I would consider using iron and glass or stained glass designs. not sure how "modern" that would be considered though.

I don't know in which color you will paint your cabinets but I think that you could use frosted glass in your upper cabinets. It will conceal if you have a mess inside and at the same time will give more light to your cabinets (not so much wood) and a modern touch.

White kitchen, navy island

There are a LOT more problems with this showroom kitchen looking ''modern'' than open or closed cabinets at the top. Starting with the soffit, and the much too traditional nature of the design, and cabinetry. This is one of those ''you can't get there from here'' dilemmas. Plus, since this isn't an actual home, what do you hope to accomplish with the pseudo homeowner approach?

* more transitional not more modern

It's a fail as transitional as well. It is much too much. As a traditional, it sorta works, although it's still too large and poorly laid out.

Paint the cabinets neutral grey or white then paint the inside back of the top cabinets a cool modern color like a fifties blue or bright orange. Put lights in the top cabinets. Also you could sample different types of glass available like chicken wire glass or waves glass or reed glass.

That would make it more modern. You could use different design cues for different sections to show versatility and how traditional can also be transitional or modern.

You definitely want to think timeless for the reason, this is a big kitchen don't want to be changing things in 5 years..timeless is forever! make a statement
iron - always looks great if ya like rustic
Glass - not frosted, more elegant but traditional
depending on fixture finish you may add the modern twist and do the same type of faux metal paneling
or raised panel opposite of your cabinet doors

Sophie's points are valid. This kitchen is traditional and not layed out very well. If you are doing other displays have a very experienced designer go over the plans before executing them. Displays need to be designed by even more experienced designers because not only do they need to obey all the regular design rules but your showroom needs to be thought out in it's entirety: What you show where and how much of it, how traffic will flow around the showroom, where are customers greeted, where do designers sit with customers and where are the selection centers. This display is gigantic and is showing too much of one cabinet style and at most two countertops. You could be using your showroom space to greater effect.

Just to clarify - i am a homeowner and this is a photo of my soon to be installed kitchen. Any and all suggestions welcome at this point!!

Kitchen is going into this space

Not modern in any sense of the word

Not sure I understand what I'm looking at. The cabinets are installed but not painted yet? The ceiling will be unfinished? and Loft like? Lot of questions beyond glass doors on top. You say this is your soon to be installed kitchen. Is it already assembled in the photo at another location?

Yes exactly. Assembled in the kitchen shop.... Soon will be painted and installed into my space in the picture i posted

That is so bass ackwards that I am virtually speechless. Where did you find this ''contractor'', and who did this ''design''? Is there any way to get your money back and go with someone who has a clue?

OK, assuming the process and design did make sense and accomplished what the OP wanted (which I get the feeling it does neither) - how the heck does this fit into the space pictured above? Which end is on the window wall?

Clear glass if you are centering one decorative object per cabinet. Reeded or frosted glass if you will be using them for general storage.

"more modern" are cleaner lines, and that would mean closed at top. If you don't absolutely love these, and are buying them because they are cheap, you will regret the purchase.

Placeholder to stay in loop....

Many of the kitchens in your idea book have the glass cabinets on top. I would go for it and put lighting in them, as was already suggested. I think many of the commenters are assuming you meant "modern" design, but judging from your idea book, which contains many kitchens similar to the one you've selected, perhaps you meant "current style." Also, custom cabinets are often made "in the shop" and then brought to the site. Maybe that is what the first picture is..."the shop" with the full order assembled. Looks like a long layout similar to the site pic you posted.

Cabinets made in a shop are not assembled as if they are in a home. Nor do they have crown molding cut and placed on top. All before finishing. They are created as individual boxes, that are then finished, and joined together on site, then crown is added. This looks like some former cabinet maker's display that wasn't finished that someone is trying to kludge a poor fit with a repurpose. It does absolutely nothing for the space its intended to go in. And that has zero relationship at all to the type of modern design that would fit well in a modern glass and concrete loft.

This is truly a bizarre kitchen ''design'' and contractor.

Very unusual to assemble the cabinetry in the shop and unfinished to boot.

Never heard of this before.

@d0cmartIns: what country or rough geographic/city area are you in?

It seems that you like this style. I don't understand why you care if people call it modern or transitional or rustic.

Brooklyn ny

I second Main's last comment.

To answer the question, make the top cabinet doors solid. View into the cabinets will be poor and you probably won't want to see what you store in them anyway.

I have heard of log homes made in this manner.

docmart1ns - I do not like the look of the cabinets from the short side of the L - in the picture when you are looking straight at the cabinets. This seems like it will block your view.

For an updated look I would not use glass inserts, unless you have lights already planned, then use frosted if your cabinets will be painted white.

Actually, this is a very high end method of building cabinetry and millwork. I've only ever seen it used by cabinet makers who strive for perfection (my cabinet maker builds cabinets this way). It may be backwards to some, but IMHO, you've got yourself a master cabinet maker there Doc!

As far as glass on top, it's a little high for display items behind clear glass, so frosted with lighting in side may be nice, If you use frosted, you should see the samples of the glass first as the glass is often not a pure white color. For what it's worth, I would just have it done solid. One could say that more monochromatic is modern.

Good Luck!

@Dunavon,

That's silly. What's the point of assembling a kitchen in a different location with floors and walls off level in different amounts and with moldings cut to the wrong lengths because they aren't in their final locations. And then I guess you take it all apart to paint or stain. Just because you like your cabinet maker and he does it this way doesn't mean that is what other competent professionals do.

Even if it is high i suggest to put glass; to display pottery or anything you have, and LED lighting.

It's a great idea. This way the home owner can bring in all their pots, pans, spices, silverware, baking goods, cleaning supplies, and everything else they want to store in the kitchen and make sure it fits. The home owner can even place their art pottery and knickknacks in the top cabinets and see if they are visible.

Just because some upper end perfectionist character does the build in the shop display somewhere doesn't make this ridiculous situation upper end. It only means that he has no experience installing cabinetry in the real world of a non level and plumb home.

Also, To ignore the single most attractive architectural feature of the home, and to actually design something that blocks the view of that feature is extremely poor design. Not to mention the poor layout and disproportionate size of the kitchen itself. And the fact that it does not fulfill the modern design style that the homeowner has expressed wanting.

This is some jackleg, with no design background. Probably somewhere in Texas, where they do all kinds of weird faux custom stuff.

I'd get the glass -- it's a great place to display art glass, etc and it lightens the space.