This 400 s.f. studio apartment in NYC’s Greenwich Village serves as a pied-a-terre for clients whose primary residence is on the West Coast. Although the clients do not reside here full-time, this tiny space accommodates all the creature comforts of home. The kitchenette combines custom cool grey lacquered cabinets with brass fittings, white beveled subway tile, and a warm brushed brass backsplash; an antique Boucherouite runner and textural woven stools that pull up to the kitchen’s coffee counter punctuate the clean palette with warmth and the human scale. The under-counter freezer and refrigerator, along with the 18” dishwasher, are all panelled to match the cabinets, and open shelving to the ceiling maximizes the feeling of the space’s volume. The entry closet doubles as home for a combination washer/dryer unit. The custom bathroom vanity, with open brass legs sitting against floor-to-ceiling marble subway tile, boasts a honed gray marble countertop, with an undermount sink offset to maximize precious counter space and highlight a pendant light. A tall narrow cabinet combines closed and open storage, and a recessed mirrored medicine cabinet conceals additional necessaries. The stand-up shower is kept minimal, with simple white beveled subway tile and frameless glass doors, and is large enough to host a teak and stainless bench for comfort; black sink and bath fittings ground the otherwise light palette. What had been a generic studio apartment became a rich landscape for living.

Knobhill House

iPhotographyHOMES

Linda Kasian Photography
Photo of a modern eat-in kitchen in Los Angeles with a double-bowl sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain floors and with island.

Unfolding Apartment

Michael K Chen Architecture

Design ideas for a modern kitchen in New York with open cabinets.

Lucas's Loft

Becky Harris

Design ideas for a modern galley kitchen in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, open cabinets and white cabinets.

The Wainwright House

Expose Design Group Inc.

Mid-sized modern u-shaped eat-in kitchen in Toronto with open cabinets, grey cabinets, granite benchtops, black splashback, granite splashback, black appliances, with island, brown floor, black benchtop and recessed.

Gesellige Kücheninsel

Tischlerei Mau

Der Tresen am Kochplatz verspricht gesellige Kocherlebnisse. Die Abzugshaube fährt bei Bedarf aus der Arbeitsplatte hoch.
Modern kitchen in Hamburg with open cabinets, white cabinets, with island and white benchtop.

Cascade House

Sustain

Design ideas for a small modern galley eat-in kitchen in Portland with a drop-in sink, dark wood cabinets, solid surface benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain splashback, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors, no island and open cabinets.

London Garden Room

Eckford Chong Design

This 3 storey mid-terrace townhouse on the Harringay Ladder was in desperate need for some modernisation and general recuperation, having not been altered for several decades. We were appointed to reconfigure and completely overhaul the outrigger over two floors which included new kitchen/dining and replacement conservatory to the ground with bathroom, bedroom & en-suite to the floor above. Like all our projects we considered a variety of layouts and paid close attention to the form of the new extension to replace the uPVC conservatory to the rear garden. Conceived as a garden room, this space needed to be flexible forming an extension to the kitchen, containing utilities, storage and a nursery for plants but a space that could be closed off with when required, which led to discrete glazed pocket sliding doors to retain natural light. We made the most of the north-facing orientation by adopting a butterfly roof form, typical to the London terrace, and introduced high-level clerestory windows, reaching up like wings to bring in morning and evening sunlight. An entirely bespoke glazed roof, double glazed panels supported by exposed Douglas fir rafters, provides an abundance of light at the end of the spacial sequence, a threshold space between the kitchen and the garden. The orientation also meant it was essential to enhance the thermal performance of the un-insulated and damp masonry structure so we introduced insulation to the roof, floor and walls, installed passive ventilation which increased the efficiency of the external envelope. A predominantly timber-based material palette of ash veneered plywood, for the garden room walls and new cabinets throughout, douglas fir doors and windows and structure, and an oak engineered floor all contribute towards creating a warm and characterful space.

White Kitchen Floating Shelves

Anew Home Design

Floating shelves designed in this modern refurbished split level home in Rivermont Country Club in Alpharetta GA. Home Staging for the home is provided by Anew Home Staging & Design. A home staging company in Alpharetta,GA. Interior Design company in Alpharetta.

Zerbey Remodel

Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors

Lauren Zerbey
Modern kitchen in Seattle with open cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, grey splashback, glass sheet splashback and stainless steel appliances.

LINDEN-築26年ショップのような住居兼仕事場

blue studio

レトログラスの窓の向こうには寝室が
Photo of a small modern l-shaped open plan kitchen in Tokyo with an integrated sink, open cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel benchtops, stainless steel appliances, medium hardwood floors and no island.

Una cocina con isla y puertas correderas de cristal con acento oriental

Estudio de cocinas Carmen Bejarano

Carmen Bejarano
Large modern single-wall open plan kitchen in Madrid with open cabinets, grey cabinets, quartz benchtops, brown splashback, ceramic splashback, stainless steel appliances, ceramic floors, with island and brown floor.

Silver Spring

COLEPREVOST

Modern eat-in kitchen in DC Metro with open cabinets and metallic splashback.

Greenlake Modern Home

Fivedot

This single family home in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle is a modern home with a strong emphasis on sustainability. The house includes a rainwater harvesting system that supplies the toilets and laundry with water. On-site storm water treatment, native and low maintenance plants reduce the site impact of this project. This project emphasizes the relationship between site and building by creating indoor and outdoor spaces that respond to the surrounding environment and change throughout the seasons.

Kitchen design, complete kitchen renovation, kitchen fitting.

THE MODERN HOME REFURBISHMENT LTD

Large modern eat-in kitchen in London with a double-bowl sink, open cabinets, dark wood cabinets, marble benchtops, marble splashback, coloured appliances, ceramic floors, a peninsula, beige floor and white benchtop.

Silk White Legrabox Space Tower

LDL Components Ltd

A medium Silk White & Clear Glass Legrabox Space Tower
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern eat-in kitchen in Other with open cabinets and white cabinets.

North Street

TEAL Architects + Planners

A mid-twentieth-century family home on a busy city-wide connector with excellent public transport, and access to employment, services, and shopping. TEAL recognized an opportunity to transform the house into two contemporary dwellings by: • adding new structures: new stairs and separate entries from the street as well as a service room at the back • opening the interiors into spacious light-filled open plan living places • re-presenting the exterior of the building with new hemlock cladding integrated over the existing shingles • installing efficient new environmental control systems • reusing many of the materials, including the building envelope and chimney as part of a feature wall

Kitchen and family living

Lindon Homes Pty Ltd

Kitchen and family area
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern galley open plan kitchen in Brisbane with an undermount sink, open cabinets, grey cabinets, marble benchtops, yellow splashback, marble splashback, black appliances, light hardwood floors, with island, beige floor and white benchtop.

Two Creeks Pantry

Creative Design Cabinetry

White melamine cabinets fill the pantry closet to create plenty of storage. Tresco recessed led under cabinet lighting illuminate the counter tops well. Rev-A-Shelf wire basket.

Thunder Springs Kitchen

LKID

Photography Courtesy of David Marlow http://www.davidomarlow.com/

Modern 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 Modern 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!