Contemporary Kitchen Design

What is a Contemporary Kitchen?

In our mind, a contemporary kitchen is a space that feels both ageless and fresh. Maybe it has earned its moniker primarily by virtue of what it is not—not rustic, not farmhouse, not traditional, and never overdone. The lines are clean and simple. Flat-panel kitchen cabinets rule in these spaces, which forgo ornate trim in favor of sleek and luxurious marble and metal.

Think Brass For Accessories

While mixed metals work beautifully in a contemporary kitchen (think brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze with stainless steel and copper), in this concept kitchen design we went for of-the-moment brass, which can be found on the Aquabrass Ginger faucet, Restoration Hardware barstools, Circa Lighting pendant lights, and Schoolhouse Electric swing-arm sconces. We envision the pendants suspended over a marble waterfall-edge island, and the swing-arm sconces arching above the apron-front concrete sink. Before we skip away from that waterfall island idea, let us say one more thing on that topic: Imagine it with a concrete bar sink embedded in it. Yep, that’s in the plans, too.

Go Earthy-yet-industrial with a Concrete Sink

This is a kitchen with lots of luxurious fixtures but it’s the concrete sinks that will anchor and ground it with their natural coloration and earthy-yet-industrial cool factor. One of the newest additions to the NativeStone® sink collection, Farmhouse Quartet is unique in that it can be installed in four different ways. Installing it with the curved apron front out best shows off its unique lines and maximizes exposure of the silky-smooth concrete material, which has become a mainstay in modern kitchens.

Color and Texture Set the Tone

Go all out with marble by using it as your backsplash in this space, too. All the more reason to opt for a marble backsplash: We recommend jettisoning upper cabinets in favor of open shelving. As for those lower cabs, paint them the moodiest, inkiest, most is-it-dark-blue-or-is-it-dark-green designer-approved shade we know, Farrow & Ball’s “Hague Blue.” And add one more dose of color underfoot, in the form of one of Lulu & Georgia’s best-selling rugs. (Washing dishes may just become your new favorite hobby.)

Wrap up the Feel-good Glam

What do you have? A kitchen that would work as well in an urban loft as it would near the coast. Whether it’s ocean breezes or street sounds that will be winding their way through this space, it’s got an effortless, feel-good quality that makes it contemporary in all the right ways.

Featured Products

Native Trails Farmhouse Quartet
Aquabrass Ginger Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet
Farrow & Ball “Hague Blue”
Circa Lighting Hicks Small Pendant
Restoration Hardware Vintage Toledo Bar Chair
Schoolhouse Electric Princeton Junior Sconce
Native Trails Ventana NativeStone prep sink
Lulu & Georgia Elodie Rug
Carrara Marble, find in a city near you
Header Image Source: Catherine Kwong Design via Desire to Inspire