When it comes to architecture, judging a book by its cover can unlock a world of inspiration. These modern exteriors display a wide range of stylistic influences but they all have one thing in common: they embrace the constraints and challenges presented by their environments by creating a unified experience between landscape, materials, and form. These buildings don’t disrupt the landscape – they provide a new way to experience it. Blurring the lines between vernacular architecture and modernist design principals allows home exteriors to become something more than just a beautiful facade.
Visualizer:Walter De Marco
A gorgeous cliffside home, embraced by a curved glass shell.
Visualizer:Tung Le Xuan
Roughage and timber resolve into orderly rectilinear architecture. The visualized landscape is whimsical, but the home itself is equally breathtaking.
Visualizer:TRES 31
Here, there are no boundaries. A verdant stone wall intersects the main volumes, and the rooftop lawn surrounds an outdoor living space on the roof. The stairwell itself is the most substantial part of the glass-clad design.
Visualized as a part of a resort for the “unplugged yet not-disconnected”, this space is carefully integrated into the surrounding landscape. It sits perched atop an overlook, its foundation plunges into the earth and emerges from the hillside as a chic entertainment space. The pool’s sunken fire pit is especially inspiring!
Serene settings with a view of the great mountains. What more could you want?
Yet another building that is built right into the landscape!
Architect:Yuriy Bochkaryov
Orderly, linear, folded - rustic wood cladding and sleek concrete panels help this home feel like the perfect compromise between suburbia and country living.
Visualizer:Brown And Blue
Built into the cliffside, this home features classic Greek influences mixed with notes of streamlined modernism. An observatory-type space sits discreetly underneath the patio.
Visualizer:Yuriy Bochkaryov
Another gorgeous cliffside concept, with a gravity-defying observation deck. Recreation areas occupy the top floor, with private areas enjoying the shade beneath. The uppermost room would make for an especially inspiring office.
Designer:Alex Barcelos
Wintertime visualizations are surprisingly rare but this home looks like the perfect place to warm up as the snow falls outside, especially with the yellow-hued lighting that emanates from the interior.
Visualizer:Topsidefront
The juxtaposition between the smooth white walls and textural stone cladding exert amazing visual appeal. Don’t you just love the cistern/urn-style fountains integrated with the retaining wall? The shapes echo the planters used on the upper balcony and, taken together, provide a touch of classical appeal to an otherwise fully contemporary design.
Visualizer:Vũ Trọng Quý
This home takes full advantage of its narrow plot. The pool runs alongside a tasteful garden and terminates at a patio sheltered by the room above. A tidy row of bamboo softens the look of the modern striped fence.
Visualizer:Xavier Xu
Part of a villa hotel project, this u-shaped retreat embraces its tropical environment. Small palms in the courtyard extend the landscape.
Pools occupy multiple levels. The topmost pool features clean glass walls to preserve the view for people lounging on the balcony, and to give swimmers an incredible way to experience the landscaped surroundings.
Visualizer:Mohamed Heshmat
The home architecture seems weightless and divine, but the lovely pool deck deserves a second look as well. The furthest portion extends out from the underneath a breathtaking cantilever dining room, transitioning from smooth white to sumptuous dark wood that matches the singular section of timber cladding on the upper story of the home. A neat boardwalk provides another route of access to the entertainment areas.
Visualizer:Maxim Jurov
A sleek rectilinear volume intersects with a strong triangular prism. This unique form helps to enhance – rather than obscure - its connection with the conifer forest behind it.
Visualizer:Michal Nowak
Rendered by Michal Nowak and designed by 81.WAW.PL architects, the Crown House projects its stoic form across a still dark lake. The somber color of the water is reflected in the treatment of the charcoal-colored eaves, heightening contrast and making the folded architecture look even more dramatic.
Visualizer:Adam Spychała
Diamond-shaped trusses support the home like a bridge, with a singular beam placed in the middle to create the illusion of an impossible balancing act.
Visualizer:Dachi Papuashvili
Designed for single person-usage, this compact modular home features a distinctive shape and an even more distinctive interior layout. Alternating stairs help to save space at the entrance but ladder rungs provide access to the main living spaces housed in cantilever cross-section. Ascending further, the vertical passage leads to a quiet observation deck with the potential for an amazing view.
