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Open concept kitchens have become increasingly popular among HDB (Housing and Development Board) resale and HDB BTO (Build-To-Order) flat homeowners in Singapore for several reasons - maximising available floor space, better light and ventilation, promotes family interaction, and the illusion of a larger living space.
17 Open shelves kitchen with no upper cabinets
Breaking away from traditional enclosed cabinetry, these kitchen cabinet design ideas offer a unique and refreshing approach that blends openness with functionality:
Instead of installing upper cabinets, the lower kitchen cabinets are complemented with fluted panels on the wall and an easy-to-access shelf.
1. Kitchen Cabinet Design by Home Philosophy
Do you really need extra storage space above your head in the kitchen? Think about it, because overhead storage is seldom accessed and things you put there are barely used.
When planning a kitchen, sometimes less is more when it comes to usable storage compartments.
Matte black cabinets with white marble-veined porcelain stone countertops now fill the kitchen.
Having bulky storage cabinets overhead your sink area blocks out the light and makes your counter look darker. Instead, consider transforming the space into a simple display space for enhancing the ambiance of a room.
The farmhouse sink and plain mouldings along the cabinetry bring the look of the kitchen together.
2. Farmhouse Kitchen Design by Monocot Studio
Instead of creating a long stretch of cabinets along the counter, the team from Monocot Studio created a hanging shelf and ledge in this kitchen, allowing the other design elements to stand out. You can do the same if you are planning for a standout backsplash design.
Fashion designer Alexis Mabille's home. Photo Francis Amiand
3. Parisian Kitchen Cabinet Design
The kitchen sink area is finished in book matched Calacatta marble. Elsewhere, the curated decor is a mix of the classical and contemporary. The kitchen table doubles as the homeowner’s workshop table.
The kitchen was given more of a living room feel as it doubles as the main workspace and is where the homeowner lays out his sketches, making the space functional and chic at the same time.
When you have a strong colour theme in the home, it is important to ensure that there is ample depth of feel in order to make the space feel cosy and full of character.
In this white-themed kitchen, the space interjected with spots of blue and architectural lines so it doesn’t feel plain or one-dimensional.
4. New laminates for kitchen cabinets
Interior design by Adrien Kent creative studio
Not sure if you want to do a complete overhaul of the kitchen? You can still give it a totally new look with some simple touches. By removing the doors of the top cabinets and refreshing the bottom ones with new laminates, the couple were able to save cost by reusing the previous owner’s cabinetry.
Herringbone-patterned marble tiles replace the old backsplash, complementing the pastel pink and green fittings and details in the space. If you are on a budget, you can also attempt to give your cabinets a new coat of paint to give it a refreshing new look.
Repaint the grout in a new colour to give it additional detail, and pick out some statement pieces from your serving ware so you have a story to tell when guests step into this otherwise functional zone.
5. Simple kitchen cabinet design
“The kitchen is my favourite space. I am very much taken by the Italian porcelain tiles with an organic finish,” says homeowner Christian Lam, “They were very reasonably-priced because most home owners prefer a whiter and cleaner finish, which is a shame because the off-white colour and irregular surface is what makes it special and natural.
Each tile gives the impression that it is hand finished. Together with the black grout, it creates a gridded space where everything is framed and flows together in a very organic fashion. It turned out surprisingly better than what I had imagined.
One of the most shocking things to most of my visitors is that the kitchen has no built-in cabinetry, just a standalone La Germania cooker as the centrepiece.
This is consistent with my approach that all furniture pieces should be able to fit into any space rather than be custom-made for it. It is not easy keeping the kitchen clutter-free without any built-in cabinets, but it works for me.”
As he does not cook often, Chin Nian only has an induction stove. “I don’t have a storeroom so every item, from appliances to kitchen hooks, must look good enough to be displayed.”
6. Kitchen without stove ideas
Those who seldom cook or have few kitchen appliances can take a leaf out of homeowner Choo Chin Nian’s book. The modern homeowner keeps his kitchen counters and walls clean, without any cabinets or shelves.
The hooks and ledges he installs show off is key appliances, giving the kitchen a streamlined but nonetheless homely feel. With less storage, Chin Nian also won’t have to worry about hoarding in the long run.
7. Brutalist kitchen design
By relocating the dining area to the former balcony, this kitchen, designed by Three-D Conceptwerke, is no longer hemmed in and does not feel cut off from the rest of the home.
House Tour: $180,000 brutalist renovation for this walk-up apartment along Salam Walk
The addition of a peninsula island gives the kitchen a more open feel that allows it to connect better with the other spaces. Apart from serving as a food preparation area, the island is also perfect meals.
8. Industrial kitchen design
Interior design by Er Studio
Yearning for something bold, daring and almost offensive to the wrong (or right) crowd? Take the Industrial look to the extreme by building you counters out of bricks and leaving the walls unfinished.
We’re not sure how your relatives or family members might feel but this look is not just edgy on its style, it is just as easy to maintain and grows even more breathtaking with age.
Of course, there is a way to go about achieving a stylish industrial look, and that’s by pairing it with sleek stainless steel accompaniments. The contrasting smooth and rough textures is sure to create a look that’s unforgettable and absolutely head-turningly beautiful.
9. Classical kitchen design
Interior design by Humbert & Poyet
Give an open kitchen a classical look with materials that hark back to more formal times. By incorporating thicker marble slabs, and fixtures in matte metallic finish, you can achieve a stately look without worrying about the lack of space.
This method benefits from the availability of natural light, so make sure your home gets plenty of sunny daylight to give your classic kitchen look a refreshing twist.
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