I love these cabinets, they are from Canada so I can't have them, but you could :-). The link is for a recent finished kitchen thread here. I hope Dougald doesn't mind, but I love his cabinets and i know they are from Canada.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beautiful Canadian cabs

Have you figured out the layout?

We saw Neff cabinets (from Canada: http://www.neffkitchens.com/) during an early kitchen showroom search/visit. They were quite expensive, but they were known as a modern cabinet/kitchen manufacturer (maybe they aren't as expensive if ordered/purchased in Canada? This showroom was in NJ).

Some of the really modern kitchens I've seen posted here used Snaidero cabs. Oldtimer GW'ers like organic_donna, and revens1 (?) had gorgeous modern kitchens using them. Here's organic_donna's kitchen in the fkb (scroll down): http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2006/12/organicdonnas-kitchen.html and http://picasaweb.google.com/starpooh/Organic_donna

My kitchen is more "organic contemporary" than modern (though it's confusing as to what constitutes modern vs. contemporary!!!). FWIW, we used Royal Cabinets in Hillsborough, NJ, and a local KD. Pics of my kitchen, along with some great modern kitchens (Sochi, palimpsest, jakabedy, rockybird, wizardnm, jamis1021, karen_belle), are here on this thread:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0120222518176.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Snaidero

Here are some pictures of my modern kitchen, although not finished yet (I can't decide on a backsplash):

I was going to use ultracraft cabinets, which have a lot of nice modern options, but was able to get a better price with custom cabinets. Mine are Saepele - which the cabinet maker described to me as an African Mahogony. My hood is a Zephr Cheng which I love and a Thermador induction which I also love. I'm going to put a tv above the fridge.

My island is Space difiniti quartz and my perimeter is Taj Mahal quartzite - love them both too!

My whole kitchen was designed thanks to GW recommendations for layout, drawers, sinks, appliances, etc, etc. etc. I can't imagine doing a kitchen without all the experts on this site. But I spent a lot of time on the Houzz website too - looking at pictures for ideas on modern kitchens since many GWers love their white kitchens:)

My home is in a suburb too - not contemporary at all - as you can see by the windows that are in the rest of the house. But I just fell in love with the modern kitchens and decided that was the look for me. The rest of the home is transitional and I'm trying to add a few more modern touches to complement the kitchen.

I'm thinking of doing a glass backsplash in a cream or khaki color that will match the Taj Mahal. Simple and streamlined is the look I like. Since you seem to be in my situation (modern in a subdivision) I would love to know your thoughts too:)

(please excuse hijack)

sixtyohno I've always enjoyed seeing the pictures of your kitchen when you've posted them. One thing I just noticed was your offset sink, which is almost exactly what I'll be doing in my new kitchen. For me there was no way to center the faucet in the window, so I decided to embrace the offset. What was your thought process in laying out your sink run?

Back on topic:

For some beautiful modern kitchens, I'm linking a website below of an architect who specializes in modern design. I know at least one GW member used him although I don't recall who it was at the moment.

Here is a link that might be useful: John Lum Architecture

Packergirl - Love you kitchen. Where are the cab pulls from?

Thanks.

One caveat about ultra glossy finishes is that they show scratches easily, and fingerprints very easily, especially if they are in a dark or saturated color.

Slab cabinets are my perennial favorite, although I tend do do a satin finish to minimize the obviousness of scratches or prints.

I have no handles on my upper, just a groove on the lower back of the door as a hand hold, and to be honest I tend to open the uppers with my ring finger + pinky (because your index fingers and thumbs get dirtiest) or with a dishtowel in my hand. That's probably a bit much but it keeps them clean. Slabs will show imperfections over time more than a door with shaped edges, panels and the like.

I am doing slabs again next time and am trying to figure out what kind of edge pull or hardware I both like and functions best. (No uppers, next time I think). I don't think I would personally recommend touch latches that need to be pushed to open, in the kitchen, because of having to touch the cabinet face to open the door or drawer. Even clean hands will burnish the finish and oils will eventually darken a wood finish. A high pressure laminate would probably be pretty immune to these things, but the are not as touch-up-able as painted finishes.

When I think ultra modern, Scavolini kichens always come to mind. Available in Canada, but they are expensive. What part of Canada?

Here is a link that might be useful: Scavolini kitchens

Hi Christie,

My kitchen is fairly modern, slab doors, walnut base, white uppers. We didn't do an ultra-glossy finish on the white uppers for the reasons Pal mentioned. I definitely recommend slab doors, perhaps medium gloss? Not sure if you like wood or painted doors, but I've seen some great colours used in ultra modern kitchens - gray, violet, red, blue, the options are endless. Some wood lends itself quite well to modern applications as well.

My regrets - well I don't like my hood fan, but not sure I could have done any different. I really didn't want any handles or knobs on my cabinets, but DH talked me into them. A mistake, I should have trusted my instincts. I prefer less ornamentation generally. I have a place for pretty much everything, so very little sits out on the counter.

