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Contemporary Kitchen Ideas and Designs

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Los Altos Hills Residence 2
Los Altos Hills Residence 2
Thompson Studio ArchitectsThompson Studio Architects
Photo of a contemporary open plan kitchen in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, a submerged sink, light wood cabinets and limestone worktops.
Ikea stacked abstrakt white and oak shelves
Ikea stacked abstrakt white and oak shelves
TS KITCHENTS KITCHEN
TS KITCHEN PROJECTS
Design ideas for a contemporary kitchen in Toronto with flat-panel cabinets and white cabinets.
Scandinavian Contemporary
Scandinavian Contemporary
REFINED LLCREFINED LLC
Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Minneapolis with stainless steel appliances.
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SILVERTIP RIDGE
SILVERTIP RIDGE
Sticks + Stones Design Group Inc.Sticks + Stones Design Group Inc.
This renovation project launched with an immediate bond between designer and client and the shared commitment to create a unique, modern weekend home in the Rocky Mountains. The focus was on the main floor living area. We modernized the existing oak kitchen and gave new life to the corner river rock fireplace by featuring ledgestone running into the ceiling with a custom timber mantel and shelving. The kitchen’s center work island was rotated to create better work and entertaining space and to change the outlook from neigbour’s property to the beautiful mountain views. An addition to the back entrance features updated chrome lighting and plumbing fixtures; the floor was transformed to a warm, buttery maple. The interior doors were changed to a five panel shaker with a contemporary satin nickel knob. Trim and baseboards were painted to match the walls creating a feeling of height and allowing the doors to feature. The ensuite became an oasis of white and grey marble with a sleek toilet and custom shower. Once the renovation was complete, a furniture and accessory package was designed with the clients’ weekend lifestyle in mind.
Open Kitchen to Living
Open Kitchen to Living
Carlos Delgado ArchitectCarlos Delgado Architect
Houzz Feature - How to Configure Your Kitchen Sink: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-configure-your-kitchen-sink-stsetivw-vs~14444958
Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Cincinnati with stainless steel appliances, a built-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets and laminate countertops.
Contemporary Kitchen
Contemporary Kitchen
Robin Rigby Fisher, CMKBD/CAPS/CLIPPSRobin Rigby Fisher, CMKBD/CAPS/CLIPPS
Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Although this kitchen had ample cabinets and countertops, none of it was functional. Tall appliances divided what would have been a functional run of counters. The cooktop was placed at the end of a narrow island. The walk-in pantry jutted into the kitchen reducing the walkspace of the only functional countertop to 36”. There was not enough room to work and still have a walking area behind. Dark corners and cabinets with poor storage rounded out the existing kitchen. Removing the walk in pantry opened the kitchen and made the adjoining utility room more functional. The space created by removing the pantry became a functional wall of appliances featuring: • 30” Viking Freezer • 36” Viking Refrigerator • 30” Wolf Microwave • 30” Wolf warming drawer To minimize a three foot ceiling height change, a custom Uberboten was built to create a horizontal band keeping the focus downward. The Uberboten houses recessed cans and three decorative light fixtures to illuminate the worksurface and seating area. The Island is functional from all four sides: • Elevation F: functions as an eating bar for two and as a buffet counter for large parties. Countertop: Ceasarstone Blue Ridge • Elevation G: 30” deep coffee bar with beverage refrigerator. Custom storage for flavored syrups and coffee accoutrements. Access to the water with the pull out Elkay faucet makes filling the espresso machine a cinch! Countertop: Ceasarstone Canyon Red • Elevation H: holds the Franke sink, and a cabinet with popup mixer hardware. Countertop: 4” thick endgrain butcherblock maple countertop • Elevation I: 42” tall and 30” deep cabinets hold a second Wolf oven and a built-in Franke scale Countertop: Ceasarstone in Blue Ridge The Range Elevation (Elevation B) has 27” deep countertops, the trash compactor, recycling, a 48” Wolf range. Opposing counter surfaces flank of the range: • Left: Ceasarstone in Canyon Red • Right: Stainless Steel. • Backsplash: Copper What originally was a dysfunctional desk that collected EVERYTHING, now is an attractive, functional 21” deep pantry that stores linen, food, serving pieces and more. The cabinet doors were made from a Zebra-wood-look-alike melamine, the gain runs both horizontally and vertically for a custom design. The end cabinet is a 12” deep message center with cork-board backing and a small work space. Storage below houses phone books and the Lumitron Graphic Eye that controls the light fixtures. Design Details: • An Icebox computer to the left of the main sink • Undercabinet lighting: Xenon • Plug strip eliminate unsightly outlets in the backsplash • Cabinets: natural maple accented with espresso stained alder.
76 Newington Green Road
76 Newington Green Road
Amenity SpaceAmenity Space
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in London with stainless steel appliances, a built-in sink, multi-coloured splashback and green worktops.
Lake Washington Eclectic
Lake Washington Eclectic
NB Design Group, IncNB Design Group, Inc
Architecture by Castanes Architects Photography by Aaron Leitz
Contemporary u-shaped kitchen in Seattle with stainless steel appliances, a belfast sink, medium wood cabinets, marble worktops, white splashback and stone slab splashback.
Reservoir Kitchen
Reservoir Kitchen
Marcus Gleysteen ArchitectsMarcus Gleysteen Architects
Contemporary kitchen in Boston with stainless steel appliances, a submerged sink, glass-front cabinets, medium wood cabinets, grey splashback and stone slab splashback.
Contemporaneo Cucina
Contemporaneo Cucina
This is an example of a contemporary single-wall kitchen in Milan with a double-bowl sink, white cabinets, an island, open cabinets, marble worktops, white splashback, white floors and white worktops.
Northwest Contemporary Kitchen
Northwest Contemporary Kitchen
Paul Moon DesignPaul Moon Design
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Seattle with shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a single-bowl sink, medium wood cabinets, brown splashback and mosaic tiled splashback.
Penn Valley
Penn Valley
Bluebell KitchensBluebell Kitchens
Contemporary kosher kitchen in sapele mahogany in a mid century home in Philadelphia's Main Line.
Contemporary kitchen in Philadelphia with stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, metallic splashback and metal splashback.
Big Ranch Kitchen
Big Ranch Kitchen
The Home Index Interior DesignThe Home Index Interior Design
Design: Melissa Schmitt Photos by Adrian Gregorutti
This is an example of a medium sized contemporary l-shaped enclosed kitchen in San Francisco with stainless steel appliances, stainless steel cabinets, open cabinets, a belfast sink, light hardwood flooring, an island and composite countertops.
Fish Creek Compound Guest House
Fish Creek Compound Guest House
CLB ArchitectsCLB Architects
Matthew Millman Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen in Salt Lake City with integrated appliances and metro tiled splashback.
This Old House - Bedford
This Old House - Bedford
Elms Interior DesignElms Interior Design
Medium sized contemporary u-shaped kitchen pantry in Boston with open cabinets, white cabinets, engineered stone countertops, red splashback and medium hardwood flooring.
Brookemeister
Brookemeister
Brooke Mitchell-SikoraBrooke Mitchell-Sikora
My Modesto CA Kitchen
Photo of a contemporary kitchen in Other with shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite worktops, black splashback and white cabinets.
Urban Loft
Urban Loft
estudio gutman lehrerestudio gutman lehrer
Photo of a contemporary galley kitchen in Other with stainless steel appliances, flat-panel cabinets and black cabinets.
Woodland Residence
Woodland Residence
Domiteaux Garza ArchitectureDomiteaux Garza Architecture
Photo Credit: Terri Glanger Photography
This is an example of a contemporary kitchen in Dallas with stainless steel appliances and orange worktops.

