In terms of design choices, modern kitchens remain a highly popular choice. Not only do they offer clean lines, but they also provide you with plenty of functionality too, making it easy to entertain guests or whip up a quick meal after a day at the office.
However, modern kitchens don’t happen automatically. For them to work, you have to incorporate certain essential elements into their design.
In this post, we take a look at some of the features that any modern kitchen requires. Read on to find out more.
Uncluttered Design
Modern kitchens all have one thing in common – an uncluttered design. You’ll rarely find embellishment or artistic motifs. Instead, these designs are essentially a celebration of the materials themselves. In a modern kitchen, you always see the material for what they are, without any artistic flourishes laid over the top of them.
Some people find this aesthetic a little harsh. But the key point to remember here is that with modern kitchens, the visual softness of the environment doesn’t come from the background materials – it comes from the objects you place in the room. So when you adopt an uncluttered aesthetic, it automatically highlights any flowers, vases or light fittings you place in the room. Done right, it doesn’t feel harsh at all. The best way to describe it would be serene.
Add Pendant Lighting
As far as suggestions for kitchen remodeling go, adding pendant lighting is one of the best. For whatever reason, it always really works in modern kitchens and helps to make them a little quirky.
Perhaps the best use of pendant lighting is above your breakfast bar. Here, you can place low-hanging lights that illuminate your food but that also add to the beauty of the room. You want lights to have a vibrant feel but to also complement the rest of the neutral aesthetic. Going for frilly traditional shades won’t work. Pick something modernist and artistic, yet right at home in uncluttered surroundings.
Add Island Storage
Central kitchen islands are all the rage right now. And it all comes down to their incredible practicality. You can use them as cupboards for all your storage plus a host of other helpful things, including sinks and refrigerated drawers.
Practically all large modern kitchens have an island. It helps to break up the room and makes it look less like a giant wall of cupboards. The design you choose for your island is very much a matter of personal preference. Long, flowing, wavy styles work just as well as more geometric versions.
Add Modern Appliances
Modern appliances are the cornerstone of any good modern kitchen and quite fundamental to the overall aesthetic. Most kitchens in this style use appliances borrowed from the commercial sector, featuring large areas of brushed metal. Because they look quite neutral, they blend in effortlessly with modern aesthetics. Plus, they function really well too, allowing you to cook pretty much whatever dish you like.
Connection To The Outdoors
Kitchens that connect to the outdoors are also increasingly popular, but it is only really modernist designs where they shine. Here, you often have a long folding door leading out onto a patio, terrace or deck area with additional seating.
A connection to the outdoors is a relative newcomer to modern kitchens. But thanks to the convenience it offers – not to mention the lifestyle upgrade – it’s fast becoming an essential part of the design.
When connecting your modern kitchen to the outdoors, remember to make it flow. If possible, use the same flooring as on your interiors and keep the roof height the same as well. Try not to allow the differences to become too pronounced.
Minimalist Cabinetry
Lastly, modern kitchens tend to have quite minimalist cabinetry. It’s all about making your kitchen look as clean and simple as possible. While cabinets do feature some detailing, it is often understanded and pared back as much as possible. For example, many modern cabinets just have a single metal rail handle on the door and close flush to the frame. Very rarely do modern cabinets feature any engraved sections or artistic detailings on cabinet doors themselves or the surrounding cabinet material.
Minimalist cabinetry helps to give your kitchen interiors a streamlined vibe. Everything looks super slick and polished, allowing you to get on with what you love most – cooking and entertaining.
So, in summary, minimalist kitchens tend to look simple from the outside, but hide complexity where possible. They don’t contain many embellishments. Instead, they allow the materials to do the talking.