New This Week: 3 Handsome Wood-and-White Kitchens
Wood brings warmth to kitchens in colder regions, while white walls and countertops keep things bright
Reluctance to embrace a kitchen with white walls and cabinets is commonly due to the fear that the space will feel too cold. That wouldn’t be much of a problem in a place like, say, Miami. But in areas like Washington and Canada, cold is the last thing you want more of. Introducing wood cabinets and floors while keeping the work surfaces and walls bright white is a great way to bring warmth and create balance. Here are three recently uploaded kitchens that show how it’s done.
Designer secret: “Simple touches like a waterfall edge, hidden outlet strips and hierarchy in materials helped this project to come together,” Dirkse says. “Homeowners should work to create a cohesive story and not simply pick materials that look pretty. Pretty isn’t enough. The materials need to work well together, which means that some materials take center stage while others recede into the background.”
Also on the team: Hubert Ellwein (contractor); United Wholesale (cabinetmaker); Alex Hayden Photography
Flooring: existing oak, restained in Jacobean color in satin finish, Duraseal; cabinets: Solara slab in American walnut, United Wholesale; tile: First Snow in honed finish, 3 by 6 inches, Daltile; grout: Bright White, Custom Building Products; countertop: Caesarstone in Pure White with eased edge; wall paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams; sink: undermount stainless steel, Frigidaire; faucet: Culina semipro in chrome, Blanco; soap dispenser: Alta in chrome, Blanco; polished chrome pulls: Hefele; 5-inch downlight shallow baffle-trim recessed lights in white: Juno; Globe pendants in clear: West Elm; Angle power strips in white: TR series, Task Lighting; 30-inch professional five-burner gas range in brushed stainless steel: DCS; Elite 30-by-18-inch range hood in stainless steel: Broan; Hudson stools: Philippe Starck for Emeco, Design Within Reach
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Also on the team: Hubert Ellwein (contractor); United Wholesale (cabinetmaker); Alex Hayden Photography
Flooring: existing oak, restained in Jacobean color in satin finish, Duraseal; cabinets: Solara slab in American walnut, United Wholesale; tile: First Snow in honed finish, 3 by 6 inches, Daltile; grout: Bright White, Custom Building Products; countertop: Caesarstone in Pure White with eased edge; wall paint: Extra White, Sherwin-Williams; sink: undermount stainless steel, Frigidaire; faucet: Culina semipro in chrome, Blanco; soap dispenser: Alta in chrome, Blanco; polished chrome pulls: Hefele; 5-inch downlight shallow baffle-trim recessed lights in white: Juno; Globe pendants in clear: West Elm; Angle power strips in white: TR series, Task Lighting; 30-inch professional five-burner gas range in brushed stainless steel: DCS; Elite 30-by-18-inch range hood in stainless steel: Broan; Hudson stools: Philippe Starck for Emeco, Design Within Reach
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2. Midcentury Modern
Designer and builder: Jacob Wight of Syltebo Wight Homes
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Size: 300 square feet (27.8 square meters); 15 by 20 feet (4.5 by 6 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Restore a midcentury gem while removing walls to open up the layout, including in the previously cut-off kitchen. One of the homeowners is a former caterer and wanted a commercial-inspired kitchen in which she could manage the kids and the cooking from the range. The range was chosen first, and the kitchen was designed around it.
Wood and white: Rift-cut white oak cabinets and floors. Cedar valances and shiplap walls stained to match the cabinetry. “I love playing with different species of woods and how they accept stain,” designer and builder Jacob Wight says. “It’s never gets old to me.”
Other special features: Black concrete tile backsplash. Twelve-foot island with sink and open shelves. Picture window that frames views of the surrounding trees.
Designer and builder: Jacob Wight of Syltebo Wight Homes
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Size: 300 square feet (27.8 square meters); 15 by 20 feet (4.5 by 6 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Restore a midcentury gem while removing walls to open up the layout, including in the previously cut-off kitchen. One of the homeowners is a former caterer and wanted a commercial-inspired kitchen in which she could manage the kids and the cooking from the range. The range was chosen first, and the kitchen was designed around it.
Wood and white: Rift-cut white oak cabinets and floors. Cedar valances and shiplap walls stained to match the cabinetry. “I love playing with different species of woods and how they accept stain,” designer and builder Jacob Wight says. “It’s never gets old to me.”
Other special features: Black concrete tile backsplash. Twelve-foot island with sink and open shelves. Picture window that frames views of the surrounding trees.
