Balaclava HouseContemporary Kitchen, Melbourne

10. Black cabinets + pops of color. Sometimes what you put on your counters and shelves is just as important as the material they are made of. Here, a handful of brightly hued accessories pops against jet-black counters and cabinets.Counters: essastone in blackTell us: Would you use black in your kitchen?More:8 Great Kitchen Cabinet Color Palettes11 Reasons to Paint Your Interior Doors Black

Bill and Christine designed many elements in the kitchen with recessed woodwork for items in constant use. The black Caesarstone island top, for example, has a recessed heavy-duty wood chopping board.Stools: Last Minute, Hub Furniture

2. Airy (and user-friendly), open shelving. “We are seeing a trend toward using open shelving as a practical solution for the kitchen space, rather than simply for display,” says Sydney kitchen designer Kesha Pillay of Art of Kitchens. “Open shelving personalizes the space, making it feel lived in and warm, while keeping the kitchen functional and easy to use.”She adds, “Of course, there are always some things that you don’t want displayed, and combining open shelf cabinets and cabinets allows you to still hide things if necessary.”See ways to style open shelves

Uplighting with small gap on top

Header over breakfast bar extra storage

open shelves, black warmed up with wood

floors-island bench-cupboards up top-size of island bench

Color is probably too dark, but love the layout