via My Domaine
Modern kitchens: personally, I’m not a fan of them in the traditional sense. The stainless steel makes everything feel kind of cold and uninviting…literally the exact opposite feeling of a place serving warm food and friendship. But! How do we fix this? Today, I’m going to teach you how to get a modern neutral kitchen that doesn’t suck. Sound good?
The “modern” aesthetic has gotten a bad reputation. Most people still think modern means industrial with lots of grays, like a bachelor pad. It doesn’t help that brands have tried to meet this need by offering super boxy and boring accent furniture. BLAH. Others think that modern means a bunch of pop art and crazy colors or oddly shaped furniture. Well, let me introduce you to a new kind of modern: the modern neutral.
Modern neutral brings in warmth from woods, neutral colors, clean lines, and finishes. It mixes tradition style with Scandinavian homage. The result is a space that isn’t cluttered, but is warm, inviting, calming, and oozes style. There are special details everywhere you look, and the whole space is tied together by a limited color palette, making sure to repeat colors, patterns, and finishes throughout the space. The new modern isn’t just a style, it’s a way of designing your space. The modern neutral space GETS IT.
How to Get a Modern Neutral Kitchen
The Lighting
via Domino // via Domino
The quickest way for your kitchen to do downhill is with the lighting. It makes such a huge difference. When moving into a new apartment or home, the very first thing you should switch out is the lighting. Dated lighting is such a bummer (hello, “boob” light). Beautiful kitchens with “meh” lighting make them so much less beautiful. Learning how to get a modern neutral kitchen is as much about unlearning outdated “rules” and getting rid of outdated fixtures.
So, then what do you choose? If it’s a pendant, try something modern, minimal, architectural. Matte finishes are in so you could do matte black or white. Gold, brass, and copper are also good options to really warm up the space and pair nicely with warm woods. You could also go the opposite way and give the space a boho vibe by selecting pendants that are made of natural materials (like wood, linen, or a woven). Both of these styles are modern; being modern nowadays is more about truly understanding the needs of your space, and planning accordingly. Traditional modern has always been pretty cookie cutter and one size fits all. The neutral modern is about embracing the pros and cons of your space, and accentuating the good as best you can.
We are just trying to move away from the big boxy island chandeliers or pot racks. Those really weigh down your space. Instead of something giant, opt for multiple pendant lights over your island and reserve the chandelier for over a dining table.
Pro tip: globe pendants will NEVER go out of style. My favorite part of NYC is the vintage globe street lights and exterior sconces on really old buildings. This looks is glorious.
The Seating
via Domino // via Domino
Learning how to get a modern neutral kitchen is all about knowing how to properly select special elements that compliment each other as parts of a whole. Each item should be able to stand alone as a nice little design moment, but also hint at other items in the space. Think of everything as part of a team. Choose stools that suit your space: size, color, height, style.
If you have an island, please don’t neglect your bar stools. Do yourself a favor and shop around. You don’t have to opt for the round leather super masculine bar stool that everyone seems to purchase. Really think about the elements you are bringing into your space. Is there a color, pattern, or material somewhere else in the space that can be repeated or hinted at with your seating choice? If you have a woven pendant, a woven seating option would look great.
Do you see what I mean by being able to stand alone but also working together as a team? Teams wear the same jerseys, right? So members of your team should look a little similar in style, but also opposite to make each other stand out more. Every person on a team doesn’t look the same, only their jerseys. So, don’t take a super traditional style kitchen with big boxy mouldings and get big boxy bar seating. In that case, you would go with a more minimal and streamlined seating design but in a color that would compliment the rest of the kitchen. Still individual, but similar jerseys.
When it comes to material, thankfully, natural materials have made a comeback thanks to some California design geniuses (Amber Interiors and JDP Interiors, I’m looking at you). If you can, a sculpted woven stool would be fantastic. Just be aware of your sizing needs. If you have a small kitchen, consider a backless design so that the stools can slide under the island when not in use.
The Cabinetry
via Domino
Modern cabinetry has taken a more minimal approach, and that is for the better. If you built a kitchen in the 90s and early 2000s, everyone wanted Tuscan with big bulky cabinetry, sofits, mouldings, seating, ranges. Everything was a warm rich wood and gigantic. Thankfully, we have moved on and are embracing light and airy kitchens that aren’t so weighed down. Whew!
via My Domaine // via Architectural Digest
I’m loving shaker style cabinetry; it’s simple and matches nearly every style. There’s a reason the shaker style is so popular: it looks great painted. Having a neutral kitchen doesn’t mean you have to leave your wood cabinetry bare. You can still have a neutral space but choose to paint shades of blues, grays, greens, or even pastels! A neutral is really just anything that will make a nice backdrop. Red, for example, would never qualify. But a dark or pale blue? Yes, indeedy.
