Modern Kitchens

Door frontMatt polyurethane, 18 mm, shadowline edge

A modern kitchen reads as calm because the number of visible lines has been reduced. Fewer door sizes, one benchtop thickness carried the whole way round, appliances set flush with the fronts beside them, and handles either absent or repeated in a single position. The style is a consequence of the specification, not an aesthetic applied over it.

Four decisions that set the look

Each line below is specified separately and can be revised on its own. Changing one rarely forces the others to change with it, which is why they are quoted as individual items.

FrontsMatt polyurethane, thermolaminate or timber veneerPolyurethane gives a seamless sprayed face and can be repaired; thermolaminate is harder wearing at the edge but is limited in profile; veneer brings grain into an otherwise flat scheme and needs sequencing across adjacent doors.

Benchtop edge20 mm square, or mitred to 40 mmA slim square edge keeps the horizontal line quiet. A mitre reads as a solid slab and is the usual choice where a waterfall end is wanted, at the cost of extra fabrication and a visible joint line if the stone has strong veining. Material options are set out under kitchen benchtops.

Splashback junctionFull-height slab, or tile stopped at the overheadsRunning the benchtop material up the wall removes a silicone line and keeps the surface unbroken behind the cooktop. Tile is more forgiving of an out-of-square wall but introduces grout and a stopping detail. See kitchen splashbacks.

Opening methodSlimline pull, routed finger-groove, or fully handlelessA repeated linear pull is the simplest to live with. A routed groove removes hardware without changing the carcass. A true handleless channel changes cabinet heights — the same scope as this page, written out at greater length on its full specification page, Modern Handleless Kitchens in Bentleigh, where handleless junctions and finish options are specified in detail.

Reference · Grain directionContinuous horizontal run carried across adjacent door leavesWarm timber is what keeps a flat, minimal scheme from feeling clinical. Specified properly it is one decision, not two: the species, and whether the grain runs continuously across a bank of doors or restarts at each one.

Where a modern scheme is won or lost

02 Measure. Flat fronts expose out-of-square walls, so scribes and filler widths are decided here rather than on site.
03 Design. Door sizes are rationalised, appliance apertures confirmed by model, and the shadowline set out.
05 Material selection. Front finish, benchtop, splashback and hardware are signed off together, in the same light.
08 Plumbing and electrical. Integrated appliances and concealed extraction need services set out before cabinetry lands.
09 Benchtops and splashback. Templated after cabinetry is installed, which is what makes a slab return sit tight.
11 Finishing. Doors are aligned to a consistent gap; on a minimal kitchen this is the whole result.

All twelve stages, in order →

Common questions about modern kitchens

Does a modern kitchen date faster?

What dates is the decoration — a strong colour, a novelty handle, a heavily patterned stone. Flat fronts in a neutral finish, a consistent benchtop thickness and well-made drawers age slowly. The choices that hold up are discussed in our design trends guide.

Can I keep my existing layout?

Often, yes. If the plan works and only the finishes feel tired, a makeover replacing fronts, benchtop, splashback and hardware will deliver most of the visual change. Moving the sink or cooktop is what turns it into a complete renovation.

Do matt fronts show fingerprints?

Less than gloss, though very dark matt finishes still mark. Anti-fingerprint thermolaminate is worth specifying on tall banks and island returns where hands land most often; a paler polyurethane copes without it.

Where does the storage go without overheads?

Into deep drawers, a tall bank and, where the plan allows, a concealed pantry. Removing overhead cabinets is only calm if the volume is replaced elsewhere — see pantry and storage solutions and kitchen islands.

Put your kitchen into a written specification

Tell us the suburb, the room size and the finish you have in mind, and we will come back with the scope it sits under and the material decisions worth making first — for Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, Brighton East, Hampton East, Moorabbin, McKinnon, Ormond and nearby suburbs.

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