10 Covetable, Modern Irish Kitchens
These contemporary schemes offer lots of ideas for the up-to-date kitchen of your dreams
Modern, sleek kitchen schemes can still have tons of character. Whether you live in a period home, a new-build property or anything in-between, a clean, contemporary look can work perfectly. Take a tasty morsel of inspiration from this little lot…
Mix it up
People sometimes shy away from mixing the styles and colours of their kitchen cabinetry, but the dark wood of the island is a pleasing contrast to the paler wall units in this Dublin home. Add to that the bright green curved unit and the result is fresh and interesting.
If you don’t have an island, you can try the look by opting for a lighter wood finish on your wall cupboards and a darker one on the base units. By keeping the dark units on the bottom, you’ll be balancing and grounding the scheme.
People sometimes shy away from mixing the styles and colours of their kitchen cabinetry, but the dark wood of the island is a pleasing contrast to the paler wall units in this Dublin home. Add to that the bright green curved unit and the result is fresh and interesting.
If you don’t have an island, you can try the look by opting for a lighter wood finish on your wall cupboards and a darker one on the base units. By keeping the dark units on the bottom, you’ll be balancing and grounding the scheme.
Make a style statement
The huge wooden block on the island in this kitchen has real impact. Positioned to just overhang the cupboards beneath, it makes a neat breakfast bar. You could have a large butchers block like this installed on runners so you can also push it flush with the countertop, to create more space around your island on occasion too.
Don’t be afraid to discuss quirky new design ideas with your kitchen designer or builder – they’ll tell you if it’s not viable but, you never know, you might come up with something both workable and original.
Find 10 more ways to give your kitchen island a fresh new look
The huge wooden block on the island in this kitchen has real impact. Positioned to just overhang the cupboards beneath, it makes a neat breakfast bar. You could have a large butchers block like this installed on runners so you can also push it flush with the countertop, to create more space around your island on occasion too.
Don’t be afraid to discuss quirky new design ideas with your kitchen designer or builder – they’ll tell you if it’s not viable but, you never know, you might come up with something both workable and original.
Find 10 more ways to give your kitchen island a fresh new look
Dare to bare
This kitchen extension demonstrates that bare wood can create a natural, homely yet modern feel, beautifully set off by the lighting within the ceiling recesses. Large expanses of bare wood can look a little unfinished so this is a great new twist to add interest. The warm glow is also practical, providing soft over-table lighting when dining in the evening. Create a similar eco feel with bare wooden panelling and simple Ercol furniture.
More ways to use natural wood to stunning effect
This kitchen extension demonstrates that bare wood can create a natural, homely yet modern feel, beautifully set off by the lighting within the ceiling recesses. Large expanses of bare wood can look a little unfinished so this is a great new twist to add interest. The warm glow is also practical, providing soft over-table lighting when dining in the evening. Create a similar eco feel with bare wooden panelling and simple Ercol furniture.
More ways to use natural wood to stunning effect
Get in the frame
Black steel window frames are a sure-fire way of adding drama to a kitchen, as this Kildare new-build illustrates. It’s an easy way to add drama and draw attention to beautiful views outside. If you’re looking to create a similar scheme on a budget, you can give simple wooden window frames a lick of black paint. Create cohesion within the room by adding other black and dark grey elements to your interior scheme – graphite-coloured units and black pendant lights keep it all tied together.
Black steel window frames are a sure-fire way of adding drama to a kitchen, as this Kildare new-build illustrates. It’s an easy way to add drama and draw attention to beautiful views outside. If you’re looking to create a similar scheme on a budget, you can give simple wooden window frames a lick of black paint. Create cohesion within the room by adding other black and dark grey elements to your interior scheme – graphite-coloured units and black pendant lights keep it all tied together.
Go backwards in coming forwards
You can just imagine Don Draper downing an Old Fashioned in this Dublin kitchen. The wooden units draw on 1960s style while the concrete floor and grey worktop are a healthy dose of industrial chic. This proves that looking back in time for inspiration can still equal an ultra-modern result.