Contemporary Kitchen Ideas and Designs

Want to discover beautiful contemporary kitchen ideas to inspire your new kitchen design? You’ve come to the right place. You can discover millions of contemporary kitchen designs and ideas; from kitchen islands and storage units, to all sorts of kitchen lighting ideas, such as pendant lighting or under cabinet lighting. Whether you want inspiration for all-in-one fitted kitchen designs, some small kitchen ideas or maybe just some tips for improving your kitchen decor, there are tons of contemporary photos to inspire you for your next kitchen project on Houzz.

What kind of contemporary kitchen design should I go for?

With so many kitchen ideas and photos to look at you might be a bit overwhelmed when it comes to picking your own contemporary kitchen design. If you are updating your kitchen you know what a big and important decision it is to get the design right – the kitchen can be the hub and heart of the home, and it’s unlikely that you would invest in renovating your kitchen again in a few years. But fear not, focusing first on the important elements like layout, cabinet style, worktops and appliances will help you to bring together your dream kitchen design. Additional elements like kitchen lighting, cupboard storage and decor can come after in the kitchen planning process. A kitchen designer or fitter can help you to decide the layout of your contemporary kitchen in terms of where to place your kitchen units, appliances and island (if you’re having one), but if you prefer to handle this yourself you can focus on where you want your key elements of your kitchen to be – the oven, hob, sink and fridge. Of course you might be constricted by space, but try to envisage the easiest and most efficient layout based on how you usually like to cook and prepare your food. If you’re fed up of always having to carry dirty pans and pots across the room to the sink, place the sink closer to your oven and hob. Once you have the core elements sorted, consider extra layout considerations, such as where your bins will be stored, where the cutlery draw should be and where small contemporary kitchen appliances can be installed.

Should I include a kitchen island?

Kitchen island ideas are abundant these days; it seems most kitchen designs include a kitchen island, if not multiple islands. However, if the layout doesn’t work, especially if you have a small kitchen, then there’s no necessity to add in a kitchen island. You can add a breakfast bar or counter to your existing kitchen units, or stick with a good old-fashioned dining table if you don’t need the extra work surfaces. That said, if you do have the room, take a look at some contemporary kitchen island ideas to see if the designs inspire you for your kitchen. There are a huge variety of island designs to cater to different needs – you can have sinks, ovens, hobs, wine storage and all sorts of drawers and organisers built-in, you can have separate bars and counters that extend from your island, or you could go for a kitchen island on wheels to make your kitchen layout more versatile.

