various colours and styles. While not a modern design element on its own, when placed in a modern kitchen, butcher block countertops add warmth and texture to the space. They are commonly used for kitchen islands and look especially elegant when paired with black or dark-coloured cabinets.
Moving Over to Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are the first thing your eye goes to in the room. They take up the majority of surface area in the space and have the most to offer visually. The choices for cabinets are infinite, from colour to finish to material and each choice plays an important role in the overall design of the kitchen.
In modern kitchen design, it is common to have flat cabinets with clean lines and no trim. Contrary to traditional design, wood tone cabinets are less popular than coloured ones.
Matte Finish
A matte finish is not shiny because it absorbs light rather than reflects it. Matte cabinets of any colour can add texture and depth to your space by breaking up how light is reflected around the room. This finish is also associated with chic modern design and therefore brings a sense of sophistication to the room.
Matte finishes appear less dirty than high gloss cabinets and you need to clean them less often.
Bold Colors and Dark Colors
While white and wood-toned cabinets are popular across all interior design styles, bold choices like black, blue, gray, and green may not be. Bold colours and dark colours are an excellent way to modernize your kitchen design. It brings drama and character to the space that could otherwise appear stale.
Plus, if you are seeking a straightforward yet drastic change to your kitchen, changing the cabinets to a bold or dark colour will accomplish that.
Different Colored Uppers and Lowers
An element of modern design is high contrast throughout the space. One way this can be obtained is through different coloured upper and lower cabinets. A popular combination is black and white or black or white paired with a colour. It is an excellent way to introduce colour into the space and can be more approachable for the homeowner than all coloured cabinets.
Typically, the darker-toned colour is placed on the lower cabinets to lift the eye upward and create the appearance of a larger, taller space.
It's All About the Details
What sets a successfully designed modern kitchen apart from a stale, simple kitchen is the design elements that are cohesively incorporated into the room. These design elements will add texture, depth, warmth, and contrast.
While staged decor pieces like vases and art are minimal, permanent fixtures are used to add “decor”.
Pull Handles Versus Knobs
The hardware on cabinets and drawers may seem like a small, insignificant design element in your kitchen. However, the details have a huge impact on the overall feel and cohesiveness of the room.
In a modern kitchen, cabinet knobs can appear outdated and disturb the clean, straight lines of the room. Choosing linear pulls and handles will flow better in a modern space. Gold or black hardware is especially popular and pairs well with the tones found in modern kitchen design.
Sculptural Lighting
Lighting is extremely powerful in interior design. It can single-handedly change the mood and perception of a room. Sculptural and design-focused lighting adds interest and depth. Modern lighting is unique in its shapes and aims to make a statement in the room rather than simply illuminate it.
Hanging sculptural pendant lights over the kitchen island is a popular way to incorporate statement lighting in the room.
Rustic Floors
A surprisingly embraced design element of modern kitchens is rustic hardwood floors. They add texture and can make a room feel more established. The tone of the wood floors can contrast that of the cabinets to provide depth. We consider wide boards more elegant than the narrow boards that are popular in traditional design.
Minimalist Backsplash
While tile backsplashes can be beautiful, modern kitchen designs have moved away from tile backsplashes. It’s common practice in modern kitchens to use the same material from the countertop on the backsplash. This helps blend the top and bottom of the room. Plus, it is highly functional because stone and other materials meant for countertops are very durable and easier to clean than tile and grout.
Innovative Organization
One of the more rewarding aspects of a modernized kitchen is its functionality. It should have ample storage optimized for space and efficient technology to make your time in the kitchen easier. Minimalism is the root of a truly modern kitchen. Therefore, every item should have its place and not on the countertop.
Large Island
A kitchen island is a staple feature of a modern kitchen. Large islands are centrepieces for open concept design.
Islands provide considerable storage and counter space. They also offer ample opportunity as you can choose to place your microwave, stove, or sink on your kitchen island to improve the flow and function of the kitchen.
To make a statement with your kitchen island, choose waterfall countertops that beautifully drape it in stone. Your island can complement your main countertops or contrast them. Both choices are relevant in modern design.
Lower Drawers
Typically, you outfit kitchens with upper and lower cabinets with a few shallow drawers. Choosing large drawers in place of lower cabinets can allow for more functional storage. It is easier to see into them and access all the items. Pair the drawer with long pull hardware on the outside for a modern look that is easy to open.
Appliance Garage
An appliance garage is an upper cabinet that sits on the countertop and holds small appliances like your blender and toaster. It hides the appliances while they are not in use and allows for easy access to them. Include outlets in the cabinet to simply side the appliance out and use it where it is.
Sustainability Efforts
The purpose of sustainability in interior design is to reduce the design’s impact on the environment. A large part of this is where you source materials and items. Choosing eco-conscious brands and products can have a positive impact.
Recycled Countertops
There are ample, beautiful options for recycled countertops in every colour and style. It’s an easy way to incorporate sustainability into your modern kitchen design. When choosing countertops, it is important to not only consider how they look but how they perform. Some materials house more bacteria than others and some can give off toxins. Eco-conscious countertops also focus on safe and healthy surfaces.
Recycled countertops are typically made from a composite of recycled materials like paper, glass, quartz and porcelain. The materials are placed under pressure to make them dense and durable. Then, sealed to create a nonporous surface.
Bamboo
Bamboo is considered a sustainable material. Choosing it over non-sustainable materials will have less of a negative impact on the environment. Bamboo is incredibly renewable and versatile. It performs like wood but grows like grass. Therefore, it uses less water and land to grow.
It looks beautiful in modern design and is often used on floors and cabinets. Bamboo has a more uniform grain than traditional wood, which can complement the sleek lines of modern design.
Energy Efficient Appliances
Outdated appliances can use over double the amount of energy versus modern energy-efficient appliances. This saves you money on your electric bill and uses less water. Plus, modern appliances emit less greenhouse gas emissions and fewer pollutants.
Feeling Inspired?
Your kitchen is the heart of your home and has a massive impact on your daily life. As one of the busiest rooms in the house, it should function and accommodate you and your family. As with all the rooms in your home, interior design can greatly affect your mood. A kitchen design that you love will improve how you feel in it.
The popularity of modern kitchen design is a testament to its functionality, customization, and resale value. Renovating your kitchen with modern elements not only improves your daily life but increases the value of your home. Thus, making it an excellent investment for now and later.
Taking on a whole kitchen remodel can seem overwhelming, so start with one element. If you’re inspired by a quartz water countertop on your kitchen island, start there and work around it. One element can easily inspire a kitchen renovation. Call a specialist and book a free consultation with Caviar Kitchen today to turn your vision into a reality.
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