Planning a kitchen is hard work. This is a space that needs to include a lot of storage for a diversity of items and things and that means you have to carefully consider every aspect of every little part of the kitchen before taking a step back to admire the whole picture. The kitchen cabinets are the most important part. In this sense, there are more variations than you might think.

Built-in

A great thing about custom kitchen cabinets is that they can be tailored to perfectly suit the user’s needs and that means that appliances can be built into the furniture and not necessary at the standard heights or in the usual spots.

Vintage accents

The charming thing about this kitchen is the style chosen for its furniture. The cabinets, for instance, feature that elegant metallic trim and this detail in combination with other little aspects contribute to a unique look.

Hanging herb garden

Sometimes the things that make a decor special are the little details that are added once all the furniture is in place. One such example can be this set of hanging planters that provide a beautiful herb garden.

Opaque glass cabinet fronts

It’s usually the upper kitchen cabinets that feature glass fronts. That’s usually where the glasses, cups, spices and other things are kept while the pots, pans and other large things stay in the bottom cabinets.

White cabinets

Sure, we could think of some important disadvantages related to white kitchen cabinets but at the same time we can find lots of advantages as well. For example, white is a color that suits small spaces and that allows the room to look and feel airy and spacious.

Concealed appliances

If you want your kitchen to have a very cohesive and simplistic look, then large appliances such as the refrigerator or the dishwasher could interfere with that. You might want to consider in this case to conceal these appliances behind panels that match the cabinetry.

Built-in wine racks

It’s definitely practical to have everything you need right there without having to open and close doors or to leave the room to retrieve it. A wine rack could be something that some might desire to have in the kitchen and in that case a built-in rack might be a perfect idea.

Bright focal points

In a kitchen that has simple-looking cabinetry and furniture that doesn’t really stand out, it can be a good idea to turn the light fixtures into focal points. A pair of oversized pendant lamps hanging above the island would work just fine.

Backsplash storage

There’s no sense in occupying counter space with things like knife racks, spice jars and kitchen utensils when you can have all of these things stored on the backsplash, You can hang rods or hooks for that.

Colorful shelves

The green, yellow and orange shelves and accent details are a perfect fit for this kitchen which is decorated using the timeless black and white combo. It’s especially beautiful the way these accents where grouped and combined.

Glass fronts

Kitchen cabinets with glass fronts allow you to see inside and to easily identify the item you need without even opening the door. It’s a useful design feature in some cases although sometimes it’s best to just hide everything behind a solid door.

Custom shelves

In order to make the most of your kitchen, the best option is usually to have the furniture custom-made. Similarly, you can add custom details once the cabinets are in place. For example, you can add some shelves to the backsplash or have some storage racks added to the underside of the wall-mounted cabinets.

Mixed materials and colors

There’s really no point in limiting yourself to a single color or a single material when you know it in your heart that you’d love to see more than that in your kitchen. Mix and match the colors and materials however you want.

Black designs

Black kitchen cabinets are both very practical and elegant. They look refined and they also hide stains very well. You can use black cabinets in combination with a gray countertop or with white shelves. A splash of color could also look beautiful.

Grooves and trims

Grooves cabinet fronts like these ones are usually a sign of a more traditional decor. They give the furniture a refined and elegant look but they’re the simplicity that most modern and contemporary kitchens prefer.

Vertical nooks

Vertical storage nooks can be really practical and functional. They can include a lot of features such as wine racks, display shelves and compartments for small appliances or drawers.

Special and textured finishes

An interesting design strategy for minimalist kitchen cabinets is to complement their simplicity and lack of embellishments with a finish or a color that stands out.

Two-toned

Two-toned kitchen cabinets and furniture in general are a good option for modern and contemporary interiors. Even if the design is very simple and austere even, the contrast of colors doesn’t let it look monotonous.

No hardware

The lack of exposed hardware (drawer pulls, door knobs, kitchen cabinet handles) contributes to a simpler look. This option is prefered in a kitchen that aims mostly at a bright, open and refined look.

Tiered designs

To maximize the storage in a kitchen one option is to have a set of cabinets at the same height as the range hood followed by another set of storage compartments above those. You can put the rarely-used things in the upper section. If you want you can add a third set of modules that partially covers the backsplash. These can have glass fronts or they can be open shelves.

Metallic trim

You know those kitchen cabinets with elegant trims on their fronts? They look pretty fancy but if the trim were to be metallic then the style would be quite different. The kitchen would become a little more industrial.

Overhead storage

You can save some space in the kitchen by storing your large pots and pans on a shelf suspended from the ceiling above your cooking station. This way you’ll have more room in the cabinets for everything else.

Wrap-around counter

Having a counter that wraps around you to form either an L or a U shape can be pretty practical when prepping and cooking. There’s no need to move around the kitchen since everything is right there.

Honeycomb shelves

If you like openness and you also want to add a dramatic feature to your kitchen, consider some open shelves with an unusual pattern or form. These ones, for example, form a honeycomb-like structure where each compartment has a unique size and shape.

Kitchen island extension

If you’re serious about your cooking then you know that you require different counter height for different activities. The island is good for certain things but it would be useful to also have a lower-height counter section. Consider an island extension.

Glass shelves

The glass shelves featured here give these kitchen cabinets are very lightweight and open look and they contribute to an overall more spacious feel. Consider this design option if you have a small kitchen.

Dark tones

Dark colors make spaces look smaller and sometimes gloomy. That’s no secret. However, that’s not always the case. A palette of dark tones can be a good fit for the kitchen as long as there’s plenty of natural light to balance out the effect.