Achieve this look with flat-panel cabinetry in a dark wood and a sleek surface such as stainless steel or concrete.
You can just imagine Don Draper downing an Old Fashioned in this Dublin kitchen. The wooden units draw on 1960s style while the concrete floor and grey worktop are a healthy dose of industrial chic. This proves that looking back in time for inspiration can still equal an ultra-modern result.
Achieve this look with flat-panel cabinetry in a dark wood and a sleek surface such as stainless steel or concrete.
Create texture with panels
Instead of achieving a shabby-chic look, the limewash-effect panels used in this Gorey kitchen give a modern twist, because of their uniform appearance and slightly darker colour. They tone in beautifully with the off-white cupboards and marble worktops.
Panelling adds more interest to large drawer fronts, and also to the sleek sliding-door design behind the sink here. Adding bold industrial-style lighting helps prevent the colour scheme becoming too neutral.
Find out how striking panelling can look in other areas of your home
Instead of achieving a shabby-chic look, the limewash-effect panels used in this Gorey kitchen give a modern twist, because of their uniform appearance and slightly darker colour. They tone in beautifully with the off-white cupboards and marble worktops.
Panelling adds more interest to large drawer fronts, and also to the sleek sliding-door design behind the sink here. Adding bold industrial-style lighting helps prevent the colour scheme becoming too neutral.
Find out how striking panelling can look in other areas of your home
Embrace old and new
This period country house outside Dublin marries old and new to perfection. The ceiling coving and chandeliers sit harmoniously alongside modern black units. This is due to the unapologetically bold and confident monochrome scheme and linking the rooms with chandeliers in both the far living room and above the kitchen counter.
Even if you don’t have such a grand space to work with, this just shows that mixing modern fixtures and fittings with period architecture or mouldings can work really well.
This period country house outside Dublin marries old and new to perfection. The ceiling coving and chandeliers sit harmoniously alongside modern black units. This is due to the unapologetically bold and confident monochrome scheme and linking the rooms with chandeliers in both the far living room and above the kitchen counter.
Even if you don’t have such a grand space to work with, this just shows that mixing modern fixtures and fittings with period architecture or mouldings can work really well.
Make it monochrome
Black and white has enduring appeal and the look gets a contemporary update with grey worktops in this Dublin residence.
Use a bold printed tablecloth and frame some of your favourite pictures to inject some of your personality into a streamlined modern kitchen design like this. Colourful art works, as shown on the shelf, but lots of texture and pattern in greys, black and white can also lift the room just as effectively.
Black and white has enduring appeal and the look gets a contemporary update with grey worktops in this Dublin residence.
Use a bold printed tablecloth and frame some of your favourite pictures to inject some of your personality into a streamlined modern kitchen design like this. Colourful art works, as shown on the shelf, but lots of texture and pattern in greys, black and white can also lift the room just as effectively.
Go all out on the tiles
The pearl sheen on the tiles in this Cork kitchen introduces a soft finish to an otherwise tough look. Search for a bright colour or unusual texture for your splashback tiling and add light fittings in rich gold tones, along with colourful personal items, to fill up and warm what could otherwise be a stark corner in such a large space.
TELL US…
Which modern kitchen designs do you prefer? Is less more? Share your views in the Comments section below.
The pearl sheen on the tiles in this Cork kitchen introduces a soft finish to an otherwise tough look. Search for a bright colour or unusual texture for your splashback tiling and add light fittings in rich gold tones, along with colourful personal items, to fill up and warm what could otherwise be a stark corner in such a large space.
TELL US…
Which modern kitchen designs do you prefer? Is less more? Share your views in the Comments section below.
Blue and white schemes have seen something of a renaissance lately, but with brighter blue accents replaced by moodier hues. The petrol blue island in this Dublin kitchen combined with a white worktop and drawers offers an update on the nautical look. Having just the island in strong blue creates a focal point in the room.
The white oiled floorboards and natural wood bar stools add just the right amount of warmth to this crisp scheme.