Visualizer:Radosław Ignaciuk
Severe angles and impressive stepped cantilever volumes set this home apart from any other. The open vaulted ceiling and glass-clad gable creates a spacious impression, almost like a cathedral, and is made even more striking by the series of glass skylights that makes the ridge of the roof look transparent.
Visualizer:Shady Sayed & Nour El Deen Khaled
Intricate girih strapwork forms a metallic screen to shield the open volumes. A lower horizontally slatted wood screen offers a more discreet aesthetic that directs attention upward.
Architect:MOB Architects
This perforated building (located in Nicosia, Cyprus) is a striking blend of angular construction and playful port windows. Not pictured - but alluded to on the left - a u-shaped fold gives the back of the home an open and organic aesthetic that smartly contradicts the sharp facade.
Visualizer:Marat Zakirov
Designed to mimic the shape of binoculars, the Two Hulls project by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple makes spectacular use of its unique view of the Nova Scotian coastline. Geothermal heating, wooden rain skin, and concrete piers ensure harmony with the surrounding environment.
Visualizer:KAISERBOLD /ArchViz
A living room rests on thin concrete piers and offers an incredible 180-degree view of the mountainous surroundings, and a covered porch brings the surroundings into the architecture with a round porthole with a tree growing through.
Visualizer:Andrzej Drawc
The translucent ground level living space opens to the world, supporting the chevron-clad private living spaces above.
Architect:Thanh Nhan Tu
A modern boardwalk crosses a carefully framed channel of water, leading to an ever-so-slightly elevated indoor/outdoor living space decorated with trendy diamond frame lighting and streamlined furniture.
“Louis period styles” is a collective term for French design trends spanning between 1600 and 1790, encompassing the transition from Baroque to Neoclassicism. Royal families were the de-facto tastemakers of the time - and in this case, those tastemakers were Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI, and their fashionable queens and mistresses such as Marie Antoinette and Madame Pompadour. While ornate styles have been replaced by clean minimalism today, these fabulous visualizations offer a rare glimpse of French palatial decadence translated to lighter modern-day interiors.
Visualizer:Pure Art
A gorgeous stateroom dressed in olive and white, influenced strongly by the baroque designs associated with the “Sun King”, Louis XIV. The intricate scrollwork takes on an almost silver hue – Louis XIV loved the precious metal so much that he often commissioned solid silver furniture (later melted to refill the treasury post-war). Thankfully, the furniture here is much more subdued.
Gallery sofas – sometimes referred to as boudeuse (French for ‘sullen’) – allow visitors to appreciate the sophisticated surroundings from any angle. For a very similar contemporary version, check out the Epoch sofa by British designer Christopher Guy.
Rounded furniture more accurately represents the Louis XVI period, rather than Louis XIV, yet they work wonderfully in this design. Of all the Louis-inspired furniture available today, those oval-backed chairs are probably the most beloved. The thickness and ornamentation makes them quite different from the ones you’d find at the market, however.
Visualizer:Sergey Tomenko
This luxurious home combines neoclassical and modern design. The streamlined aesthetic is reminiscent of Louis XVI – note the fluted legs on the sideboard and side tables. Neoclassical decor took cues from Etruscan influences, which itself is derived from Greek architecture.
These sofas and chairs offer a luxurious take on the Chesterfield, made quite unique with oversized diamond tufting and ornate Chippendale legs. They’re perfectly coordinated with the rest of the space even if furniture like this didn’t exist until many years after the last Louis gave up the throne. Although, interestingly, Thomas Chippendale and Philip Stanhope (the Earl credited for commissioning the first Chesterfield) were both contemporaries of Louis XVI.
Greenery, gilt, and heavy fabrics create a warm look despite the home’s vast proportions. The colors are truly lovely - not as flashy as the gold typically applied in Louis-era designs, but still sophisticated enough for a palatial theme.
A small outer-parlor makes good use of extra space in the hallway and features a decidedly more subdued style. Simple lines and textures are well suited to this area’s purpose. Mirrored cabinetry reflects the light and makes the hallway look even more weightless and spacious.
Such a decorative chandelier won’t work in every hallway, so take note of this brilliant application - it works wonderfully here.
