Kitchens are the most used and abused room in the house. Smoke stains, food particles, foot traffic and regular clean-ups are just some of the factors that could speed up the tarnishing and damage of even the most cared-for and maintained kitchens. To keep your kitchen looking bright and fresh, get it updated and refreshed every once in a while. Here are some of our favourite modern kitchen ideas and designs that could inspire your next kitchen renovation;

1.       Modern Rustic

Beautiful combination of modern sleek and rustic charm. The glossy shine of modern tiles and clean countertops is complemented by the bare wood planks of the cabinet doors and the rough brick accent wall. Complete the look with sleek modern lighting.

2.       White Minimalist

The lovely wood flooring and strategic lighting saved this all-white kitchen from being too stark and uninteresting. Black accents from its striking drop lights and counters provide depth, while the impressive cabinetry keeps the overall look neat and modern.

3.       Eat-In Table

Adding an eat-in option is popular amongst modern kitchen ideas and designs. Busy schedules and smaller homes drove many to ditch the formal dining room and instead installed an eat-in area in the kitchen. This smartly designed table is an extension of the kitchen island. The beautiful bronze of the island balances the cool greys of the rest of the kitchen.

4.       Rough Stone Wall

Integrating natural elements into the room is a constant theme of modern interior designs. This white minimalist kitchen perfectly combined the neatness and smoothness of bare white walls and clean countertops with the rough stone accent wall.

5.       The Alcove Kitchen

Small, well-organized, modern. This space-saving kitchen design banks on clever cabinetry and efficient designs. The alcove features the sink, ample counter space for food preparation, shelves for storage and creative lighting. The wood panels add in warmth and bucolic charm.

6.       Pops of Colours

Modern designs are all about cleanliness, symmetry, and efficiency. This modern kitchen features those elements plus a good dose of quirky. The gypsy globe drop lights are colourful, striking and beautiful!

7.       Updated Mid Century Modern

The clean, bright and graceful mid-century modern interiors can be easily updated to the contemporary look of today. This modern kitchen retained the smooth wood, pastels and bright mid-century modern look and adopted the more modern light cabinetry and natural stone countertops.

8.       Creative Lighting

Smaller kitchens can look bigger by adding enough lighting. This small apartment kitchen gets a lot of boost from creative lighting and light-toned interiors. To avoid the cramped look, lighten up dark spaces like under the cabinets and make cabinetry as seamless as possible.

9.       Beautiful Grey

Elegant and timeless, this smoky grey shade is the perfect complement to white. The gorgeous modern cabinetry features silver fittings and minimalist lines. Complete the look with grey wood flooring, white countertops and a stunning white-grey splashback.

10.   Luxurious Copper Accents

The muted sheen of copper speaks of elegance, luxury and style. Perfectly complementing the modern matte interiors, copper accents will bring in just the right amount of luxurious shine without the tackiness. Match this spectacular copper sink with sink faucet and other fittings.

11.   Modern Compact

Modern and efficient, this white compact kitchen is perfect for today’s homes. The open floor plan, white interiors and its wide windows keep the spacious look despite the size of the kitchen. The no-nonsense U-shape design includes clean countertops, bare wood flooring and efficient cabinetry.

12.   Home Bar Kitchen Bar

Integrate your home bar into your kitchen design. It eliminates double installations of a fridge, a sink and other bar implements. This modern kitchen features a bar in its island. The home bar includes wine coolers and a service cabinet. Convenient!

13.   Gold and Chandeliers

Show-stopping elegance and opulence. This marble, crystal and gold kitchen is modern as it is magnificent. The streamlined design banks on its prime materials and pieces – crystal chandeliers, marble countertops and gold accents. The gold-framed bar seats are cushy as they are elegant.

14.   Discreet Storage

Modern minimalist designs demand of streamlined surfaces and clutter-free surroundings, thus, creative and discreet storage systems are must. This modern kitchen takes full advantage of its island space with creative cabinetry.

