30 Modern Kitchens That Feel Fresh and Current

Modern kitchens are functional, stylish, and built for contemporary lifestyles. While no single style defines what is modern, today’s modern kitchens often have neutral colors and clean lines. They may include amenities such as kitchen islands for meal prep and casual dining; plenty of storage; and new, energy efficient appliances such as induction stovetops.

From small apartment kitchens to large family home open plan spaces, check out these modern kitchens that will inspire your next refresh or full scale kitchen renovation.

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Stick to All White

Fantastic Frank

This petite modern kitchen from Fantastic Frank has glossy lacquered cabinetry in a sleek flat-front design that blends into the all-white backsplash. A large picture window floods the tiny kitchen with natural light, making the compact space feel open and airy.

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Mix Wood Tones

deVOL Kitchens

This London space from deVOL Kitchens has a modern feel thanks to an industrial style glass and metal indoor window over the kitchen sink and a mix of beige and burnt black beechwood cabinetry with a minimalist feel.

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Mingle Styles

Sissy + Marley Interior Design / Photo by Marco Ricca Studio

Sissy + Marley Interior Design made this midcentury modern meets modern farmhouse all-white kitchen feel both timeless and current with a mix of traditional Shaker cabinetry; Scandi-style painted wooden bar stools; and Danish modern pendant lights.

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Think Black and White

Becca Interiors

This black-and-white kitchen from Becca Interiors has a modern feel with its sleek flat-front cabinetry, waterfall edge island, and two-tone cabinetry that runs all the way up to the ceiling.

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Skip Upper Cabinets

Home Consultant

Home Consultant gave this Southern California kitchen a modern minimalist look with a neutral palette of black, white, and wood tones. Skipping upper cabinetry and painting the lower cabinetry and banquette of the U-shaped kitchen in matte black grounds the space while maintaining a bright and airy feel.

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Use a Coastal Color Palette

Design by Lindye Galloway Studio + Shop / Photo by Chad Mellon

A coastal color palette of navy and white, light wood accents, and a rounded half-circle range hood give this spacious kitchen from Lindye Galloway Studio + Shop a modern feel.

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Go Dark

Fantastic Frank

This moody modern kitchen from Fantastic Frank has a sleek black-on-black design, with black wood cabinetry and a matching backsplash that has visible wood grain for added texture. Discreet silver-toned cabinet pulls and plumbing hardware and a black-and-silver stove complete the streamlined, modern look.

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Embrace California Style

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Margaret Austin Photo

This spacious and airy Bay Area kitchen from Cathie Hong Interiors has a laid back, minimal, indoor-outdoor feel that embodies modern California living. Clean lines, light wood tones, leather accents, polished concrete flooring, contemporary lighting, and industrial-style black metal framed picture windows create a balanced mix of cool and warm tones.

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Choose a Tonal Beige Palette

Design by Sissy + Marley Interior Design / Photo by Marco Ricca Studio

A tonal beige palette of wood, leather, and stone mixed with soft gold accents and clean lines gives this kitchen from Sissy + Marley Interior Design a soothing and sophisticated modern feel.

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Plant a Tree

Sola Kitchens

This award-winning space from Sola Kitchens was designed for a family with Sri-Lankan and Singaporean heritage, who asked for a "Scandi-Asian" kitchen. The result is a clean, organic, warm, minimalist, modern mix of slat wood paneling, black and white finishes, and a massive olive tree that hugs the ceiling and brings the space to life.

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Make It Central

Fantastic Frank

In this stylish Scandinavian apartment from Fantastic Frank, a modern black kitchen is positioned in the center of the main living area between the living and dining areas. Flat-front cabinetry and a matching island with an L-shaped wall allow the kitchen to take center stage while preserving flow and maintaining a polished look. Under-counter lighting creates an ambient glow.

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Use Light Wood Tones

Home Consultant

Home Consultant added warmth to this modern black-and-white galley-style kitchen with plenty of light wood finishes on the flooring and cabinetry that is accented with leather pulls. Black metal gooseneck sconces add an industrial farmhouse touch.

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Accent with Red

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Reid Rolls

An all-white kitchen with red accents feels modern and timeless at the same time, like this clean and streamlined U-shaped kitchen from Leanne Ford Interiors.

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Use Natural Colors

Neva Interior Design / Photo by Agathe Tissier

Neva Interior Design added a soft green backsplash to this small Parisian apartment kitchen, then planted a mini herb garden on a wall-mounted shelf and utensil rack that adds a natural element that is both decorative and practical.

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Modernize a Galley Layout

Fantastic Frank

This Scandinavian galley-style kitchen from Fantastic Frank is a modern minimalist dream, with simple prefabricated upper and lower cabinetry that hugs the wall and a white tile backsplash that disappears against walls. Black accents and industrial style black metal and glass partitions help to elegantly divide the space without inhibiting natural light or flow.