You can even lean in to the California cool vibe and leave your cabinetry in its natural state. Modern neutral kitchens aren’t weighed down any more, so again, understand your kitchen’s needs and maybe even forego your upper cabinetry. Instead of uppers, you can choose open shelving or forego storage altogether. More isn’t more. Less is more. You don’t need allllllll the cabinets.
Pro tip: your island should be a different color than the rest of your cabinetry. Think of it more as a stand alone furniture piece than an extension of your cabinetry. This is an opportunity to add interest to your space and make the island really special. It’s a gathering place, so it should be special!
The Countertops
via Popham Design
I’m going to say something that might anger you: I loathe marble countertops in a kitchen. Sure, they look beautiful, but they are soo porous and high maintenance. If you cook at all, marble is a terrible choice for you. Thankfully, what people like about marble is mainly the light color and the veining. We can choose other counter materials that will support that like my personal favorite, quartz.
There are a lot of choices when it comes to countertop material. What’s trending now are matte surfaces, solid colors, and also recycled materials. Terrazzo is actually making a comeback with the popularity of recycled glass counters. I am a fan of terrazzo because it can be customized. If you don’t believe me, Mandy Moore chose a gorgeous custom terrazzo fireplace that is just stunning. It’s a great way to add interest.
via Fireclay Tile
Pro tip: just like the cabinetry should be a different color, you can also use this opportunity to install a different countertop material on your island. It’s a statement piece, I cannot stress this enough. Think of it more as a kitchen table than an extension of your kitchen storage. You want your kitchen table and chairs to be special, right? Same applies here.
The Tile
via Bethany Nauert // via Domino
I have bad news: these marble backsplashes aren’t the best option anymore. There are so many more fun tiles to play with so don’t put your creativity in a box. If you are interested in a more traditional approach, subway tile will never go out of style. But! You can get skinny subway tiles and place them vertically or in a herringbone pattern to add a modern twist. I would also consider installing some matte, clay, or cement tiles.
If you aren’t afraid of color, Cle Tile and Fireclay Tile have a bunch of solid terracotta and clay options. The best place for patterned tile is Popham Design, Granada Tile, and The Tile Shop. Don’t be afraid to mix up your backsplash and floor tiles. Have fun with it.
A few months back, I did a roundup of my favorite tiles, by color:
The Flooring
via Domino // via Domino
I’ve already done a blog post on the best peel and stick floor tile, but there are other great more permanent options. I recommend doing a really cool cement tile with a pattern. You don’t have to have a really bold pattern; there are many neutral options. This will be the best way to add boldness to your space and make it a cut above the rest of what you see on Pinterest.
via Popham Design
Another great style is wide plank wood flooring. You can really do any type of stain but Chip and Joanna have popularized the farmhouse look, so faded oak stain it is! Designers like Brian Patrick Flynn also have been painting their floors white or black. If you are in a childless home and are pretty clean, white floors would be amazing. My preference? Definitely wood with a light stain paired with a cool tile for the sink area.
The Finishes
via Bethany Nauert
I have some good news for you. One thing that is outdated is the need to use all the same metals in the space. That’s one way for your space to seem dated. Matchy matchy no more; you can mix metals! If your knobs are brass, no problem, you can still use matte black or silver in your lighting and faucets. The finishes are to tie everything together, so if something looks “off” in your space, tie them together with different finishes. If you followed the home renovation of beauty guru, Teni Panosian, you’ll remember she ordered the same finishes and ended up spray painting her pendants because everything looked too similar.
Mix metals and materials for a truly modern space. Not everything has to be “perfect”. Feel free to be free! I would say to keep your types of finishes at 2 unless it is a giant space (lucky you!) and you can repeat finishes, then you can maybe get away with using 3. General rule of thumb is 2 different fonts for a logo, and 2 different finishes for a space. However, if your other “finish” is a matte black or white, those are neutrals and you should be fine including those in the team of 3 different finishes. Curating your finishes is how you get a modern neutral kitchen. Paring down and repeating your options throughout is the name of the game.
Remember how I said that every small detail should be a special design moment? This means don’t neglect your hardware! Explore materials like copper and check out some nice knobs and pulls. With Etsy and Anthropologie, you can really get some awesome hardware. I’ve also told you about Sarah Sherman Samuel’s line of hardware for Semihandmade that is AMAZING. If you can’t change your cabinets (hi, fellow apartment dweller), you can change the knobs and pulls.
via Bethany Nauert // via Architectural Ceramics
via Domino // via Bethany Nauert
How many different finishes are you counting in each of the photos above? Surprising, huh? The spaces look so interesting because the finishes are varied. And that’s how to get a modern neutral kitchen! It’s all about the details, remember that.
Do you have a modern neutral kitchen? I would love to know!
-Kristen