Exquisite porcelain-front cabinetry with brass and steel strapping elevate the kitchen in this glamourous Naples, Florida retreat. Architect Bobby McAlpine repeated fluted detailing throughout the cook space to connect it to the rest of the home.

For this quaint cottage in Napa Valley, designer Dan Fink created custom furnishings that emphasize modern comfort. He paired the kitchen’s cerused-oak cabinetry with slate-hued soapstone countertops and a backsplash of earthy brown tiles for a modern, masculine look.

The modern kitchen of this Philadelphia apartment designed by Young Huh feels warm and inviting thanks to gorgeous cabinetry by Poggenpohl. The countertop and backsplash are Cambria. Stools, Design Within Reach.

In this Charlotte, North Carolina, mid-century modern kitchen restored by architect Ken Pursley, a thin, plated-steel prep counter extends off the sink to face the den. Behind the doors to the left is a butler’s pantry that serves as a second, hideaway kitchen to keep prep and cleanup largely out of site.

In this Dallas, Texas, kitchen designed by Gil Melott of Studio 6F, a Turkish runner lends warmth and color to the modern open and airy space. The kitchen appliances are from Signature Kitchen Suite. The counters are Cambria.

In this New York City kitchen designed by Robert Passal, sculptural metal counter stools are finished in antique brass and upholstered in pistachio leather (Jerry Pair).

In the kitchen of this Dallas home designed by Meredith McBrearty, blown-glass pendants by MoMA alum Alison Berger turn kitchen island lighting into modern art. A parade of interesting textures warms the kitchen: quilted leather stools (Studio Piet Boon), glazed Moroccan tilework (Clé tile), and leathered quartzite counters. Range, Wolf.

Modern doesn’t have to mean color or austere, as proven by this Lake Toxaway, NC, kitchen, designed by Platt Architecture and designer Cliff Fong. Although its lines are more streamlined in style, the cookspace evokes a warm and inviting vibe thanks to a rustic-inspired palette that reflects the mountain lake landscape, with a custom-green center island fitted with Juno limestone counters, which also form the backsplash, and natural wood-hued cabinetry.

The focal point of this Dallas kitchen designed by Chad Dorsey is a cased opening with a Cambria stone inset and a chinoiserie-painted antique mirror by artist James Mobley on industry glass. The countertops, trim, and shelving by Cambria and rustic Cantera floor from Materials Marketing all reflect Dorsey’s “European elegance meets industrial edge” aesthetic for this ultra-chic cookspace.

For his own kitchen, Birmingham, AL–based architect Jeffrey Dungan fashioned a waterfall countertop edge on the island where the counters make a ninety-degree angle and continue to the floor instead of simply ending with a finished edge. The streamlined design stands in provocative contrast to the graceful kitchen alcove arch.

Designer James Michael Howard anchored this modern, all-white kitchen in Westchester, New York, by extending the Breccia Imperiale marble countertop and backsplash up to the ceiling on the wall behind the range. The stone’s organic pattern provides a focal point within the open-plan space. The refrigerator is Sub-Zero, the range is Wolf, the globe pendants are The Urban Electric Co., and the barstools are Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair.

In this Washington, DC, home, designer Thomas Pheasant grounded the lofty modern, white kitchen with rich tones in the base cabinetry, stone flooring, and the island’s waterfall countertop (by Waterworks). The range is by Wolf, the wall ovens are Miele, the pendant lights are from Holly Hunt, and the stools are from Design Within Reach.

At Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s Paradise Valley, AZ, home, streamlined design and top-notch functionality combine in the ultimate modern kitchen. Luxury home builder Regal American Homes worked with interior designer Lindsay Kadlick to create a cookspace that connects seamlessly to the rest of the home and Kingsbury’s amazing backyard. Here, the Bulthaup kitchen features Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances along with a teppanyaki grill and a built-in coffee maker.

Not every statement comes in the form of a shout. In this Alys Beach, Florida, kitchen designed by local architects Khoury & Vogt and Atlanta-based designer Shirlene Brooks, a sculptural chandelier made of black electrical cable from Vibia graces the white oak and marble island with more like a whisper. A custom concrete dining table is paired with chairs from R Hughes.

In her Connecticut kitchen, Waterworks cofounder Barbara Sallick clad every wall surface with 4-by-8-inch (rather than the more typical 3-by-6-inch) subway tiles, creating a “tile envelope” for the space. “I love the grid they create, I love the materials, and I love the scale of the larger tile,” says Sallick.