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Keep It Light

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Margaret Austin Photo

A mix of white walls, pale gray cabinetry, white tiles and walls, a large kitchen island, and subtle gold-toned accents give this spacious L-shaped kitchen from Cathie Hong Interiors a clean, light, modern feel.

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Focus on Materials

Caroline Andreoni Interior Design / Photo by Sophie Lloyd

Caroline Andreoni Interior Design created a modern kitchen in a traditional Paris apartment building that focuses on elegant materials and a mix of simple lines and graceful curves from the custom kitchen island to the beetle chairs and pendant lighting.

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Mix Black and White Stone

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

A mix of black and white stone with dramatic veining adds visual interest to this modern kitchen in a renovated 1970s Pittsburgh home from Leanne Ford Interiors.

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Embrace Minimalism

Fantastic Frank

This minimalist, black-and-white Scandi-style eat-in kitchen from Fantastic Frank looks as modern now as it will in years to come, a clean and functional space that is reduced to its essential elements.

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Hang a Dramatic Pendant Light

Urbanology Designs / Matti Gresham Photography

A dramatic pendant light hanging over the marble effect quartz waterfall edge island gives this bright black-and-white kitchen from Urbanology Designs a modern feel.

21 DIY End Table Plans

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Supersize the Skylight

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Margaret Austin Photo

This Northern California kitchen from Cathie Hong Interiors is lit by a supersized skylight that lets natural light pour down from above onto the cooking space and central island. Earthy green bar stools and salmon pink accents add color to the all-white space that is warmed up with golden hardwood flooring.

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Use Two-Tone Cabinetry

Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

Patterned Roman shades, gold-toned pendant lights, a corner banquette, and two-toned cabinetry gives this kitchen from Living With Lolo a lively modern feel.

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Update Traditional Elements

Folding Chair Design Co. / Jenn Verrier Photography

This kitchen from Folding Chair Design Co. marries traditional and modern styles, with dark flooring, Shaker cabinetry, and a traditional range hood blended with modern lighting, a waterfall edge island, and gold-toned accents to create a comfortable space that feels both updated and familiar.

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Add Display Shelving

Caroline Andreoni Interior Design / Photo by Sophie Lloyd

Caroline Andreoni Interior Design added a display shelf that runs the length of the kitchen backsplash in this renovated Parisian eat-in kitchen, complementing cool stone effect quartz with golden wood cabinetry and a split level kitchen island that gives the space a modern feel.

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Smooth It Out

Maite Granda

Clean lines, smooth finishes, and a simple palette of white, gray, and accents of black give this Florida kitchen from interior designer Maite Granda a modern feel. Details like a built-in wine fridge and an integrated energy-saving induction burner in the kitchen island make the space feel current.

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Accent With Gold

Jessica Nelson Design / Carina Skrobecki Photography

Jessica Nelson Design accented this modern black-and-white kitchen with gold-toned accents that reflect light and add a measured dose of bling. A mix of all-black finishes from the kitchen island to the wrap-around subway tile backsplash, countertops, and range hood add some variation to the two-tone palette, and leather bar stools add warmth.

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Add Industrial Vibes

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Reid Rolls

This industrial warehouse conversion from Leanne Ford Interiors has built-in character and history that is modernized with a massive waterfall edge island that flows into the polished concrete flooring; a mix of weathered and new exposed piping; and black pendant lights and bar stools around the island that complement the classic casement windows.

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Mix Beige and Black

Michelle Berwick Design

Michelle Berwick Design mixed beige wood and matte black cabinetry with matching black hardware with a white tile backsplash that runs to the ceiling, black woven pendant lights, and massive waterfall edge islands for prep and dining in this modern eat-in kitchen with room for a crowd.

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Soften It Up

Design by Living With Lolo / Photo by Life Created

This kitchen from Living With Lolo has a soft modern feel thanks to a light palette of whites and pearl gray finishes mixed with light wood accents and warm metallics.

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Keep It Open

Alvin Wayne

Interior designer Alvin Wayne gave this small NYC apartment kitchen a glam makeover with a strict palette of black and white that helps the semi open plan space to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the decor.

What style is modern for kitchens?

There is no single style that makes a kitchen look modern. But modern kitchens are often neutral-toned spaces that prioritize function by way of ample built-in storage; counter space for meal prep; a central kitchen island with seating for casual meals; and new, energy efficient appliances such as induction stovetops. Kitchens that are decorated in on trend styles such as modern farmhouse feel modern until they don’t. An all-white, minimalist, or black-and-white kitchen tends to look more modern than one that is decorated in the latest color of the year or outfitted with more traditional fixtures.

How do you design a modern kitchen?

Modern kitchens are designed for current lifestyles. This can mean everything from built-in storage that may go as high as the ceiling; a large central island for meal prep and casual dining; and a neutral palette that includes natural wood accents. Choosing clean lines, classic finishes, and functional layouts will ensure that your kitchen looks and feels updated and fresh, no matter your chosen style.

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