How do I choose my kitchen units and cabinets?

When picking out kitchen units and cupboard styles for a fitted kitchen, you’ll first want to consider the more practical questions – how many units do you need? How many cupboards and drawers do you need? Do you need extra kitchen storage built into your units? It’s always best to overestimate how much kitchen storage you’ll need as we all tend to have a habit of filling up whatever current space we have to the maximum. Next you can consider kitchen cabinet style and colour. Shaker style cabinets and raised and recessed panel cabinets offer a more traditional kitchen cabinet look, while flat panel cabinet doors tend to lend more to the modern and contemporary style. However, going for raised or recessed panel work in a striking colour such as dark blue, green or black can still work with contemporary kitchen ideas. White kitchens can give a sleek and clean feel, but remember you may have to do a bit more cleaning of those cupboard doors if you want everything to stay shiny and fresh. Of course, grey kitchens are the neutral colour choice du jour and can be paired with pale and rich shades alike if you want your fitted kitchen cupboards to contrast with your worktop, splashback, floor, or all of the above. Exposed shelving and storage is also popular for eclectic, Scandi and industrial-inspired looks, so you could opt for glass-fronted cabinets or no wall-mounted cabinets at all. Remember that this will require more restraint in what you can store and more effort in keeping it looking presentable compared to what is stored away hastily behind cupboard doors. The kitchen cupboard handles are also another element to decide upon – do you want traditional round knobs, modern metal bars, country kitchen cup handles or maybe to go ultra sleek with a completely handleless kitchen?

What contemporary kitchen storage ideas should I consider?

If you want to keep your contemporary kitchen well-stocked and well-equipped but don’t want it spilling over with clutter, then you’ll need to rely on good kitchen storage. Apart from the usual fitted kitchen cupboards and drawer space, there are many other ways of keeping your kitchen tidy. Whilst a large kitchen pantry is the dream of most homeowners, it can’t always be a reality. However, there are now lots of pull out compartments and drawers with trays and shelving that can act as mini kitchen pantries, and you can install handy cupboard organisers that fit onto the inside of the door to make the most of your cupboard space. You can also look at corner drawers and cupboards that open up to reveal lots of extra storage. Rails or small shelves along your kitchen walls or splashback can help with hanging utensils or pans, or storing small items like herbs and spices in an usually empty space. Buy extra kitchen storage products for your home on Houzz

Are there small kitchen ideas for small contemporary spaces?

If you’re working with a galley kitchen, a one-wall kitchen in an open plan space or just a pretty small kitchen, there are some small kitchen ideas that can help you get the most out of your cooking and dining area. If you find that you don’t utilise the back of your cupboards (maybe they become the graveyard for out-of-date tin cans), you could decide to go with shallower kitchen units to free up some extra floor space in front of your cabinets. As mentioned, open shelving or glass-fronted cabinets are a popular trend and they should make the space feel more open and less boxed-in. However, if you have the capacity for it, cupboards and contemporary kitchen units that maximise the floor-to-ceiling space you have will mean you can use all of that for valuable kitchen storage. Wall or ceiling racks could be a useful solution for hanging pans and pots if you’ve run out of cupboards in which to store them. Kitchen ideas and contemporary accessories such as baskets, trolleys and storage jars are both aesthetically pleasing and practical as they give you extra storage space. Kitchen appliances like a fridge or dishwasher can be tucked away in built-in units in fitted kitchens so they blend into your layout and don’t make the space look crowded. Discover all the small kitchen ideas you could need by taking a look at photos of compact kitchens.

What sort of contemporary kitchen lighting should I go for?

In the kitchen you need to have practical lighting – no one wants to chop, cut and cook in a dingy room. Kitchen ceiling lights are probably the best way to go, but should you opt for recessed spotlights or traditional hanging ceiling lights? While spotlight LED kitchen lighting will give you excellent light, they may not fit with a design that’s not contemporary. Traditional chandelier lights could work for other kitchen styles, and of course, kitchen pendant lighting comes in all sorts of styles, colours and designs. While the popular choice is to go with one or two pendant lights over your kitchen island, you could also opt for a single pendant light over your dining space, or a few spaced out across your kitchen. Of course, if you want good lighting for your worktops, under-cabinet lighting is the way forward. Speak to your kitchen supplier about having this pre-installed, or there are a number of easy-install options you can fit yourself or with the help of a lighting expert or electrician. In the market for your contemporary kitchen lighting today? Once you’ve found some inspiring kitchen lighting ideas here, take a look at our kitchen lighting products to find the new lights for your kitchen project.

Check out these popular kitchen pages below:

SUNNYSIDE
SUNNYSIDE
SVK Interior DesignSVK Interior Design
Michele Lee Wilson Photography
This is an example of a contemporary galley kitchen/diner in San Francisco with a submerged sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, white splashback, mosaic tiled splashback, stainless steel appliances and an island.
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