Installing a new kitchen is exciting. After all, it’s considered the heart of the home. This also means the design should be carefully considered to make it a beautiful and functional space. If your architecture is more mid-century or contemporary in nature (or if you want your traditional home to have a sleek cooking space), a modern kitchen might be the right choice for you.
So, what features are crucial in a well-designed modern kitchen? Apart from your color scheme, there are many more elements that encompass a modern kitchen. The concept of the modern kitchen began in the 1940s when this area of the house made its first transformation from a purely functional room to a space where style and décor were increasingly incorporated. So, before you start on your kitchen project, here are some key points to consider.
Utilize The Space
The modern kitchen is all about minimalist style and clean lines. Gone are the embellished doors and handles. Storage space is often maximized with lower and upper cabinets and you will usually find an island or a peninsula in the middle of the room. Design and functionality meet simply and seamlessly in a space.
To create a truly unified modern kitchen, the design must include flow. The sink and appliances should be placed in what is known as a kitchen triangle. Basically, clear areas between the kitchen sink, the stove, and the fridge to make it easy to navigate between the three. This concept isn’t new, but it is still used these days as it helps with food preparation.
Choosing The Right Cabinets
Shaker cabinet doors were popular for a very long time, but the modern kitchen is more likely to feature flat panel cabinets. The smooth lines are sleeker and give the impression of an expansive space. The same cabinet doors are often used to disguise appliances like the fridge and the dishwasher for a genuinely seamless-looking kitchen.
Natural Floors
Modern kitchen design favors natural materials like wood or stone, but you can get away with a lot by laying natural-looking tiles on the kitchen floor. While you can use other materials such as hardwood, slate, or marble, tiles tend to be more versatile and maintenance-free.
Appliances
The dishwasher and the fridge can be hidden from view and incorporated into built-in seamless cabinets. As long as the appliances in question are panel-ready, these can be tucked behind a cabinet door. The stove and oven are more challenging to hide, but they can be installed on top of countertops or built-in to a cabinet wall, respectively. Stainless steel finishes seem to be more popular than the traditional white ones of the past (they’re also easier to keep clean).
Walls And Backsplashes
In most modern kitchens, you’re not going to see many bare walls as they’re usually covered by cabinets or open shelving. However, backsplashes are another feature to consider for their durability, look, and ease of cleaning. You can choose from simple tiles, glass mosaics, slabs of stone, or even sheets of stainless steel for a chef’s kitchen look.
