These 32 Modern Kitchens Still Have Plenty of Personality
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No need for fancy detailing in kitchen designs. We're here for the sleek, streamlined looks of these modern kitchens to inspire your next luxury kitchen in 2024.
These modern kitchen ideas feature kitchens large and small with high ceilings and standard heights, each with a unique look created by top designers around the country. Whether you have wood cabinets or something more unique like porcelain kitchen cabinets in mind, there's sure to be one that catches your eye in classic white kitchens or a kitchen with color that makes a fun statement in the space, with standout kitchen island ideas to boot. Modern kitchen design certainly doesn't have to be simple or sterile; you might even find some of these warm and inviting while maintaining a minimalist design.
These contemporary kitchens are a feast for your eyes. Here, our favorite modern kitchen ideas.
Light & Airy Design
Designer David Kleinberg kept the kitchen design of this Connecticut lake cabin light and airy with open shelving in front of a glazed tile backsplash in place of open cabinets, all positioned above blue cabinetry and a large oak island.
Shimmering Wallpaper
Metallic brushstrokes glimmer like sunshine radiating off the lagoon’s navy waves in this Kips Bay Palm Beach kitchen, where cabinetry designer Christopher Peacock created a magical intersection of work and play. To that end, he wrapped the room in a lustrous navy wallcovering, setting a sparkling backdrop for serving coffee or working from home.
Colorful Paneled Cabinets
Gil Schafer and the late Suzanne Rheinstein channeled the blue of the nearby sea in the paneled cabinets of the casual kitchen of this Newport Beach home.
Carved Natural Wood
In his Birmingham cottage, architect Paul Bates was inspired by woodwork in David Adler’s Clow house in Chicago to design the rectangular carvings in this low, white oak cabinetry accented with brass hardware.
Elegant Fluting
Exquisite porcelain-front cabinetry with brass and steel strapping elevate the kitchen in this glamourous Naples, Florida retreat. Architect Bobby McAlpine repeated fluted detailing throughout the cook space to connect it to the rest of the home.
Bold Tile
Designer Ellen Hamilton proves modern is bold with her vision for this colorful Florida kitchen. Fornace Brioni tile (Clé) ascending the walls and a plaster and gesso chandelier (Codor Design) artful graphic dimension to the space.
Cottage Kitchen
For this quaint cottage in Napa Valley, designer Dan Fink created custom furnishings that emphasize modern comfort. He paired the kitchen’s cerused-oak cabinetry with slate-hued soapstone countertops and a backsplash of earthy brown tiles for a modern, masculine look.
Warm Woods
The modern kitchen of this Philadelphia apartment designed by Young Huh feels warm and inviting thanks to gorgeous cabinetry by Poggenpohl. The countertop and backsplash are Cambria. Stools, Design Within Reach.
Minimalist Island
In this Charlotte, North Carolina, mid-century modern kitchen restored by architect Ken Pursley, a thin, plated-steel prep counter extends off the sink to face the den. Behind the doors to the left is a butler's pantry that serves as a second, hideaway kitchen to keep prep and cleanup largely out of site.
Antique Character
In this Dallas, Texas, kitchen designed by Gil Melott of Studio 6F, a Turkish runner lends warmth and color to the modern open and airy space. The kitchen appliances are from Signature Kitchen Suite. The counters are Cambria.
Sleek Counter Stools
In this New York City kitchen designed by Robert Passal, sculptural metal counter stools are finished in antique brass and upholstered in pistachio leather (Jerry Pair).
Artful Glass Lighting
In the kitchen of this Dallas home designed by Meredith McBrearty, blown-glass pendants by MoMA alum Alison Berger turn kitchen island lighting into modern art. A parade of interesting textures warms the kitchen: quilted leather stools (Studio Piet Boon), glazed Moroccan tilework (Clé tile), and leathered quartzite counters. Range, Wolf.
Modern Breakfast Nook
At the 2020 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas, designer Chad Dorsey outfitted the hard-working prep kitchen with all the comforts needed for the ultimate WFH space: a beautiful desk and a sunny breakfast table complete with a plush sofa that tucks into a scultural arched alcove.
The island, finished in brushed brass panels, features an undermount sink for a more streamlined design. The room is finished with a Trove wallcovering on the ceiling to serve as a faux skylight.
Elemental Wood
Dark-stained beams and interlocking white oak floor tiles from Jamie Beckwith add just a hint of rustic warmth to this serene white kitchen in a Naples, Florida, retreat designed by Celerie Kemble.
Charcoal Counters
Modern doesn't have to mean color or austere, as proven by this Lake Toxaway, NC, kitchen, designed by Platt Architecture and designer Cliff Fong. Although its lines are more streamlined in style, the cookspace evokes a warm and inviting vibe thanks to a rustic-inspired palette that reflects the mountain lake landscape, with a custom-green center island fitted with Juno limestone counters, which also form the backsplash, and natural wood-hued cabinetry.
Artful Backsplash
The focal point of this Dallas kitchen designed by Chad Dorsey is a cased opening with a Cambria stone inset and a chinoiserie-painted antique mirror by artist James Mobley on industry glass. The countertops, trim, and shelving by Cambria and rustic Cantera floor from Materials Marketing all reflect Dorsey’s “European elegance meets industrial edge” aesthetic for this ultra-chic cookspace.