15.   Black Beauty

Neutral colours are favoured in modern kitchen ideas and designs. Aside from white and grey, black is on trend. This black kitchen features matte black cabinets and walls, bare wood flooring, black appliances, an eye-catching black herringbone splashback and wood accents for a touch of pastoral charm.

16.   Bright Industrial

White, bright and modern. This industrial-themed modern kitchen features an amazing 3-D splashback design, white and grey interiors and a captivating retro-industrial lighting. Clean surfaces – floors, counters and walls are in line with its minimalist look.

17.   Concrete and Wood

Keep natural elements as they are as much as possible. Let natural wood patterns shine, nix the paint and carpeting. This understated kitchen design includes bare concrete walls, wood floors, wood cabinet doors and shelving. Modern cabinetry keeps the surfaces streamlined and clean.

18.   Window Bright

It is essential to keep the kitchen well-lit at all times. This modern kitchen enjoys ample lighting from its wide glass window and open floor plan. The silver fittings perfectly complement the sleek grey marble floor, grey cabinets, walls and counters. The wood cabinet doors add in a good dose of warmth and charm.

19.   Elegant Coastal

Bright white interiors tamed down by royal blue accents. This refreshing and clean coastal-themed kitchen exudes luxury and charm. The delicate marble kitchen island is wide and also serves as an eat-in table. Gold fittings complements the white interiors, while the bare wood flooring adds depth and warmth to the space.

20.   Spectacular Island

The kitchen island is often the focal point of the room. Installing a smashing kitchen island like this oddly shaped, stone-inspired kitchen island will set the look and style of the room. The rest of the kitchen interiors complement the spectacular island – matching splashback, grey cabinet walls, concrete walls and similarly shaped pendant lights.

21.   Updated Farmhouse

Farmhouse interiors are charming, welcoming and beautiful. Updating your lovely farmhouse kitchen to a more modern look is easy. This modern farmhouse kitchen features the classic glass and bulb pendant lights, wooden seats and floors. Its modern touches include the floating shelves, clean white walls and streamlined cabinetry.

22.   Unique Minimalist

Create this elegant minimalist look in your kitchen by using dark colour with minimalist designs. Instead of the generic white, black or grey interiors, pick something that is unexpected and unique. This deep bluish-green kitchen exudes a creative and romantic individual taste. Complete the look with light accents and clean white counters.

23.   Hanging Shelves

Hanging shelves are practical, eye-catching and fun additions to any kitchen. It can be used as storage or as a display platform. It’s out of the way and accessible at the same time. This elegant modern kitchen added industrial style hanging shelves for extra space and rustic charm.

24.   Wood Countertops

Wood is a common element among modern kitchen ideas and designs. It is flexible and comes in many patterns and shades. Using wood for your modern kitchen counters will add in a touch of warm rustic charm and will disrupt the monotony of plain walls and floors. This modern kitchen features plain modern walls and ceilings, elegant black accent pieces and matching wood counters and floors.

25.   Spacious Minimalist

Space is a luxury, but when you have it, take advantage of the design possibilities. This spacious kitchen takes on the minimalist-industrial theme. Open ceiling, bare concrete floors and open wall-less plan dominate the look. Ditching the splashback, the design opted for a plain white wall, wood cabinetry and strategic lighting.

26.   Compact and Colourful

Bright, colourful and efficient. This beautiful modern kitchen is small in size but big in style and design. The layout is designed to minimise movement with everything within easy reach. Ample light comes from the wide window and two pendant lights overhead. Most noteworthy of the design is its colourful and beautiful splashback.

27.   Grey Patterned Floor Tiles

Spacious, modern and bright. White dominates the design of this well-lit kitchen, with a lot of wood accents for depth. The highlight of this modern design is the grey patterned floor tiles – neat as it is surprisingly delightful. Also noteworthy is the creative underlighting of the cabinets and bar.

28.   Bright Skylights

Optimise natural lighting in your kitchen by installing skylights. This all-white modern kitchen gets a lighting boost from its long skylight spanning its length and connecting with the glass wall at the room’s end. The minimalist design includes white interiors, light grey accents and splashback and modern lighting fixtures.