There are quite a few of us in Canada, so you'll likely get a few good cabinet recommendations. I suggest you find a recommended custom cabinet maker or two and get a couple of quotes. You can't beat custom I don't think. Or use IKEA cabs with customs doors. If you're by chance in the Ottawa area I can recommend a great cabinet maker.

Caesarstone/Silestone is still pretty popular in modern kitchens, you don't see that much granite. Some marble. Mostly stainless appliances, although colour is slowly creeping in there too.

Annkathryn, We off set the sink because our goal was an uninterrupted counter run on the left. It helped that the sink and dishwasher stayed in their previous places. The 2nd window on the left is new so originally, in the former kitchen, the sink was centered. I do very much like the off set look.
Laura

Thank you everyone for your amazing advice! That is why I love this site :) You all are amazing!

Thank you for the links for the cab companies. We are just North of Toronto, so it looks like most of these are available around here - yay!

As for the layout, we are going to keep it pretty similar to what we have now, sort of a U with a skinny island and a butler's pantry/servery.

We had a few looks designed with Shaker style cabs before we decided to go brave and get what we really want. We have 3 appts this week with designers and I'll upload the layouts as soon as we get them.

Williamsem - thanks for the link, it looks look we have a local person who uses these cabs (they are made about 5 hours away), but they got a terrible review on Homestars, so I will see if there is someone quasi local. Thank you for sharing :)

Cat Mom - thanks for the Snaidero recommendation, I read it on my phone yesterday and we popped over to the showroom. They have gorgeous stuff, but it was too expensive for us right now. They guestimated it would be about $80K just for the cabinets. Hubby fell in love with them, hard. I told him to start saving for the next house. Thank you for the thread of modern kitchen eye candy. Your kitchen is so cool with that staircase. I love that it is in a period home - so interesting.

Packergirl - your kitchen is gorgeous, I could VERY happily move right in. We are getting a Thermodor induction too, so happy to hear you love yours. Your quartzite is beautiful, I agree that a khaki or creamy glass BS would be an excellent match. I love glass, so I am a bit biased. I LOVE your pendant lights too.

Sixtyohno - I literally started to droll at your amazing countertop - is it marble or granite? It's perfection with your backsplash. Beautiful job!

Annkathryn - thanks for that link, it has hubby dreaming grander and grander ideas.

Palimpsest - thanks for the information about handle-less uppers. A KD we have coming tomorrow mentioned the same thing. I prefer slabs as well.

ResearchQueen - love your user name! Thanks for the link. We are just North of Toronto and will check out these cabs, although they look very expensive - and gorgeous.

Sochi - I also love the combination of walnut and painted white or creamy doors/drawers. We have a custom cab maker coming over tomorrow morning. We did visit Ikea with the though of getting custom doors made, but we need some odd sizes. Unfortunately we are not in Ottawa, although I did go to university there :) We are in the GTA.

Thank you every one for your wonderful feedback and advice. I will definitely post the layouts we like to get your expertise.

Christie

Cat Mom - I just saw your kitchen in the thread you posted - love it. The vertical backsplash behind the range, all up the wall is breathtaking. It looks like a waterfall. Definitely putting that in my inspiration file :)

I'm late to the thread, but just wanted to add that a good modern kitchen still shows restraint. I think the folks on this board have wonderful examples of kitchens that are modern, but still inviting and soothing. But there is a danger that one can end up with 'too much', by trying to make too many statements. I've seen some shots of professionally-designed modern kitchens that go all-in on the countertop, and the backsplash, and a crazy hood, and crazy lighting, and gadgets, and . . . you get the picture.

I think the uber-styled kitchens might just barely work in a loft, or high-rise modern apartment, or very modern house. But when you're working it into a more traditional setting, restraint is the way to go.

I'm looking forward to following your progress!

Here is a link that might be useful: My modern IKEA kitchen

Jakabedy - you are so right! For *our* house, we don't want craziness, or anything looking like it would be from the Jetsons (well, I do want my Rosie maid that they promised we would have!!). We are a family, living in a suburban house. We have a 3 year old girl and 2 wild terriers.

I have ADHD and get completely overwhelmed with clutter (which I am fabulous at creating). I also have some OCD, which creates it's own issues. When I look at streamlined, modern kitchens I feel peaceful. I need lots of drawers :) We are creating this space to create more peace in our home. We want it to be warm and friendly, yet have the ability to hide of all the kitchen clutter. And life clutter.

We also use our kitchen, a lot. We both work from home and we cook 3 meals a day here, so it has to be super functional.

Your kitchen looks fab! Love your long island! I wish Ikea still made cabs like that, but they all seem to be much more "traditional" now. Or maybe that is just Ikea in Canada, I am not sure ... ABSTRAKT seems to be the only modern looking one, but it is only a high gloss, no wood.

christie327, thanks! I stuck to my guns about tiling up to the ceiling, and am still so glad I did!