Metallic Finishes
At this Hamptons beach house, designer Alex Papachristidis stuck to a palette of ivory, white, silver, and gold. In the kitchen, Soane Britain’s polished brass-trimmed yacht table lends ship-shape style under a brass leaf Tommaso Barbi chandelier (circa 1970).
Waterfall Countertop Edge
For his own kitchen, Birmingham, AL–based architect Jeffrey Dungan fashioned a waterfall countertop edge on the island where the counters make a ninety-degree angle and continue to the floor instead of simply ending with a finished edge. The streamlined design stands in provocative contrast to the graceful kitchen alcove arch.
Marble Walls
Designer James Michael Howard anchored this modern, all-white kitchen in Westchester, New York, by extending the Breccia Imperiale marble countertop and backsplash up to the ceiling on the wall behind the range. The stone's organic pattern provides a focal point within the open-plan space. The refrigerator is Sub-Zero, the range is Wolf, the globe pendants are The Urban Electric Co., and the barstools are Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair.
Geometric Stone Floors
In this Washington, DC, home, designer Thomas Pheasant grounded the lofty modern, white kitchen with rich tones in the base cabinetry, stone flooring, and the island's waterfall countertop (by Waterworks). The range is by Wolf, the wall ovens are Miele, the pendant lights are from Holly Hunt, and the stools are from Design Within Reach.
Flat Panel Cabinetry
At Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury's Paradise Valley, AZ, home, streamlined design and top-notch functionality combine in the ultimate modern kitchen. Luxury home builder Regal American Homes worked with interior designer Lindsay Kadlick to create a cookspace that connects seamlessly to the rest of the home and Kingsbury's amazing backyard. Here, the Bulthaup kitchen features Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances along with a teppanyaki grill and a built-in coffee maker.
Large-Scale Art
Forgoing upper cabinetry can make a small cook space feel larger. In this Paris apartment, designers Raphaël Le Berre and Thomas Vevaud installed a large piece of art in place of shelves or cabinetry along one wall. Tractor stools from BassamFellows maintain a low profile while simple cabinetry crafted of black melamine wood reinforces the streamlined style. A cluster pendant light with smokey glass globes picks up on the cookspace's charcoal and black tones.
Statement Lighting
Not every statement comes in the form of a shout. In this Alys Beach, Florida, kitchen designed by local architects Khoury & Vogt and Atlanta-based designer Shirlene Brooks, a sculptural chandelier made of black electrical cable from Vibia graces the white oak and marble island with more like a whisper. A custom concrete dining table is paired with chairs from R Hughes.
Subway Tile Walls
In her Connecticut kitchen, Waterworks cofounder Barbara Sallick clad every wall surface with 4-by-8-inch (rather than the more typical 3-by-6-inch) subway tiles, creating a "tile envelope" for the space. "I love the grid they create, I love the materials, and I love the scale of the larger tile," says Sallick.
Chrome Accents
In the kitchen of this Bahamas retreat, designer Miles Redd shifted storage to a small anteroom and used the space that would have held upper cabinetry to decorate the walls with 1970s Italian photographs from 1stdibs. "Hanging art here makes the kitchen feel like an extension of the living room,” says Redd. Large-scale pendant lighting and barstools with a polished chrome finish add just a hint of glint.
Open Shelving
For this small kitchen in a Palm Beach apartment, designer Campion Platt took color cues from the setting: white tile backsplash, light sand-colored cabinetry, and bleached wood-toned floor tiles from Daltile. The minimalist open shelves makes it easy for guests to serve themselves. The vent hood and refrigerator are from KitchenAid, and the sink fittings are Dornbracht.
Glamorous Brass
Brass details, from the shelving to the stools, up the glam factor in this all-white kitchen in Atlanta by designer Melanie Turner. The Rohl sink boasts Waterworks fittings, the hood and the range are from Officine Gullo, the cabinetry hardware is from Matthew Quinn Collection, and the globe pendant lights are from Bobo Intriguing Objects.
Drawer Storage
The state-of-the-art kitchen inside an Aspen, CO, cottage designed by Victoria Hagan features custom cabinetry mostly comprised of drawers and no hardware for an ultra-minimalist look that keeps the focus on the stunning mountain views. The countertops are Glassos, the stove is Wolf, and the drum pendants are by The Urban Electric Co.
Cheerful Color
Designer Fawn Galli proves modern kitchens do not have to be neutral with this cookspace brightened by sunflower-yellow cabinetry. Black stone countertops and a pressed tin ceiling lend dark contrast to the sunny shade.
No Vent Hood
For a clean look with a European sensibility in this modern white Palm Beach kitchen, designer Vasi Ypsilantis eschewed a vent hood over the Dacor range for a powerful external blower and skipped upper cabinetry to make the small space seem larger. The sinks are by Kohler, and the countertops are by Cambria. A rounded island softens the space.
Color-Blocked Cabinetry
In this open-plan kitchen designed by Dawson Design Group, peacock-blue accents—a stripe on upper cabinets and the inside of the island seating area—make for a graphic application of saturated color in an otherwise white-and-wood cookspace.
Iconic Barstools
One of the easiest ways to add modern style to any kitchen is to pull up a set of barstools designed by an iconic furniture designer. Here, a set of four chrome wire Bertoia barstools recall the modern-industrial style of Italian-American artist and designer Harry Bertoia.
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