Modern Kitchens

A modern statement

Form, function and ergonomics

The modern kitchen collection includes British and German cabinetry in a range of sizes and finishes. The photographs show compact layouts, open-plan rooms and kitchens with space for an island.

The perfect kitchen should match the needs and habits of the people using it. High-gloss, satin and textured wood finishes offer broad design freedom, while integrated appliances, carefully planned storage and clean junctions keep the room practical for cooking and living.

Handleless doors keep cabinet fronts uncluttered. Wide drawers make pans easier to reach, while tall cupboards provide storage without taking up more floor space.

Blue-grey handleless kitchen with timber breakfast bar, open shelving and built-in ovens — Handleless fronts, open shelving and a timber breakfast bar in one room.

Beyond the cabinet front

How will handleless doors open?

A J-pull door has a shaped grip cut into the top or side of the front, so your fingers pull the door itself. A recessed rail creates a channel behind the front for your hand; its colour and position become part of the kitchen’s lines. Push-to-open uses a catch that releases when pressed and needs enough clearance for the door or drawer to move. These are different mechanisms, even when the closed fronts look similar.

Try each option on a wide, loaded drawer as well as a tall door. Check where fingers reach, whether the grip feels comfortable and how a dishwasher or neighbouring door opens beside it. The handleless or Shaker guide compares the wider style decision.

Matt, gloss and the light in your room

Look at full-size samples in the room at different times of day. Gloss reflects windows and lights more clearly; matt softens reflections, but the appearance of marks and the way a surface cleans depend on the actual finish. Ask to clean the sample with the product’s recommended method, then check it from a normal standing position. Ask for written care instructions and check whether the finish you prefer is available on doors, end panels and trims.

Dark matt kitchen island showing flat drawer fronts, a recessed grip line and an inset sink — A closer view of the drawer lines and surface of a dark matt island.

Make the layout work

Plan appliances and movement together

Mark the sink, preparation surface and cooking area before fixing tall cabinets or an island. Draw the fridge, oven and dishwasher in their open positions, then check the route past them and where groceries or hot dishes will be put down. Built-in appliances also need their exact model dimensions, ventilation and connection requirements checked against the cabinetry. Use the appliance planning guide for those specification questions.

A single run may keep a narrow room open; two facing runs add storage but need an easy route between open doors. An L shape may free the centre while making the corner harder to reach. The small kitchen layout guide compares these arrangements, while the island or peninsula guide helps test a central feature. In the gallery below, compare door and drawer positions as closely as colours: the photographs are design examples, not measured plans for your room.

Selected rooms

Modern kitchen gallery

Explore island layouts, handleless doors and combinations of painted, wood-effect and gloss finishes.

Slate blue modern kitchen with island — Slate blue cabinetry and an open central island

Gloss graphite cabinetry beside pale worktops — Gloss graphite cabinetry with pale worktops

Matte contemporary kitchen — Matte colour and clean geometry

White handleless kitchen with timber wall cabinets, island drawers and breakfast-bar seating — White handleless cabinetry with timber wall units and breakfast-bar seating

White kitchen with timber worktops and a bank of built-in cooking appliances — Built-in ovens grouped beside a timber-topped preparation area

White handleless island kitchen with tall windows and built-in ovens — White handleless cabinetry and a broad island

Beige handleless kitchen with dark timber shelves and integrated dining table — Beige cabinetry, dark timber and an integrated table

Dark timber and black handleless kitchen with island — Dark timber and black handleless fronts

Blue-grey handleless kitchen with timber breakfast bar and brick wall — Blue-grey cabinetry with timber accents and exposed brick

Black and white handleless kitchen with dining table and wall cabinets — Black and white cabinetry around a dining space

Champagne-coloured kitchen cabinets with timber tall units and shelving — Pale cabinetry balanced with timber tall units

White kitchen with island drawers and colourful tiled splashback — White fronts with island drawers and a tiled splashback

White textured kitchen cabinetry with dark appliances and island — Textured white fronts and integrated appliances

Grey handleless kitchen with rust-coloured wall cabinets and breakfast stools — Grey fronts with rust-coloured accents

Grey contemporary kitchen with a central island and green splashback — A central island and a contrasting green splashback

Gloss black base cabinets beneath pale wall units — Gloss black and pale wall units

White handleless kitchen with black island and timber floor — White cabinetry with a contrasting black island

White modern kitchen with timber-fronted island and open shelving — Timber island fronts and open shelving

Overhead detail of a dark matt kitchen island with sink and hob — A closer look at an island work surface

The kitchen upgraded

What goes into a modern kitchen

A broad palette of finishes, flexible cabinetry and carefully integrated details makes it possible to shape each kitchen around the room and the way it is used.

High-gloss, satin and textured wood finishes
Extra-wide pull-out drawers
Wall units from 384 mm to 1,440 mm high
Slide-and-hide storage systems
Retractable breakfast bars, lift-up tables and pull-out tables
Stainless steel, iron, gunmetal and other metallic worktops
Bevelled glass doors in handleless ranges
True handleless cabinetry with contrasting or coordinating trims
Concealed wiring for recessed LED lighting
Floating-effect base units

Explore bespoke kitchens · Explore fitted bedrooms

Compare the details

From photographs to a specification

A photograph can suggest how cabinetry and worktops sit together, but it cannot confirm the surface material or the cost of the finished layout. Compare actual samples and care instructions with the worktop guide. Use the storage planning guide to decide what each drawer needs to hold, then the kitchen quote checklist to check that cabinetry, appliances, worktop details and fitting are included on the same basis.

Planning your kitchen