Stainless steel accents

Stainless steel is very practical in kitchens but too much of it can give the space an industrial look. If you’re ok with that then you can have a lot of fun decorating with stainless steel counters, shelves, appliances and plenty of other things.

Color contrasts

There are lots of different ways in which you can combine colors or materials in the kitchen in order to create interesting contrasts. A simple idea is to have the cabinets painted in one color while the backsplash features a contrasting tone.

Staines wood cabinets

Nothing compares to the beauty of stained wood when it comes to furniture. If you like the look then you can use that warmth in your favor or you can make the kitchen match the rest of the house.

Illuminated cabinets

Kitchen cabinets that have glass fronts can also feature built-in LED lights and can offer some pleasant ambient light at night. If you want you can also use colored lights to make the cabinets stands out.

Painted furniture

Painting the kitchen cabinets can be a way to change the look of the room or to refresh an old decor. Consider this idea the next time you decide that your kitchen needs a makeover.

Glossy finishes

Extra glossy furniture was really trendy at one point and it can still be a perfect suit if you like the look. The best way to highlight the glossy finish is with furniture that features curves or that lacks hardware.

Variety in forms and types

Having only drawers or only open shelves in the kitchen is rarely practical. Diversity is needed in order to obtain an efficient and comfortable design. Try to alternative open and closed kitchen storage cabinets and to also play with their designs. For instance, some of the compartments can have glass fronts while others are solid wood.

Different counter heights

Like we mentioned once before, it’s more practical to have different counter heights in the kitchen so you can comfortably perform the preparation and cooking process. Consider having different heights and even different widths for the counter.

Double sink

A double sink can be really useful in the kitchen, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher. You can have the sinks built into the counter and the space underneath can be used for the storage of the cleaning products.

Open shelving units

In addition to the usual kitchen cabinets that are used for storage, you can cover one of the walls with a shelving unit. Here you can store and display things like wine bottles, vases, herb planters, spices, etc.

Island storage

Kitchen islands are very practical and not just for open space kitchens. The island can be as small as you want and even one like that would offer you some extra storage.

Shallow shelves

It could be useful to sacrifice a little bit of counter space if you want to add some shallow shelves on the backsplash. This way you gain more storage space while using a small portion of the counter.

Matching cabinetry

The lower cabinets and the wall-mounted ones can have matching designs and styles and this way a cohesive decor is created or they can be individually different for a visual contrast and a diversified look.

Sliding cabinet doors

Although less common than swing doors, sliding cabinet doors are a good option when you don’t have much space to spare or when the door would knock over something else.

Partial backsplash

It could be interesting to play with the backsplash and instead of having it cover the entire wall section between the counter and the upper cabinets to give it a custom form or to place it only in front of the stove top.

Large floor units

Unless you really need more counter space, instead of having all your kitchen cabinets split into lower and upper modules, you can also have a large floor unit such as this one.

Under-cabinet task lighting

You can’t really appreciate the usefulness of LED light strips placed under the kitchen cabinetry until you actually have them and you use them. They make cooking and prepping a lot more enjoyable and comfortable.

Raised cabinets

The lower modules in the kitchen usually stand on the floor. However, if you want the room to look more spacious, the lower cabinets can be raised off the floor or even mounted on the wall.

Bar extensions

It’s usually the kitchen island that doubles as a bar or has a bar extension. However, the bar can also be added to your usual kitchen counter and it can also serve as a dining table or breakfast area.

Mirrors

Mirrors are usually used to make small spaces appear larger. They’re not usually a part of a kitchen’s interior design. Still, it could be interesting idea to add a mirror to a kitchen, either in the form cabinet fronts or as a freestanding wall feature.

Juxtaposing cabinets

A design like this has an interesting interactive character. The bottom cabinets have open cubbies wrapped around the corner and these continue with a set of upper cabinets and open shelves.

Low cabinet module

It could be useful to also have a lower cabinet module which can be used as a sort of bench or a platform on which to store and display things. In addition, there would also be storage underneath.

Matching hardware

Matching hardware for the cabinets will usually give the kitchen a cohesive look. Alternatively, you can choose to have one type of drawer pulls for the lower cabinets and a different type for the wall-mounted ones.

Built-in fridge

The fridge can either be a freestanding piece placed separately, next to the kitchen cabinets or perhaps even somewhere else or it can be a part of the furniture, being built-in and integrated into a custom unit.

Unequal counter width

This is actually an interesting and unusual design strategy. As you can see here, the counter doesn’t have the same width everywhere. One section is narrower than the other. This also causes the cabinets to have different dimensions.

Textured glass

There are a lot of different types of glass to choose from for your kitchen cabinets. Opaque glass is a suitable option and another interesting one is the textured glass featured here. It partially hides the contents of the cabinets.

Concrete counter

A concrete countertop will give the kitchen a modern-industrial look and to balance out its cool character you should complement it with wooden cabinetry. The two materials go well together.

Textured backsplash

When the kitchen featured an eye-catching design element such as this textured backsplash, a good idea is to keep everything else as simple as possible, hence the minimalist wooden cabinets with no visible hardware.

Marble accents

A marble backsplash combined with a matching counter will always stand out so you might want to keep the design of the cabinets simple and without unnecessary embellishments or accessories.

Simple and clean lines

You can’t really go wrong with a simple design. Of all the kitchen cabinet ideas, this is one of the most versatile ones. You can always improve the design or add small details to it if you want.