We'd actually gotten a similar estimate from the showroom with the Neff cabinets, just the cabinets, too. $$$ Sure, they would have been nice, but they were very much "too-rich for my blood." Also, our house really didn't warrant that "level" of cabinetry (at the end of the day, it's still a 1967-built hi-ranch/bi-level house).

christie -

Our IKEA kitchen has Nexus drawer fronts in yellow-brown. They have discontinued that color, along with the medium brown. I think all that remains is the birch (very light), and the black-brown, which is very dark. And I hate that they have discontinued the middle colors, because I think those mid-tone browns open up a lot of options -- at least they did for us.

How north of Toronto? You can email me directly if you don't want to post here, but I can give you the names of some custom cabinet makers in the GTA who offer decent prices and great quality

sixtyohno thanks for the additional information.

Christie you can always do Ikea with custom doors from Sherr's or semihandmadedoors.com.

Yes JakeBedy - the birch is too light and the black brown is too dark - they forgot about Goldilocks and the just right.

Thanks Research Queen, that would be fantastic, we are in Aurora. Hopefully not too North for them.

We met with Svea today http://www.sveakitchens.com/ does anyone have any experience with them? They seem to really understand what we are trying to do in the kitchen ...

One of the first thing you need to do is to be honest about your house.

Can you carry modern (not contemporary) in your house?

Design elements are such that it sinks to the lowest common denominator unless you are careful. For example, if you have cheap paneled fiberglass doors through out the house, no matter what you do, it feels as if the rest of the house is at that level of quality. Window, doors and trim work determine the level of 'quality' of the interior of the house. It is hard to do justice to modern design (or justify the cost of remodel) when all your vinyl windows have snap on muntins. It can look too jarring and out of place, IMHO....

The siding material, windows, trim determines the exterior quality of the house. If is hard to upgrade/update the house without paying attention to these types of things that have such impact on the level of quality of work. Modern design is hard to accomplish unless the workmanship is perfect. There is big difference when the gap between the doors are 1/8 inch versus 1/2 inche when you look at it.

Often, older houses work well with modern design because the inherent quality of the workmanship in the well built older houses complement the quality of workmanship and design in modern design. Suburban tract homes often lack the high level of quality work, and that is why they age so quickly....

Modern design works best when materials show off its intrinsich qualities at its best. This means that you use expensive quality material and let the material and workmanship shine without detractors.

Sometimes, it is safer to go with contemporary if you are not willing to spend a lot of money replacing doors etc on the rest of the house.

Palimpest, Henrybuilt (my cabinet company) carves out a small groove in the backside of cabinet doors. You slip your fingers under it and open the upper doors. When the door is closed you see nothing on the upper.

I agree with kaismom. The ultracraft cabinets were very tight between doors, etc. My cabinet maker told me he could replicate that, but in reality he did not. However, I did save almost $10,000 and was therefore able to afford the tufted leather banquette seating at my table, finish off our locker room, and other upgrades to our home. It's all about what is most important to you if you're on a budget like most of us. There will likely be pros and cons to every decision you make. Best of luck!!!

I forgot to post a link to my walnut and white kitchen yesterday, sorry. See attached.

I know what you mean about too light and too dark when it comes to wood - natural walnut was just perfect for me, a nice medium brown that actually lightens a bit with age (unlike cherry).

Here is a link that might be useful: walnut and white

Kaismom - great food for thought, thank you for sharing. In this particular house, we can pull off modern. Our house is already very contemporary - very open concept, clean lines, simple brick outside, etc. We have been replacing the trim slowly, as we redo rooms. The doors need to be replaced. The only thing that looks traditional is the oak staircase, which I would eventually like to send to my sister's and get a more modern one (open, glass, metal).

The kitchen is happening now because if I have live another year with pickled oak, I might pickle myself (no offense to those who have that style, it is just not our style).

Packergirl - yes compromise and budget, two of my least favourite things, but necessary. I am glad you got to spend the money on other finishing details. A tufted leather banquette is a real statement - so the money saved on the cabs was very worth it.

Sochi - If I leave tomorrow at 9, I can be at your house by 1pm. And I will never leave. Your kitchen is incredible and I love the amazing details you included. The Matryoshka light might be the cutest fixture I have ever seen, I love matryoshkas! The half wall with the apple green circles - swoon! Your walnut cabinets? Love. I would be happy putting up blown up pictures of your cabs on the front of mine :)

Here are a couple of companies in the GTA whose work I have seen first hand and can attest to the quality.

Olympic Kitchens - http://olympickitchens.ca/.

Royal Custom Cabinets - http://www.royalcustomcabinets.ca/

I used a small private cabinetmaker. He does not have a website, but I don't want to post his cell number here

Thank you so much Research Queen! We'll be getting our quotes back in the next few days, and if the custom company we have already contacted doesn't work out, I will contact your list (and email you for the phone number of your cabinetmaker. I really appreciate it!