Louis XVI championed neoclassical design as a less-extravagant alternative to the excesses of rococo, but this lavish staircase provides a necessary counterbalance to the straight lines that define the rest of the interior. Despite its association with baroque design, the acanthus scrollwork is another feature derived from Greek architecture – so it’s still true to the neoclassical theme overall.
Visualizer:Maximilliion Design
Different from the baroque and rococo inspiration of the previous homes, this unique space seems to rely more on Provincial and Empire influences. It’s an eclectic and romantic aesthetic – appropriately titled “Coffee with Milk”.
Only the faintest hint of baroque influence touches the kitchen. It’s elegant, low-key, and demonstrates how versatile French provincial design can be. The damask dining chairs are especially admirable.
Compared to the baroque influences present in the Louis-era, this boiserie is more understated and the bas-relief crown moldings take center stage instead. Note how crown molding replaces the traditional function of window cornices by hiding the curtain hardware. It’s a surprisingly minimalistic touch for such a classically inspired interior. It makes the curtains look so neat and tidy!
Visualizer:Azer Dizayn
Louis XV would have approved of this design, without a doubt. It has an undeniable rococo vibe and embraces the strong scrollwork and ornamentation of the era. Madame Pompadour – Louis XV’s famous mistress – actually had shades of blue and pink named after her, so the soft palette used here is incredibly on-trend.
Not to be overshadowed by the intricate and artful ceiling, weighty furniture draws immediate attention. The chairs (bergère) and sofas (canapé) feature a camelback design that perfectly echoes the arched windows and gilded wall panels.
Visualizer:Archiviz
Absolutely gorgeous! This private room shares many similarities with the style found throughout the petit appartement du roi at Versailles, famous for demonstrating the clearest examples of Louis XV’s design influences. This visualization is just as opulent as the iconic Versailles rooms, yet displays its own unique character with the addition of a breathtaking inlaid floor.
Time for some chair terminology! The lovely seat featured here is a fauteuil, or an open-arm chair, in contrast to the fully enclosed bergère. The curved leg style is referred to as a cabriole or, outside of French design, as a Queen Anne leg. The good news is that knowing the language isn’t necessary to find what you’re looking for (especially since so many classic French designs are timeless and constantly reinvented) but it does help!
Dark isn’t the first theme that comes to mind when designing a kitchen. Stereotypical assumptions are of white and bright kitchens matched by light wood—something like the color of breakfast pancakes. Have you ever thought otherwise? Perhaps something like a modern dark kitchen?
We’ve got a collection of stunning spaces sure to switch up your vision. This black kitchen design inspiration is the sexiest interior design can muster. All divulging in shades of black, navy, or dark brown, they add what white kitchens cannot—a seductive allure that says sleekness and sophistication at the same time. Take a peek at some brilliant interiors on the darker side to see if a modern luxury black kitchen could be for you.
Modern Dark Kitchen Design Ideas to Inspire Your Next Renovation
1. Make it an All Black Kitchen
Visualizer:Design At Sketch
Almost completely covered in black, a few minor elements shine in chrome and wood in this kitchen interior. We love how the textures do the talking, especially through the matte table under black wood-panelled walls. But having an open approach like this means that every one of your accessories on display—including knives, wine glasses, mugs, cutting boards, teapots, cookie jars, etc.—need to be on point.
2. Add Wooden Elements
Visualizer:Bogdan Tovstyy
This black beauty edges towards wooden elements. We see a speckled floor, a white wall, and a central bench. Rounded black lamps hover over the island, providing functionality and style. If you’re wondering how visual intrigue is added to this modern black kitchen… a huge credit goes to the abstract art!
3. Complement the Black Kitchen with Orange
Source:Vancouver House
A bit of curve rounds out the hard edges—adding some much-needed warmth. This wave-design bench leads up to an orange-hued enclave in this black-and-silver interior. The burnt orange sure makes a design statement (apart from the unique central island).
4. Keep Your Dark Modern Kitchen Simple
Visualizer:Panda Fox Studios
A simplistic look makes this black kitchen a winner. We see the basics: a light floor, a black minimalist island, and sleek cabinetry. But the contrast between light and dark keeps the ambiance interesting, while the large window welcomes plenty of natural light.
