Photography: Brigid Arnott
As the heart of your home, your kitchen is a drawcard for all to meet, share meals and entertain. Modern kitchen design considerations for this hub can make or break your everyday use of the space so it’s important to take the time in planning and research to get it right.
Open plan, minimalist, u-shaped, sleek and simple or showstopping, take your pick from these brilliant modern kitchen design ideas.
1. Modern monochrome kitchen
A monochrome colour palette makes for stunning style in this contemporary kitchen design. Accents of black in feature downlights, bar stools, tapware and rangehood all come together in understated style. Classic marble informs the engineered stone benchtop, with elegant curves that extend up the back wall to form a statement splashback. Timber flooring warms up the space, while sheer curtains soften the light.
Photography: Nat Spadavecchia | Stylist: Fiona Gould
2. Timber and marble kitchen finishes
The high ceilings of this contemporary kitchen make the space appear larger, despite its compact size. Everything is within reach in the preparation zone, with a birdseye view of the open plan living space. Arabescato marble is the hero here, with the custom made rangehood shroud encased in the same material as the benchtops to make a bold, enduring style statement. Timber cabinetry and plenty of indoor plants bring the outdoors in.
Photography: Brigid Arnott | Stylist: Fiona Gould
3. Natural timber kitchen cabinetry
Pale grey benchtops and an upper splashback in dark, moody Dekton Sirius take a back seat to the honey tones of natural messmate timber cabinetry in this modern kitchen renovation. Open shelving and integrated appliances keep the look contemporary and allow for maximum circulation around the generous kitchen island, while the oversized sliding glass doors carry the eye outdoors.
Photography: Alex Reinders | Stylist: Sarah Elshaug
4. Modern kitchen in a heritage home
A modern kitchen design need not work against the architectural merit of a Victorian home when renovating. This 19th-Century home marries modern convenience with the timeless proportions of the original space. Rather than make a feature of exposed beams and rangehood cover overhead, both have been painted out to the ceiling colour and a light well installed to further amplify the effect of sash windows. Benchtops hug the length of one wall, while an oversized island in oak veneer matches the flooring and is part prep space, part dining table.
Photography: Simon Whitbread | Styling: Jessica Bellef
5. Modern coastal kitchen in monochrome
Modern kitchens and monochrome go hand in hand but it takes texture to effect a chic coastal aesthetic. In this contemporary coastal kitchen, high ceilings take advantage of natural light while bold black rattan pendant lighting hung on long cords create intimacy around the kitchen island. Woven bar stools ground the space for conversation and culinary creativity and selected cabinetry is highlighted in VJ panelling painted in Dulux Domino.
Photography: Louise Roche | Styling: Amber Keller
6. Modern resort-style kitchen
In designing open-plan spaces, remember that the flooring choice will be shared by the kitchen and living spaces so must be fit for both purposes. Concrete is a contemporary choice and will stand the test of time in style and wear and tear, but the key is to take style cues from the floor up for a cohesive look. In this resort-style home, the tiles in splashback and material choices for cabinetry beneath benchtops and the kitchen island have touches of grey that speak to the moody finish of the concrete flooring.
Photography: Brigid Arnott | Styling: Fiona Gould
7. Coloured kitchen cabinetry
The dramatic benchtop in this charming renovated Queenslander features elegant veining in the marble, repeated in the splashback to give it added gravitas. The continuation of marble up the splashback ties in beautifully with the dark feature colour of the island placed directly in front of the bank of white cabinetry where contemporary bar stools stand sentinel. Equally striking are the smooth white pendant lights above – they provide another resting place for the eyes away from the marble and the darker tones to become part of the design, rather than an interruption.
Photography: Elouise van Riet-gray | Styling: Lana Caves
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