the overlay would be the thing you would want to know. If you like him [why would that be] then acceptting framed would be in line w most local makers. Frameless is newer and actually not as straightforward for a local guy to achieve proficiency. Here is framed with FULL overlay . Easily a transitional look. Inquire about door styles and ? samples .....a good idea.

Design House 561449 Brookings 12"W x 34-1/2"H Base Cabinet - White · More Info

Would suggest you do not go with the very narrow style and rail modern Shaker style. This is one of the least appealing styles I've seen in a long time. They look quite cheap.

IKEA is a solid option. 25 tear warranty. Blum self-closing drawer hardware. Find a local installer. Vedhamn Link. Is European Oak. It may be modern enough. Or use slab doors from Cabinet Face. Link. Tying your projects to one non-conforming source with limited capabilities makes success more difficult than needed. Gagg hasn't been very progressive since they were bought out, imo. Miele is an alternative. Plenty of European Oak flooring sources like Monarch.

Thank you all for your comments.

My local guy has excellent reputation and can paint the cabinets any color I want, and will fix anything down the line (I will have multiple kitchens). That's something other vendors cannot offer me.

He can do the very tiny handles.

I already ordered the current line of Gagg. They are designed by B&O designers and are timeless.

But any other way to make the kitchen look contemporary with framed designs?

If I go with Ikea then the voxtorp line

I'm baffled why you are against IKEA. What is the local guy offering that outweighs IKEA being designed for what you want- Modern, Frameless, and avaible in quantities for multiple houses. Save the custom local guy for built in bookshelves, closets, special cabinets IKEA can't do. Odd he won't do frameless...

Lafayette · More Info

My kitchen, the white cabinets are a;; ikea, the walnut are local custom to match

Smith · More Info

My last house- white kitchen cabinets ikea, bookshelves and hidden bar behind leather chair local custom

posting the layout and any inspiration pictures you have by now will give instant feedback. contemporary means different things. New construction? so is there a model home you are working from? contemporary means smooth even surfaces/ efficient storage/ easy to use space/ flows into adjacent spaces / some use of "negative space" as well. If you have flooring/fixures/counters/ backsplash all yet to choose then a picture of a space as inspiration alongside what your options or choices are so far is a good start for Houzz eyes. Too many unknowns w no pictures or sketches given. Many times the builder sends you to the "design selection team" to make choices and possible upgrades. Is there something like that to happen yet?

IMO Ikea is a lot better than many I have been doing Ikea kitchens for 22+ yrs. I have had them in my own homes and in the one I am in now. I love frameless cabinets I have the whit high gloss in my home now and they are 15 + yrs old I run a catering bix from my home so often 6 people working not one ding and at the end of the day they wipe clean with a micro fiber cloth and hot water. I nall th time I have done Ikea I have had one warranty issue and i was solved in the store the same day. I would not do the matte finish if you want to go free of handles only because your hands are going to over time make greasy spots that will not clean up easily. This is my kitchen now the range wall is to the left . I do not find the handles take away from the contemporary look at all.

I really like this local cabinet guy but he only does framed kitchen cabinets. I do plan to give all the jobs to him but I just don't know how contemporary can you go with framed kitchen cabinets?

If he says, "This isn't what I do", believe him. I know you say you like him, but he isn't the only game in town -- don't be the job in which he learns something new.

I'm baffled why you are against IKEA.

I know people speak well of them, but I wouldn't choose them either. I'd rather have the local cabinet maker build exactly what I want. I've said this before on this board, but my mother had lovely maple cabinets built while I was expecting my now-28 year old daughter. They are still in like-new condition.

If you want a "Modern" kitchen that looks like Poggenpol, getting local made cabinets that are PAINTED is NOT the way to go. You need a mid grade frameless line like Shiloh's Eclipse...or something similar. If going modern, probably considering a slab doorstyle? That is not a good idea to paint slab doors. You need a laminate (TFL, HPL or acrylic)...those are in order from least $ to most $.

Click here to see: https://eclipsecabinetry.com/

the fact that your cabinetmaker will come service you over the years doesn't really mean anything. I've been in business for 40 years and most warranty things we see are broken hinges and lazy susan failure. That's it. And usually is over 25 years that that has happened! Almost entirely hardware issues. Faulty finishes are rare. I've seen two kitchens in 40 years that had an issue with bad primer or finish. It is very rare. You'll likely get better warranty coverage with a larger manufacturer than with a cabinetmaker. He could go out of business, retire, sell the business....lots of things. No guarantee he'll be around. Most big name manufacturers will be.

The design of a kitchen space - modern, traditional, french country, etc etc - cannot hang on the cabinets alone. It is a combination of things.

Just because you want a modern kitchen, that doesn't mean the cabinets can't be framed.

These 2 kitchens can be considered modern, contemporary, current or transitional depending on who you talk to. They both happen to be frramed cabinet lines

I would suggest considering tab pulls for the doors and drawers. I had a kitchen once with the finger pulls and over time they just get icky.

Good luck!