5. Make it Dark… Or Not?
Visualizer:Who Cares Design
If you’re eyeing a dark kitchen aesthetic but are hesitant to make the change, this is it. Introducing more light, this black kitchen is hardly dark at all. Black benches, cabinetry, fixtures and stools are intersected by large-panel windows, a white shelving stand and light flooring.
6. Make Use of Asymmetry in the Black Modern Kitchen
Visualizer:Visual Method
This modern black kitchen takes another angle on this kaleidoscopic space, breaking all spatial boundaries. Black and glass alternate in this chic kitchen as the interesting ceiling design keeps the space unconventional. We’ve also got to appreciate the cherry blossoms, doubling as decor even within the interior.
7. Factor in Some Warmth
Source:Modulnova
This warmer-looking kitchen makes a move to brown. It strategically achieves the purpose with the use of wood. This not only introduces natural textures but also makes the ambiance inviting. Talk about a modern style that’s equal parts welcoming!
8. Place a White Island in a Black Modern Kitchen
Visualizer:Jean Regauer
An instant way to brighten up a dark kitchen (we mean, get the best of both worlds)? This kitchen space shows us how by using a white island on a black floor. The backsplash further enhances this dark-and-light effect, while the cowhide rug adds just the right amount of coziness.
9. Make Marble Your Best Friend
Architect:Chamberlain Javens Architects
If you’re looking to create a modern luxury black kitchen, you know what you’ve got to do: Go big on marble! This natural stone adds the luxe factor to any space, especially as a large, central island, as seen in the kitchen above. You can also add it through the backsplash.
10. Make it Mysterious
Visualizer:Tomek Michalski
You can double the visual intrigue in your all black kitchen by adding some mystery. In this kitchen, mood-lighting sets the scene in black and grey, while a marbled bench acts as the hero. The back inlet and flooring create contrast and depth. Taken together, these elements make the space an interesting one.
11. Layer Gray and Gold
Visualizer:Mitaka Dimov
Black kitchens are cool, but what if we layer in gray and add accents of gold? This stunning kitchen space uses gray flooring to add diversity to the otherwise black palette. The thick gold panel is one way that makes the space look incredibly high-end.
12. Add French Style to Black Kitchen Design
Visualizer:Aeroslon
Make your kitchen both modern and French with traditional black cabinetry. In this space, standing armoires act as sinks, and all other displayed items remain black. The stark white clock can surely act as the focal point of the space!
13. Consider Soft Elements
Visualizer:Julia Sultanova
Rough, light wood and low-hanging white lights set this kitchen interior a world apart. You can also notice a layer of light gray cabinetry, adding variation to the otherwise dark color palette. These elements factor in softness to the black kitchen design.
14. Let the Accessories Do the Talking
Photographer:Mikko Ryhänen
In this black-and-wood creation, the accessories take center stage in adorning the interior. We love the houseplant, but the crockery deserves a special mention for doubling as decor. The light oakwood backdrop further warms the space up.
15. Consider a Matte All Black Kitchen
Visualizer:HDR Designer
Neat square panels perfectly line up to emphasize the stark black minimalism that is at play here. We love how the cabinetry is matte black with no hardware, adding a sense of simplicity. The herb planters are a healthy green addition to bring the otherwise simple space.
16. Add Some Stencilling to Black Kitchens
Visualizer:Julia Sultanova
Fine lines and stencilling set this monochromatic space apart. Lined by black magnetic lights, black stencils and glossy white facades, it makes its mark on a light wooden floor.
17. Build a Shape Out of Black
Visualizer:Huso
18. Create a Modern Dark Kitchen with Gradients
Visualizer:Mario Nogueira
If you’re wondering how the intrigue in this space is working… It’s the gradients from black, to charcoal, to light grey. White surrounds in the walls and a monochromatic hanging light. This clever design technique makes sure the space is anything but boring, even if it’s using mere neutrals (minus the stunning orange dining chairs, of course).
19. Leverage Black Textures
Visualizer:Nefeli Kallianou
One instant way to add interest to a black kitchen is with textures, as seen in this metallic matte kitchen. This accounts for decorative presence in the light and bright space, providing character to an otherwise simple room.
