The modern kitchen is more than just a space designed for the preparation of cooking of food, its role being a central one. With this change in function and style also came a series of changes in the design and decor of the space. Modern kitchen cabinets are focused equally on functionality and aesthetic appeal and the kitchen floor plan is designed to be as efficient as possible while remaining welcoming and simple. All of these elements make the kitchen the heart of the home as well as one of the most difficult and demanding spaces in terms of interior design and planning. Today we’ll attempt to offer you something to be inspired by when choosing the cabinets for this space.

It’s usually practical to have a combination of open and closed storage spaces in the kitchen. These black kitchen cabinets, for instance, have these stylish wooden inserts which look really great.

This minimalist kitchen features a very beautiful and interesting design. It has black cabinets at the bottom and white cabinets at the top. The distinction is very clear and the contrast is elegant.

The color of the cabinets plays an important role in the overall decor and ambiance of a space. These gray kitchen cabinets for instance may set a neutral tone but they also give the space a very chic and trendy look.

The mirrored island is definitely the focal point of this kitchen although there’s a lot going on around it as well. You could use a similar design strategy if you have a small kitchen as a way to make it seem bigger.

Modern kitchen cabinets are most of the time simple and lack any unnecessary ornamentation. They also feature simplistic finishes and often neutral colors which allow the focus to be on form and function.

A cool thing about some modern and contemporary kitchens is that they find new and clever ways of blending looks and function. Here, for example, a large kitchen island is seamlessly incorporated into the space, forming an L-shaped counter with a built-in shiny black cabinet on the side.

Different counter heights can be very practical in the kitchen. You can set up separate surfaces for various different types of activities. For example, a certain counter height may be perfect for chopping and dicing food but not so much for washing dishes or kneading.

Isn’t this design just lovely? The kitchen cabinets match the flooring in terms of colors and they offer a good amount of open and closed storage. They also feature clean and simple lines and geometries.

The optimization of the space is done differently for every kitchen. A large, open plan kitchen could look something like this: a large kitchen island with a bar extension, storage cubbies built right into it, glass-front cabinets and lots of accessible storage around the walls.

Extreme simplicity is not always the best approach so take some time to also consider the alternatives. One option is a playful design with a good amount of vibrant patterns. The colors can remain neutral and the focus can be on the little things like the hardware (the drawer pulls on your modern kitchen cabinets) and the tiled backsplash.

It can also be fun to add a bold accent color to the kitchen. These yellow cabinets, for instance, really brighten up the space. They give the kitchen a cheerful vibe and they don’t really interfere with the modern simplicity of the space.

Quite often, modern kitchen cabinets have appliances built into them. This helps to maintain a seamless cohesion throughout the space and also to allow these appliances to blend in with the storage modules.

Here’s a neat trick: if the cabinets have the same color as the wall that they’re attached to, they won’t stand out as much visually and this will help give the kitchen a more spacious appearance.

This kitchen, in addition to being very spacious, has a very playful and fun color palette as well. The cabinet unit on the left side has a beautiful blue coloring that matches the walls and the floor while the rest of the cabinets are gray.

Gray and yellow is a nice combo, often found in modern and contemporary interior designs. These two colors complement each other in a very seamless and pleasant manner in this kitchen.

Another cool combination of colors is featured in this chic kitchen which is quite simple and mostly white and light gray with pastel pink and yellow accents.

There are many different types of kitchen cabinets so be sure to opt for those that are most relevant for you and your kitchen in terms of looks and functionality.

This kitchen features a large unit which integrates most of the storage spaces, counter space and appliances. Such an organization helps emphasize the cohesion of the room and everything in it.

The kitchen island is in a way a freestanding cabinet so think of it as an integral part of the space. At the same time, the island is quite special so it’s ok to make it stand out. This island, for instance, appears to be floating which is pretty cool.

Two-tone kitchen cabinets are pretty trendy right now and there are many different variations which can be created in this manner. This, for example, is a very elegant combination which puts together black surfaces and stained wood accents.

There are all sorts of ways to make modern kitchen cabinets look chic or stand out. LED light strips are a great option. You can opt for colored LEDs if you want to put an emphasis on the chromatic palette of the decor.

Wall-mounted kitchen cabinets can sometimes be tricky, especially those at the top which are hard to reach. You can give those up completely and add some extra open shelves or cubbies at backsplash level.

Glass front kitchen cabinets are quirky and practical. They allow the contents to be seen without having to open the door first and they can be used both for the storage and the display of items.

This kitchen backsplash seems a bit low, doesn’t it? It is pretty low and this allowed the wall-mounted cabinets to become larger and to offer more storage. The LED light strips brighten up the counter and that’s a really lovely detail.

Speaking of unusual proportions, check out this kitchen island. It’s quite big, featuring an extra wide counter separated into two sections by a set of wooden trays. Being so big, the island also incorporates a lot of storage.

Open shelves and cubbies are usually placed on the walls of a kitchen but in this particular they make plenty of sense under the countertop as well. There’s also an interesting contrast between this section of the cabinets and the rest of the kitchen.

When it comes to kitchen cabinets, modern or not, it’s not just the actual cabinet that matter but also everything else that’s around it, like the countertop, the hardware, the fixtures and the appliances. There has to be a certain fluidity throughout the decor.

It’s sometimes nice to mix and match various different types of kitchen cabinets with various different proportions, finishes and even designs. What we like in the case of this kitchen, for example, is the combination of open and closed modules and of tall and low cabinets.

If you’re totally convinced that you’d enjoy having glass front cabinets in your kitchen, keep in mind that the glass doesn’t necessarily have to be transparent. Opaque glass is a nice alternative. You can still distinguish some of the shapes behind it but you can’t really see the mess inside the cabinets.

A small kitchen needs a good amount of storage, some counter space and room for the basic appliances. All of these elements can be incorporated into a compact kitchen design that’s as stylish as it is practical.