The Modern Kitchen

Technically, all kitchens are the new modern kitchen. Very few homeowners have antiquated or poorly working kitchen features anymore. Even in homes that were built centuries ago, the kitchens have been updated to include modern appliances, new cabinetry and updated plumbing and electrical wiring. This does not mean, of course, that for those who want to have the modern kitchen that there isn't room for improvement. If you want the modern kitchen that has become popular, take a look to see what many of the famous designers' kitchens look like. These photos will help you get some ideas.

What exactly goes into the modern kitchen today? What makes a kitchen modern and not retro? What does modern mean?

When discussed in terms of art movements, modern art took over as impressionism started to wane and it held its ground right up until around the 1970s when contemporary art took over. There are several phases of modern art, but for the most part, the modern contemporary kitchens look sticks to contrasting colors (or sticking to a single color whenever possible), bold colors, simple and sharp decorations and distinctive appliances.

Some designer's kitchens, when the designer is instructed to put together the modern kitchen look, will focus on a single color for almost everything: appliances, cabinetry, furniture, decorations, flooring—everything. It can become overwhelming if you choose the wrong color. If focusing on a single color, most designer's kitchens will choose white because it is the easiest to contrast with. From here, the decorative touches are most likely to be in bold primary colors—blue stripes on dish towels, red placemats, that kind of thing.

Another type of designer's kitchens, when attempting to achieve the modern kitchen look, is to get up to the minute everything: the most recently released refrigerators, stoves, sinks, gadgets, everything. The cabinetry is usually done in a dark wood while the countertops are usually dark granite. Sometimes the opposite will happen and the countertops will be sandalwood while the cabinetry is white. Look for stark contrast between the two. This is a definite characteristic of the modern kitchen.

Finally, in terms of furniture: look for the modern kitchen to feature furniture that is simple and features a prevalence of metal. Boldly painted wooden seats sitting on metal legs is a good example of the modern kitchen stool (and chair). The table might be Formica but will most likely be a wooden top atop a metal base. Many of the new modern kitchen designs go quite heavy on chrome accents.

The truth is that just about any modern style kitchen can be considered the modern kitchen. Pretty much any kitchen that features running water and electrical/gas appliances is the modern kitchen, whether it is dubbed so by designers' kitchen styles or not. This means that, as the owner of a modern kitchen, you have a lot of freedom over your decorating scheme. You can choose the colors, the styles, the furniture and even the appliances that you want. Have fun!