Kitchen
Light, Bright and Dressed Up This kitchen in New Braunfels, Texas, by MSA Architecture + Interiors has had a lot of people dreaming — and saving — this year. It’s the most popular kitchen photo uploaded to Houzz in 2019. It’s also the most popular photo overall uploaded to the site this year. Ceiling-height white Shaker-style cabinets (painted in Pure White by Sherwin-Williams) and black granite perimeter cabinets offer a clean backdrop to the dark island (Gravel Gray by Benjamin Moore) and dramatic Florida quartzite island countertop. Gold-tone hardware, glass globe pendants and a glossy herringbone tile backsplash dress up the space, while engineered wire-brushed European oak flooring anchors it. This is the personal home of Keith Wing, owner of Keith Wing Custom Builders in New Braunfels, Texas. For a time Wing had his office in this home, so clients visiting him often remarked on certain design features and requested those from Wing in their own homes. “From the kitchen to the gym, it’s replicated a lot,” Wing says. Personally, Wing’s favorite part of this kitchen is the 60-inch Thermador range with a griddle.
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Soft palette. White cabinets (Cool December by Dunn-Edwards Paints). Island base in a custom stain to match the light engineered wood flooring. Honed Carrara marble backsplash tile. Quartz island top that mimics Calacatta marble, with ribbons of warm gray and gold tones. Polished-brass plumbing fixtures and shelving.
This classic setup with the dishwasher on one side of the sink and a pullout trash and recycling cabinet on the other side makes kitchen cleanup easier. I always try to create this layout for clients. It does require a pretty long bank of cabinets to make it fit, as you need 24 inches for a standard-size dishwasher, and at least 12 inches for the trash pullout. It’s also nice to have a buffer cabinet on the outside edges of the dishwasher and trash cabinet, so the doors can open without running into a perpendicular cabinet or wall.
Homeowners’ request. For this spec home, designer Shelby Fautt wasn’t sure who would be the buyer and needed to appeal to a large number of potential homeowners. “We wanted to stay conservative in some areas but add some wow elements as well,” she says. White-and-wood combo. Slate-gray stained beechwood island. Perimeter cabinets painted in Super White by Benjamin Moore. “I am a fan of white cabinets, as they stand the test of time,” Fautt says. “Then I chose a stain instead of a painted island because I wanted to have a gray tone but without being a solid finish, and still have hints of warm tones.” Other special features. Marble subway tile backsplash. Bronze vent hood. Ceiling beams stained to match the island. Designer tip. “Bronze looks amazing in lights, hardware and plumbing fixtures but can be trendy,” Fautt says. “We selected bronze in the lighting because when you get tired of it, you can just replace the lights and try the next latest trend. This can add a lot of pop to the room with little commitment.” “Uh-oh” moment. The first design “was lacking something,” Fautt says. “We changed the windows from white to black before we ordered them, and they really frame the ...
4. Clear Alder for a Kitchen Island and Open Shelves Though clear alder is the same wood species as knotty alder, it’s quite different in appearance and much less rustic. It’s ideal for light or natural finishes because it has minimal color variation. Its grain patterns are subtle and straighter than other hardwoods, such as oak. This wood is a great choice if you want to accent a transitional kitchen with an aged or distressed look.
After: Linda loves to cook and now has a 48-inch dual-fuel range with a custom stainless hood. “I definitely wanted a lot of counter space on each side,” she says. “I also love that my range has a smaller oven for day-to-day use since it’s just the two of us. It takes up less energy, and we actually use it more than the large oven.” Linda wanted something a bit different from subway tile for the backsplash, so she decided on a white gloss ceramic tile with an elongated hexagon shape that Ford suggested running horizontally. “Most of the time, I run things vertically because it gives the illusion of height, but in this case, they didn’t need it,” Ford says. “This just made a better statement.” Backsplash: Cocoon Mosaic ceramic tile, 6th Avenue collection, Walker Zanger; range: 48-inch dual-fuel range, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove; custom hood: FourSeasons Metalworks
The wet bar addition includes upper glass cabinets for displaying finer glassware, a bar sink, a wine refrigerator, a paneled undercounter beverage refrigerator and a paneled ice maker. “We live on a lake and entertain quite a bit,” Linda says. “My husband was in the food business for 37 years, so we knew extra refrigeration was a must.”
Martha O’Hara’s interiors—check put
A custom stainless steel range hood hangs over a pro-style four-burner gas range with griddle. “It’s my favorite piece in the whole room,” says April of the hood. “It makes the kitchen look so glamorous.” A paneled refrigerator-freezer is to the right of the range; a food pantry cabinet with spice racks and drawers is to the left. The backsplash includes ceramic subway tiles and a niche with mosaic herringbone marble for keeping salt and pepper handy. A pair of four-light square lantern pendants above the island join recessed lights in the raised ceiling to sufficiently light the room. “All those lights in the kitchen are on dimmers, and that’s huge,” April says. “I’m really happy we did that.”