20. Work on the Functionality of the Modern Dark Kitchen
Visualizer:İbrahim Ethem KISACIK
This dark modern kitchen makes sure it’s as functional as is stylish. The central island is paired with a black dining table, while all necessary appliances are fixed into the cabinetry. We also see pendant lights and lighting under the hood providing just the right illumination.
21. Create a Modern Classic All Black Kitchen
Visualizer:A&L Interior Design
Folks seeking an inviting all black kitchen can look towards this modern classic space. It merges contemporary elements (through sleek black cabinetry) with traditional ones (as seen in the wooden backsplash) to bring together the best of both worlds.
22. Put Essentials on Display in Your Modern Black Kitchen Interior
Visualizer:Polygon
Yet another kitchen that uses black and wooden elements to create a dark-themed interior. What sets this one apart is the hanging pans. They do offer easy access as the residents cook, but they also double as decor! (Note how the pans also use black and wooden elements to stay coherent with the theme).
23. Add the Industrial Style to the All Black Kitchen
Via:Emotion School
Industrial style lovers, rejoice! This is THE inspiration to set up your favorite interior design style, the dark way. This kitchen uses rustic wood and exposed elements for the ceiling to create an industrial black kitchen interior.
24. Make a Statement with Black Chunky Lamps
Via:HomePicture.in
All eyes on the two chunky lamps hanging in this monochromatic setting. They do add focus but also allow the contrasting white inset to shine. Not to forget the central island, providing plenty of storage space.
25. Make Room for Keepsakes
Visualizer:Maxim Goryachev
There’s nothing like personalizing your space to who YOU are. This kitchen serves the purpose by adding keepsakes and heirlooms. Also, black leaves room for details, so it’s one of the best colors to use if you’re hoping to display knick-knacks.
26. Use Black to Add Intimacy
Visualizer:Helen Bank
Who says dark colors make small spaces feel smaller? We only see black adding luxury to this compact space (with some credit to the white flooring adding brightness). This kitchen—with black marble backsplash—speaks opulence, and for all the right reasons!
27. Enhance Black Kitchen Design with Patterns
Visualizer:Ksenia Lenski
This black kitchen interior makes a design statement with the patterned marble island. Its sleek metallic legs lift it off the floor, creating an illusion of space. Simultaneously, the textured inset makes sure visual interest is added.
28. Don’t Forget a Black and White Rug
Visualizer:Nada Aboelrous
If you’re not in for a complete kitchen renovation, simply painting your cabinets black and adding a black-and-white patterned rug will achieve the purpose! We love how this kitchen keeps sets the base with white and tops it with black.
29. Let the Lighting Make a Statement in the All Black Kitchen
Architect:Artpartner Architects
When everything else is understated, letting the lighting create a statement is a good idea. This matte black kitchen interior uses rod lighting to do the talking. It sticks to the all black kitchen color scheme, though!
30. Tone it Down
Visualizer:Valeria Mosolova
This open floor plan uses dark gray throughout, showing us that black can work in more spaces than the kitchen 😉 It sure makes a design statement for those cooking and dining—or lounging!
31. Consider a Black and Wooden Bar
Visualizer:Amir Emami
This is the ultimate modern luxury black kitchen! After all, what’s better than displaying your favorite collection of beer right behind the black kitchen island? The low-hanging pendant lights also add to the black kitchen design.
32. Add the Gothic Vibe
Visualizer:Sebastian Lorio
This dark-gray kitchen is super simple with its sleek, hardware-less cabinetry. Well, except the far left end. Here, we see a statement piece of art and intriguing layered lighting created a focal point.
33. Stick to the Minimalist Style for Black Kitchens
Visualizer:Miguel A. Ramos
This compact kitchen space follows the simple rule: white walls paired with black cabinetry and an island. Even in this nook, the space is able to make a style statement while providing optimal functionality. The window here gives a contrasting element of light to the otherwise dark modern kitchen.
34. Layer Lighting in the All Black Kitchen
Visualizer:Tatiana Durnescu
We see shades of gray and black coming together to bring this modern dark kitchen to life. What we especially love is the multiple types of lighting, all layered together to bring visual interest to the space.
35. Set the Backdrop For Your Living Space
Visualizer:Sasha Zolotukhin