29.   Black Industrial

The gleam of aluminium provides the perfect contrast to the deep matte black of this kitchen’s interiors. Sharp and edgy, this ultra-modern design features matte black walls and ceiling, bare concrete flooring, rustic wood accents and silver aluminium fittings.

30.   Updated Bohemian

Colourful, bright and quirky. This modern version of the striking and spunky bohemian interiors is more restrained, less décor and more efficiency. Its bright rug features the fun colours and patterns of the theme, while the bare wood accents and reed pendant lighting evoke the raw beauty of the genre.

31.   Eat-In Bar

When you can’t have an eat-in table, opt for the sleeker and more streamlined eat-in bar. The eat-in bar will give you the option to dine where you cook and prepare your food. It is also great as a food bar for parties and when you have company. This eat-in bar design effectively separates the cooking and preparation section of the island from the dining area.

32.   Retro Red

Interrupt the monotony of your modern kitchen by injecting something unexpected and fun! This sleek and modern white kitchen gets a dose of nostalgic fun from its retro red splashback. Matching the shiny counters and cabinets, the red goes well with the stark white interiors, wood-themed floors and modern finishes.

33.   Island Organiser

Using the space under the kitchen island counter for storage is efficient and sensible. It’s out of the way and accessible at the same time, making it the best location for often-used utensils, dinnerware and food items. This sleek grey kitchen island features organised drawers for plates, cooking utensils and food containers.

34.   Modish Minimalist

Modern, chic and with a touch of quirky charm. The minimalist design includes beautiful granite countertops, wood cabinet doors, plain white walls and hardwood floors. Chic black fixtures catch the eyes and are complemented by the black steel frames of the island and bar seats. The kitchen’s best feature is the wide glass window that offers a great view of the outdoors.

35.   Pink Wall Kitchen

A kitchen on the wall! This efficient kitchen design placed an entire kitchen on a wall. The centre features an alcove with a counter, sink and stove top. Under the counter are the oven, some drawers and cabinets for storage. And on both sides and over the alcove are storage spaces and a fridge. A lovely shade of old rose pink is used to denote the space.

36.   Indoor Herb Garden

This modern kitchen is also an indoor garden. A planter box is built with the island and more planters are located all over the kitchen. The natural greens make the modern black interiors come alive with colours. Wood planks flooring adds in a good dose of rustic charm, while sleek lighting and fixtures highlight the modern look.

37.   Rock Kitchen Sink

Adding this raw and rough rock kitchen sink to your modern kitchen will bring in contrast and drama to the room. The rough natural look of the sink will standout amongst the sleek and smooth modern finishes, making its raw beauty shine.

38.   Luxurious Modern Elegance

Timeless design, classic elements, modern look. This elegant kitchen design includes clean walls, floor and ceiling, neutral colours and luxurious décor. Elegant marble backsplash, silver fixtures and a pair of silver ball pendant lights. The streamlined design showcases elegant accents and modern cabinetry.

39.   Updated Cottage Kitchen

Charming, cosy and welcoming. The cottage kitchen always reminds of warm meals, good company and loving atmosphere. Recreate the ambience with a modern touch by updating cabinetry, removing excessive décor and repainting with more neutral colours. Retain its charming elements like wood accents, warm lighting and personal touches.

40.   Scandinavian Greys

The Scandinavian greys are warm light shade that can easily fit in any modern minimalist interiors. This white and grey kitchen features a lovely shade of dove grey, bright but without the starkness of white. The wood plank flooring in herringbone pattern is idyllic and striking, while the marble splashback give the room its posh vibe.

41.   Efficient Cabinetry

Efficient cabinetry is essential to all modern kitchen ideas and designs. Space-saving, accessibility and efficiency are important considerations when planning the modern kitchen. The sleek black kitchen features sliding shelves with organisers. Great for organising kitchen items, taking them off the counters, while keeping them within easy reach.

42.   Stripped Down Black and White

Chic, modern, gorgeous. The classic black and white interiors, in its streamlined, modern version. Stripped down to basics, this kitchen only includes the necessary – smooth white kitchen island with sink, a pair of sleek cabinets, a minimalist light bar and sleek black bar seats. The marble splashback wall with delicate barely-there veins is the epitome of muted elegance.

