Modern kitchens are great to look at, but how functional are they really?  Having a family and being limited on space may have you thinking that a modern style kitchen may not work.

In many cases they won’t work because the slick lines and fine details make it feel more like a kitchen you’d find in a bachelor pad.

Your lifestyle may lend well to such high end designs, but if it doesn’t there are still many great ideas you can get from modern kitchen designs.

I found 10 kitchen designs that had some great features which could be implemented in any type of kitchen.

I’ll explain what I love best about the design, and possible ways to draw inspiration from them.

I’ve also labeled some photos to illustrate where to get certain products seen.  Please hover over the image to see the Stipple Dots to get more information.

If you have any additional ideas or have anymore information on the appliances or finishes pictured, please comment below.

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1. With this first kitchen, the bamboo style cabinet finish, and custom under cabinet shelving are the first things to stand out.

The open feel shelving on the base cabinet is also a nice touch.  This allows some personality to be brought into an otherwise boring cabinet back.

A stainless steel backsplash to compliment the appliances looks great and is extremely clean.

The last feature to stand out is the sink location being on the peninsula instead of against the back wall.  Having the sink location on the peninsula allows for more interaction while working in the kitchen or just cleaning up.

Here are some resources to find more information on certain items I spoke about.  I have no affiliation with any referenced site; it’s simply for additional information.

Stainless Steel Backsplash Mosaic Tile – Didn’t even know this existed

Stainless Steel Backsplash Full Sheets

How To Place Bamboo Mats on Front Door of Cabinets

2. From this design it was simple.  I like the idea of breaking the peninsula countertop up, and having the stove and sink recessed into the counter.

Although in this design we can’t see much of the kitchen, having the appliances in the peninsula top, and narrowing the counter surface allows for more cabinet space against exterior walls.

Lay out Your Dream Kitchen with Visio

3. This design caught my eye because I’ve never seen shelving incorporated into a kitchen island.  It’s a fun way to pull the kitchen and living room into one cohesive space, but at the same time utilizes every spare inch of space between the two rooms.

The shelving can be used to house larger kitchen appliances such as that Kitchen Aid mixer, or blender.  At the same time books can be held, vases, flowers, etc.  Having the see through effect on the shelving also keeps the open feel of the two spaces.

No one does it like the queen Martha Stewart – Check out some more kitchen designs from Martha.

Martha Stewart Living Kitchen Designs

I found this Better Homes & Gardens article with some amazing kitchen storage ideas.

New Kitchen Storage Ideas

4. This kitchen was a standout for me because of it’s use of stainless steel mixed with high-end finishes.  The ultra-modern hood would look great over any island stove.

The stainless steel island countertop and backsplash are toned down with the darker cabinets.  It’s industrial yet very modern.

If you’re on a tight budget and want a clean and inexpensive update to your appliances, countertops or cabinets, there are now faux stainless steel and granite stick on sheets that can be used.

Check out this clip from the Rachael Ray Show showing just this.

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5.  This was a first for me.  Combining form, function and usability all into one.  It reminds me of eating Hibachi from the comfort of your couch.

I tried my best to find this designer, but this island might have been custom built.  If you know of this kitchen designer please share with me and others.

It’s cooking and entertainment at its very best.  An existing island could be extended with the addition of modern cushions, fitted into the cabinet mold.  To finish it off, the entire cabinet base could be wrapped in any veneer of your choosing.

Here is a video showing the process of veneering any cabinets, and you can buy any wood veneer you could ever want, making cheap cabinets look extremely expensive.

I have no affiliation with the following company, but their veneer selection seems pretty vast if you’re deciding to go down this route.

Certainly Wood

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6. I found this image when searching for “Kitchen Island with Built in Seating” in Google, and this is a fantastic space saving idea.  You’ve probably never seen a house with such a setup, I know I haven’t.

I just loved this idea.  Photo Credit: Armstrong (I’ve personally used many of their products and they are a great company)

7. This single wall, straight line kitchen design was interesting with the addition of one singular stainless steel bar.  If you look just under the white cabinetry you’ll notice the bar, which is used to hold any number of kitchen accessories you may have.  Some magnetic bars will allow for other objects that can’t be hung.

The other feature was the “L” shaped peninsula counter top.  Great for smaller spaces, and helping to provide an “eat in kitchen”.

8. This Fiamberti modern kitchen was the only kitchen design I could find an owner for.  The Fiamberti designs are ergonomic in style which allows for fluid movement throughout the kitchen, optimizes the space, as well as gives more capacity to the appliances.

Again, you could get a black lacquer veneer for your existing cabinets if you like this look.

Check out their site.  Very cool designs, like none I’ve ever seen.

9a. Have you ever seen a kitchen shaped such as this?  The “J” shaped work area reminds me more of a bar you might see in a nice restaurant, but why not in a house.

The deep stainless steel rounded sinks, huge stainless steel hood, and raised countertop for serving family or guests are great touches.

9b. Just another view of the “J” shaped kitchen.

10.  What drew my attention to this kitchen was the oddly shaped island.  More like a piece of furniture, this island has storage compartments galore.

It’s hard to see, but on the left side of the island is a built in kitchen table top (at least it appears that way).  That’s a great idea though, even if you have a smaller island and need the additional seating area in your kitchen.

The oversized stainless steel handles help to offset all those dark wood tones as well.

Here are some other inspirational kitchen designs I found from Houzz.com.  Great site for ideas similar to Pinterest, but with informational articles as well.

Click the arrows ‹ › under the images to scroll through all 12.

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