“Uh-oh” moment: “I’ll never forget a conversation I had with [homeowners] Katy and Zach about a month in,” Wight says. “To the jobsite they brought us sandwiches. I could see it in their eyes that they knew they were in too deep. They could see blue skies through their living room ceiling, and did not believe I could put their house back together. I could see they hadn’t slept in what looked like a very long time. They had lost the vision, and I was losing them. All they saw was ripped-up walls, ceilings and no floors.
“‘I think we should quit while we’re ahead,’ Katy said. ‘I think we should just put it back together and rethink the design, maybe keeping a few walls,’ she continued. I could see Zach felt the same way. ‘Let’s get these beams in, the temporary walls back down and everything covered back with drywall. I promise you’ll feel better if you don’t come back here for a few days,’ I assured them. Months later, when the job was done, Katy, whom I’ve maintained a great friendship with, told me, ‘I think Zach was going to fire you that day. We just didn’t see it anymore. But I’m glad we trusted you, because look what we have now.’”
Also on the team: Fergusson Plumbing (appliances and fixtures installation); VBI Enterprises (cabinetmaker); Andrew Webb of Clarity NorthWest Photography
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“‘I think we should quit while we’re ahead,’ Katy said. ‘I think we should just put it back together and rethink the design, maybe keeping a few walls,’ she continued. I could see Zach felt the same way. ‘Let’s get these beams in, the temporary walls back down and everything covered back with drywall. I promise you’ll feel better if you don’t come back here for a few days,’ I assured them. Months later, when the job was done, Katy, whom I’ve maintained a great friendship with, told me, ‘I think Zach was going to fire you that day. We just didn’t see it anymore. But I’m glad we trusted you, because look what we have now.’”
Also on the team: Fergusson Plumbing (appliances and fixtures installation); VBI Enterprises (cabinetmaker); Andrew Webb of Clarity NorthWest Photography
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3. Contemporary
Designer: Francesco Di Sarra of FrankFranco Architects
Location: Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Size: 260 square feet (24.1 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: Update interiors to better suit a modern family lifestyle, with a custom kitchen that leans toward contemporary design.
Wood and white: Rich walnut cabinets. White quartz countertops. White lacquer lower cabinets. White back-painted glass backsplash. “Taking influences from midcentury modern and Scandinavian design, warmth is achieved in the clean, simple space through the utilization of wood as the primary material,” architect Francesco Di Sarra says. “The extensive use of wood on the interiors ties the house back to nature, as views of the ravine in the backyard can be enjoyed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows along the kitchen and whole rear wall of the home.”
Find a local architect for your remodel
Designer: Francesco Di Sarra of FrankFranco Architects
Location: Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Size: 260 square feet (24.1 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: Update interiors to better suit a modern family lifestyle, with a custom kitchen that leans toward contemporary design.
Wood and white: Rich walnut cabinets. White quartz countertops. White lacquer lower cabinets. White back-painted glass backsplash. “Taking influences from midcentury modern and Scandinavian design, warmth is achieved in the clean, simple space through the utilization of wood as the primary material,” architect Francesco Di Sarra says. “The extensive use of wood on the interiors ties the house back to nature, as views of the ravine in the backyard can be enjoyed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows along the kitchen and whole rear wall of the home.”
Find a local architect for your remodel
Other special features: Stainless steel backsplash above range. No upper cabinets. Lower cabinetry has only deep drawers.
Also on the team: FrankFranco Architects (architect, designer, construction); Pico Engineering (structural engineer); Capoferro Millwork & Fine Cabinetry (cabinetmaker); Anthony Manieri (photographer)
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Also on the team: FrankFranco Architects (architect, designer, construction); Pico Engineering (structural engineer); Capoferro Millwork & Fine Cabinetry (cabinetmaker); Anthony Manieri (photographer)
See more of this home
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12 Great Kitchen Styles — Which One’s for You?
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Designer: Michelle Dirkse
Location: Seattle
Size: 148 square feet (13.7 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: A clean, modern kitchen with an improved layout for cooking and entertaining. Incorporating a porch helped add 34 extra square feet to increase storage and layout space.
Wood and white: Natural American walnut flat-panel cabinetry. Oak floors in Jacobean stain. White quartz countertops. White walls. Carrara marble subway tile backsplash with white grout. “I love the contrast of the crisp white with the warm wood tones,” designer Michelle Dirkse says.
Other special features: Angled outlets under upper cabinets for an unbroken backsplash. “When clients invest in a new tile backsplash, the last thing I want to see is outlet upon outlet breaking up the pattern,” Dirkse says.