Show Home Kitchen Inspiration

This past Saturday I visited several show homes. I love to traipse through homes and look at finishes, colour choices and glean design inspiration. Often in defining your style it is just as important to identify what aspects you do not like. Since we are having our home built I have the fun task of designing my kitchen, within limits of course. Many of these homes are million dollar homes and so I intend to take elements from some of these and fit them within my budget.

This was the first kitchen I viewed in a very modern home with clean, crisp lines and concrete floors. I did not like the polished concrete floors. We do not have the option of this finish for our cabinetry but L and I both agreed we like the modern look and the high contrast. I especially love the dark window frames. I will have to see if that is an option.

In this example, the cabinets are primarily dark and the quartz is very light, along with the floors. I do like the light counter tops but find the dark cabinetry a little much. Here and in several others homes I viewed I saw the oven and microwave on the side wall alongside the refridgerator. I really like this! I am not a fan of the wallpaper in the kitchen or that strange trim separating the upper cabinets. Several of the homes also had quartz that framed three sides of the island. I think I will skip on that style.

By contrast this kitchen is very light. I am leaning towards two tone cabinetry dark on the bottom, white granite and light upper cabinets. I liked the example of the range hood in this example.

Swoon! There were so many elements in this example that I loved. The floor, the dark cabinetry with the high contrast, the white quartz, the gas range top with the oven and microwave on an opposite wall, the backspash, the lighting above the island, the dark windows and crisp white walls. This is a u-shape kitchen, I have had one of these types of kitchens, but am excited that my new kitchen will be open concept. The huge fridge in this example is a bit much for my liking.

Here is another example of a modern kitchen. I thought the island/bar combo was a little odd as is the two tone cabinetry above the range top. I did like how it came out slightly at the range and the deep drawers as well as the fridge, stove/microwave combo on the opposite wall.

Here is an example of a microwave range hood. I have decided this is not the way I want to go. We will have that funny pantry door in the corner also. It is just the way it has to be. 

I was very happy to find this example last of all because I think it best explained to L what I want to do with our kitchen and is the exact same set-up. Also the colours are almost spot on.

I do wish I had a pantry like this... but never mind it is still going to be lovely.