43.   Dressed Up Ceiling

The striking wood panelling of the ceiling completes the modern rustic sophistication of this kitchen. Neat plain walls and counters, streamlined cabinetry and bare smooth speckled rock floor are all modern elements. The addition of wood cabinet doors and ceiling accent counters the monotony and brings in the rustic allure.

44.   Floating Shelves

Floating shelves provide the needed storage and display space, without hampering the view or crowding in the room. The sleek shelving style fits in most modern kitchen ideas and designs. This modern rustic kitchen feature floating shelves over its counter to hold its collection of pottery, dinnerware and other kitchen essentials.

45.   Matte Splashback

This striking modern kitchen features a splashback in herringbone patterned tiles in dark matte colour. The deep and flat tone of the splashback is the perfect backdrop for the gorgeous wood cabinets and countertop. Black vintage black pendant lights and gold fixtures complete the chic and edgy look.

46.   Multi-Functional Kitchen Sink

Complement your modern kitchen with a sleek, efficient and multi-functional kitchen sink. This stainless-steel kitchen sink includes features that will make kitchen work a breeze, while saving up a lot of counter space. Match with modern faucet, the chrome finish looks amazing with the white counters.

47.   Black Compact

Edgy, striking, modern. This beautiful kitchen is designed for smaller homes and apartments. The entire kitchen is installed against the wall – sink, oven, washer and storage. Additional storage and counter spaces are provided by the minimalist island. Its matte black theme and minimalist design makes this space-efficient kitchen chic and stunning.

48.   Hardwood Flooring

This ultra-modern kitchen features cool grey interiors, sleek cabinetry and a lot of creative lighting. The beautiful hardwood flooring counters the cool vibe, bringing in warmth and rustic charm. So modern with a touch of pastoral allure.

49.   Modern Coastal Kitchen

This modern kitchen kept the traditional vibe of coastal interiors – bright, perky and sunny. It also infused a lot of modern upgrades including its minimalist kitchen island – white, clean lines and efficient. Other modern touches includes the white overall interiors, bare wood floors and modern lighting implements.

50.   Minimalist Bar Stools

Delightful and bright, modern with a lot of traditional touches. This posh and compact kitchen is efficient and beautiful. Classic elements like the vintage pendant lamps, cabinetry and island designs are complemented by modern facets including the stunning wood flooring and striking minimalist bar stools, while classic gold touches bring in a luxurious look.

51.   Chalkboard Wall

Add a chalkboard wall into your kitchen. It is functional, quirky and will save one less wall to decorate. This fun chalkboard wall serves as the reminder board, an art wall and display wall for your kids’ art pieces.

52.   Colourful Pocket Kitchen

You will not miss a big kitchen if you have this well-designed, colourful and modern kitchen. This pocket kitchen has all the implements of efficient food preparation – oven, stove, a fridge, a sink, ample storage and counter spaces. That fun and colourful splashback makes the space brighter and add in a lot of charm.

53.   Moody Blue

Moody, dreamy, beautiful. This modern kitchen opted out of the colours most common to modern kitchen ideas and designs. Instead, it chooses this gorgeous dark blue tone giving the kitchen a unique and unforgettable look. Bare wood flooring and matching cabinetry highlights add a hint of pastoral charm, while strategic lightings give the room its dreamy vibe.

54.   The Colonial Farmhouse

Charming, warm and welcoming. This classic colonial farmhouse kitchen kept most of its lovely features including the wood-panelled island, mid-century modern bar stools and wood floors. To update the room, modern elements are added including its industrial lighting, floating shelves and white interiors.

55.   Sliding Mesh Pantry Door

Modernise your dated pantry by refacing the cabinets with this sleek and edgy concept – Prussian blue wood planks in herringbone pattern, bare wood shelves and drawers and a metal mesh sliding pantry door. Classy, beautiful and modern!

Do you have any smashing and beautiful modern kitchen ideas and designs to add? Why not discuss it on our RenoForum!