I am looking at the potential advantages of having all of these play second fiddle to smaller elements that are probably far less expensive collectively and that can be rotated against these as more of a back ground.

Good idea ... think of the kitchen as a gallery where you can bring in "exhibits".

My kitchen didn't have a grand design scheme. It was a facelift on a budget. When it was done it felt very stark to me: creamy cabinets/backsplash and dark counters. I hadn't planned on stark. As I was putting things away, I realized that something as simple as a bottle of olive oil with a colorful label breathed some life into the place. I also bought a bright red tea kettle and painted some stools the same color. It makes a huge difference. With a somewhat neutral background, you can add all kinds of cool elements.

It's a solid design concept to have room finishes be somewhat secondary to decorative objects or artworks. The key, though, is quality finishes with careful attention to colour and texture even if they are intended to be understated. For example, a builder grade thermafoil cabinet door will come across differently than a high end painted cabinet door (whether ready made or custom). Beautiful rooms often have incredible attention paid to details that we may not notice - we may notice how pretty the bowl of peaches looks, but not consciously realize how the perfect symmetry of the bank of cabinets supports the overall visual.

What you are basically talking about is "styling". That's adding decorative layers to the base of the room. If you analyze photos from one of my favourite sites below, you'll recognize that much of the appeal of them comes from how the kitchens have been styled.

Any room will look better if you remove all clutter, clear off all surfaces, and carefully add select objects to complement the room or draw the eye towards (or away from) elements of the room. Could be a houseplant, a pretty cutting board, an enamel kettle, etc.

Edited to add: functional layout, attractive sightlines, and abundant natural light are make-or-break elements in a kitchen, IMHO. Those would always be my starting point for design.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchens via Remodelista

This post was edited by feisty68 on Sat, Jul 5, 14 at 15:05

Thank you all for perspectives so far which are all helpful and provide ideas and ways of looking at things.

Excerpt from feisty68
"Beautiful rooms often have incredible attention paid to details that we may not notice - we may notice how pretty the bowl of peaches looks, but not consciously realize how the perfect symmetry of the bank of cabinets supports the overall visual."

Yes, I agree that there is often a great deal that goes into something so that it serves as a great background supporting what you wish to highlight, and thanks for the web link that I will explore. Some of those photos are well staged, but certainly do not reflect how one would actually live or actually use a kitchen from day-to-day. While they might be great for selling a home, or marketing a kitchen designer, to me they are a distortion or skewing of more normal reality and therefore can be deceiving.

Simple, neutral, unfussy, works as a design scheme, but you have to start with really good bones. The layout needs to be well thought through both for cooking function, and for how the various elements look at different angles. With simple, nothing can be out of place (I'm talking about the permanent stuff). If things are an inch off, the simplicity doesn't provide any hiding space. So go for it, and keep a keen eye on the details, especially the proportion, symmetry, and relationships between the various elements.

"I will be building a new home in the contemporary/modern style"

Today, this means very uncluttered and the focus of your ideas seems to be on accessories.

When the basics are right the small details fall into place and look just right because they always seem to be "there."

When the basics -- layout, surfaces, color scheme, sightlines, lighting, airflow -- are not well done the accessories can often be attempts to fix what's missing or, at worst, become clutter.

The one thing not mentioned in the original post on this thread is the function this kitchen needs to provide. In the past, we've had posters who said they don't cook and stated clearly they were just doing a kitchen with improbable materials and concepts for looks. I feel that's perfectly valid even though it wouldn't be something I would ever do or want or buy.

Everyone has different requirements and ideas. For me, light, a feeling of space and functionality are major factors. Saving photos from magazines and the web, they laying them out and seeing what they have in common is a recommended way to determine a look you're going for.

You may want to take the Sweeby test (on here somewhere) -- a sort of self-analysis.

Then budget, space and the ultimate goal for the house overall comes into play.

There are no rules. Only strategies and taste. Good luck!

Thank you all; good perspectives and tips, helpful and supportive. One of you mentioned the Sweeby test and this is perhaps the most relevant link that I found on GW

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweeby test thread