The combination of wood and white brings beautiful contrast to a kitchen. The natural look and feel of wood cabinets adds warmth, and mixing in bright shades of white creates a fresh, balanced look. Check out these before-and-after photos to see how pros designed three luminous kitchens with wood and white leading the way. Then let us know in the Comments which one you think had the biggest transformation.
1. Wood and White in the Light
Before: An active family of five in New Jersey had been making good use of their existing kitchen, but it had issues. The homeowners desperately needed to replace a bare plywood panel on the dishwasher that was being used as a temporary fix. Upper cabinets were crowding the window above the sink, contributing to a lack of adequate lighting. There was insufficient counter space due to the layout. A small granite-topped island with seating for three didn’t function well for the family, and the uneven heights of the upper cabinets didn’t look good.
The couple hired interior designer Ioana Curovic to remodel their kitchen. After browsing photos on Houzz for inspiration, they decided they wanted a bright room with wood and white surfaces, clear lines and better flow.
After: Curovic pushed the kitchen 5 feet into the backyard to create an additional 80 square feet. This let her bring in a more robust island with seating for four and incorporate a large three-pane window to flood the room with natural light. The new sink wall has a more open feel with no overhead cabinets, matte paint (Winter White by Benjamin Moore) and a hidden wood-paneled dishwasher.
Shaker-style white oak cabinets painted white and a modern white tile backsplash with bright white grout focus the eye on the oak-lined vent hood and custom gas cooktop wrapped in the same white quartz as the countertops. “A lot of the inspiration photos from the client included white with wood accents, which bring some nice warmth to the space,” Curovic says.
Stained red oak flooring throughout the kitchen and backless oak wood stools with iron bases help give the room new character. The upper cabinets and modern kitchen accessories add to the wood-and-white motif without adding clutter.
2. Wood, White and Blue
Before: Having lived in their Colonial-style Massachusetts home since 2000, these homeowners felt it was time to give their kitchen a new look. The couple hired designer Amanda Ortendahl and Maynard Construction to complete their kitchen remodel, including dealing with the overwhelming amount of wood cabinets and wasted floor space.
A ceiling soffit was causing the upper cabinets to sit low, leaving less space for the tile backsplash and food prep. Dark granite countertops that nearly circled the kitchen gave the room a heaviness. A peninsula with overhead glass-front cabinets separated the kitchen and formal dining area.
“I definitely think the layout before was functional for [the female homeowner], but they wanted to enlarge the kitchen, update the style and gain the functionality of all the accessory options you can get in cabinetry today,” Ortendahl says.
After: The design team started by stripping the kitchen down to its bare bones and removing the ceiling soffit. Ortendahl pushed the kitchen wall out 2 feet into the backyard and axed the peninsula and overhead cabinets. The additional 200 square feet allowed for a fluid U-shaped layout with an 11-foot walnut island topped with white quartz. Creamy white cabinets and a contoured walnut range hood set the tone for this wood-and-white kitchen.
Navy stools with gold legs as well as blue knobs on the stainless steel range add splashes of elegant color to the white countertops and rich walnut surfaces. The wood floors were refinished in a lighter color to add to the kitchen’s new look and feel.
“She wanted the opposite of the wood cabinets she had before — to keep things light but bring in the wood tones of the hood, island and floor for some warmth,” Ortendahl says.
3. White with Rustic Wood Touches
Before: Seventeen years ago, when Todd and Tina Gifford were ready to transform their muddy brown kitchen, life and young children got in the way. Once the kids were grown up and out of the house, the couple hired designer Gina Loewer to give the space a new wood-and-white look.
Honey-brown floors that nearly matched the oak cabinets, along with laminate countertops and an aging cooktop on a narrow island, defined the old kitchen. A large desk area and a protruding fridge that hindered kitchen traffic became daily sources of inconvenience. “The kitchen just felt drab,” Loewer says. “It was enclosed, compartmentalized, and the aisleways were tight.”
After: Loewer started by opening up the back wall to expose a hidden dining room, adding 24 square feet and more natural light to the kitchen. Greige walls and maple cabinets, ceiling and trim in various shades of white brighten the space. A larger island with a hickory base, white quartz top and wood stools adds rustic charm.
The old honey-hued floors were refinished to complement the new island and decorative hickory beam. A stainless steel hood, range, soda fridge and double ovens provide a nice contrast to the neutral colors of the kitchen. A covered fridge that moved to a new wall maintains the design’s crisp white surfaces and black hardware.
This article was originally
published at houzz.com
I love the idea of using an open bookcase to separate areas because it serves double duty: division and storage. Be cautious how you dress the shelves, though. I highly recommend that you do not stuff your bookcase to the gills. Leave some open space to allow brightness to filter through and highlight the objects.
Also, choose a high-quality, sturdy unit. This is not a piece to skimp on because you do not want this unit to tip over. You should always anchor and secure a freestanding unit that you’re using between spaces. Or, as in the example shown here, the bookcase unit is attached to the ceiling above and a pony wall below, ensuring it stays in place.
You could also consider a solid bookcase, which will create a more definitive separation. In that option, you could place two bookcases back to back, so you have storage on both sides or hang art on the back of one bookcase.