This view shows the expansive double-insulated windows that wrap half of the kitchen. The working side of the island includes three drawers, a double waste bin pullout, the main farmhouse-style sink, a paneled dishwasher and a speed oven with a storage drawer below. The countertops are honed quartzite.
14. Maximize prep space on an island. I love symmetry, and for years, I would center the sink in the island. But unless the island was 9 feet long, the prep area on both sides of the sink was limited. These days, I hold the sink to one side of the island to allow for maximum prep space.
One of the most common mistakes in kitchen lighting is to add overhead lights over floors rather than above workspaces like countertops, sinks and ranges. Recessed downlights, the workhorse of most kitchens, are too often placed in front of or behind countertops. This can create harsh shadows right where you might be working with sharp knives. Instead, consider locating recessed downlights directly above the center of countertops, as CTA Design Builders did over the perimeter countertops in this kitchen. Don’t worry about lighting up those floors; enough light still will be present to see those spills.
8. Make Chopping a Breeze Those who are new to cooking with lots of produce may not have a great chopping setup. Keep your cutting board and good knives handy, and find a spot where you can create a convenient chopping station — where you can swipe the seeds and stems right into the compost bin, sink or trash.
And if you love to keep track of new recipes on the internet, make an electronic tablet station a part of your kitchen. Place it near a plug where it can be charged and the cord will be out of harm’s way.
Open shelving above cupbaord
Bistro Seats + Lanterns Bistro-style chairs are a fun, fresh choice in the kitchen. Paired with navy lanterns and a navy-and-white island in this Cape Cod summer home designed by Violandi + Warner Interiors, the effect is equal parts casual and chic.
Like glass front windows around sink and everything else closed shelving
X Marks the Spot This large Los Angeles kitchen features a bevy of stylish details, including shiplap walls, brass swing-arm wall sconces, a striking custom metal range hood and an X detail on the end of the island. The glass-front cabinets also feature X details that add character to the kitchen.
Windows again go to countertop, like a lot.
Colors, table and chairs, lights
Note windows
Square Footage Inc. Email Save Other nods to the Victorian era are the white apron-front sink and the traditional bridge faucet. The walnut casement window over the faucet is one of the most significant original architectural details of the kitchen. The new walnut flooring fits in with the wood doors and trim, while its 4¾-inch-wide planks update the look. The counters are a more modern material, Eternal Statuario engineered quartz by Silestone. Castro extended the new backsplash all the way to the ceiling. “Covering the entire wall unified everything on it and put the focus on the beautiful window,” she says. “A traditional backsplash that ended at the bottom of the cabinets would have created a distracting line.”
Quartz Countertops This engineered product is one tough cookie. It isn’t foolproof, but it’s about as resistant to scratches and stains as countertops get. You only need a soft cloth and warm water for post-meal cleanup. If you have dried-on stains, quartz will hold up well to common cleaning products like Windex, Clorox and Lysol. The things to avoid? Corrosive chemicals and setting hot pans directly on its surface.
Here’s another dark green island, this one in a handsome rustic farmhouse-style kitchen by Field Day Studio. The generous use of dark and earthy colors provides the perfect contrast to the white wall tile.
I would argue that this color can be used as a neutral, in that you can pair it with almost any other color. Benjamin Moore’s Levingston Green is a comparable choice that’s a nice alternative to white or off-white in a space. Tip: If you live in a cold climate, think about bringing in visual warmth through color. Warm wood tones, such as used in this example, go a long way toward cozying up a kitchen. This green, being of the warmer variety, adds to the soothing vibe.
Pro tip: Ross says that compatibility with a designer’s personality and working style is a better way to choose a pro than simply picking one based on his or her portfolio. “My projects are all over the board style-wise because I’m working with clients with very different tastes,” she says. And because her job is discerning what the clients want and then creating it, the clients might get exactly what they want even if some of the designer’s portfolio examples are not the clients’ style.
Location of breakfast room
Note bar
Ceiling
13. Soft Side Quarter-sawn white oak cabinets, stained in a finish with a bit of gray in it, soften the light pouring into one end of this Chicago kitchen designed by Filip Malyszko of steve + filip design. Warm white shiplap walls and ceiling also mute the light, creating a soothing atmosphere that never gets chilly.
Ceiling
Cabinet doors
Types of glass
2020 The new Joleena Semi-Pro faucet by Hansgrohe was one of many professional-style kitchen faucets on display at Design & Construction Week. Photo from Hansgrohe 5. Professional-Style Tools for the Home Kitchen There was a big focus on a professional look in the kitchen. Just about every brand had a pull-down faucet with a visible spring for that industrial look. This photo shows the new Joleena Semi-Pro faucet with a pull-down nozzle.
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