17 Modern Cabinet Ideas For a Streamlined Kitchen

Traditional kitchens with their Shaker cabinets and ornate pulls will always hold a special place in our hearts. And don't get us wrong—we love an open-shelving moment. But these modern kitchen cabinet ideas—which are clean, streamlined, and entirely unencumbered—will give any space a fresh and orderly appeal.

All Gray Everything

The kitchen of this 1840's townhouse in Low Manhattan has custom cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal. The counter is Inca Gray basalt, and the sink fittings are by Perrin & Rowe.

Stainless and Paneled

In the Mexican hill town of San Miguel de Allende, a kitchen makes use of a variety of modern cabinet ideas. On one wall, stainless drawers match the Wolf cooktop and Teka ovens. On the other, white paneled cabinets add a farmhouse appeal. The island is encased in wood that was charred on-site and topped with Carrara marble, and the backsplash is local granite with a leather finish. The 1970s stools are Italian.

Black on Black on White

In this Lower East Side condo, the dining area and kitchen connect and lead out to the balcony, so doing the cooking area in one finish would have overpowered the room. So, Homepolish designer Jae Joo paired a black marble blacksplash with a white marble island. Black stools and black glossy cabinets with white throw pillows as accents break things up.

Marble For Days

On an idyllic Aegean island, the kitchen’s custom island is in stainless steel, the sinks and fittings are by Marcel Wanders for Boffi, and the wall cabinets, counters, and backsplash are in Carrara marble.

Stainless Steel Kitchen Cabinets

In a modern bachelor pad, the kitchen island is stainless steel and walnut, the sink is by Julien, the fittings are by Dornbracht, and the stool is by BDDW; the refrigerator and range are by Thermador, and the cabinetry is lacquered in a Ralph Lauren paint.

Glossy White Cabinets

In a playful NYC apartment, the kitchen cabinetry is by Bulthaup, the countertop and sink are Corian, the fittings are by Vola, and the oven and cooktop are by Gaggenau; the light fixture is by Bega, and the floor is terrazzo.

Teal Pantry Cabinets

In Steven Gambrel's Chicago apartment, the sink fittings in the butler’s pantry are by Kallista, the counter is in Indigo Green marble, and the antique mirror is from Olde Good Things; the cabinetry was painted in a custom high-gloss lacquer matched to Pantone’s Mallard Green.

Sleek White Kitchen Island

In an NYC apartment, the kitchen’s custom island is topped with brushed stainless steel, the range is by Wolf, the Saarinen table and chairs are from Knoll, and the Dandelion chandeliers by Tony Duquette are from Remains Lighting; the Roman shade is of a China Seas fabric with velvet trim from Duralee, and the floor tiles are by Paris Ceramics.

Clean Neutral Cabinets

In a Brooklyn townhouse, the kitchen counters are Calacatta Gold marble, the backsplash tile is by Waterworks, the range is by Capital, the stools are from ABC Carpet & Home and the light fixture is by Apparatus.

Dark Wooden Cabinets

In the kitchen of Emmy Rossum's Manhattan apartment, the range and hood are by Bertazzoni, the cabinets are by Scavolini, the antique runner is from Stark and the photograph is by Roger Mayne.

Metallic Kitchen Cabinets

In a Palm Beach home, an artwork by Mircea Suciu hangs on the sliding wall of bleached mahogany that separates the kitchen from the dining area.

Stylish Black Cabinets

In a Monaco home, the kitchen table and chairs are by Jeanneret; the oven, cooktop, and hood are by Aster Cucine.

Minimal Glass-Fronted Cabinets

In a Tuscan home, the kitchen's stainless steel sink is a prototype of the one Lissoni designed for Boffi's Aprile collection, and the countertops are melamine.

Modern Wooden Cabinets

In a San Francisco loft, the kitchen’s cabinetry is by Henrybuilt, the countertops are PentalQuartz, the faucet is by Dornbracht, the stools are by Overgaard & Dyrman and the wall sculpture is by Manuel Neri.

Pearl Grey Cabinets

In a Gramercy Park apartment, the kitchen’s range is by Wolf, the sink and fittings are by Lefroy Brooks, the cabinetry is by Smallbone of Devizes and the Bertoia barstool is by Knoll.

Geometric Kitchen Island

In the kitchen of a ranch house in upstate New York, a root table found at an upstate New York auction was fitted with a glass top, the Josef Hoffmann chairs are covered in a vintage Larsen fabric, the ceiling incorporates beams from a 19th-century Pennsylvania barn and the lights are by Isamu Noguchi. The cabinetry and countertops are by Bulthaup, the refrigerator is by Sub-Zero, the oven is by Miele, the sink fittings are by Grohe, the flooring is Cuban cement tile and the walls are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Linen White.

Vibrant Blue Cabinets

In John Robshaw's Connecticut home, the kitchen’s settee is by Richard Wrightman, the sinkfittings are by Newport Brass, the ceiling lights are by Restoration Hardware, the countertops are marble, and the custom dhurrie is by John Robshaw; the walls are painted in Rose Quartz and the cabinetry in Starry Night, both by Benjamin Moore.