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Minimalist kitchen ideas
Minimalism in the kitchen means planning around what is hidden. Full-height handleless units run floor to ceiling, appliances sit behind matching doors, and the worktop is one continuous slab with a flush hob and an undermount sink. Colour stays within white, pale stone and a touch of light oak. The aim is not emptiness for its own sake but a room that takes seconds to wipe down and gives the eye a rest, which matters in an open-plan space where the kitchen is always on view.
Try Minimalist on a photo of your kitchen
Palette
- Pure white (#f4f3f0)
- Pale stone (#d2cec6)
- Light oak (#bba78c)
- Concrete grey (#a8a59f)
Key pieces
- Full-height handleless flat-front units
- Integrated fridge, dishwasher and extractor
- Thin continuous worktop with matching upstand
- Undermount sink and one slim mixer tap
- Recessed downlights and concealed LED strips
- One pale oak bench or two plain stools
Materials and finishes
- Super-matt white lacquer or laminate
- Pale quartz, sintered stone or microcement
- Light oak veneer in small doses
- Brushed stainless steel
- Large-format pale porcelain floor tiles
Tips
- Count your kitchen kit before ordering units and plan a drawer or cupboard for every item, including the kettle, toaster and bin. Anything without a home ends up on the worktop.
- Anti-fingerprint super-matt fronts cost more than standard lacquer but save daily wiping on handleless doors, which get opened by their edges and faces.
- Take the worktop material up the wall as an upstand or full-height splashback instead of tiling, so there are no grout lines to scrub.
What to avoid
- Items left out on the worktop
- Contrasting accent colours
- Patterned or mosaic tiles
Questions
Is a minimalist kitchen practical for a family that cooks every day?
It can be, if storage is generous and close to where things are used. Put deep pan drawers under the hob, a tall larder by the fridge and a recycling pull-out next to the sink. A hard-wearing quartz or sintered stone top copes with daily use better than real microcement, which needs resealing and shows stains.
Can a small or galley kitchen be minimalist?
Small kitchens often suit it best. Use one colour for walls, doors and worktop so edges disappear, take wall units to the ceiling so there is no dusty gap on top, and choose a slimline integrated dishwasher. In a galley, keep one side free of wall units so the corridor does not feel boxed in.
More kitchen styles
- Scandinavian kitchen ideas
- Japandi kitchen ideas
- Mid-Century Modern kitchen ideas
- Industrial kitchen ideas
- Boho kitchen ideas
- Modern Farmhouse kitchen ideas
- Coastal kitchen ideas
Minimalist in other rooms
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