A two-toned palette sounds limited? These four kitchens beg to differ. With the wide range of wood tones, stains and grain styles on offer, as well as all the shades of white and various products and materials available in both colors, the possibilities really are limitless. The designers here went with farmhouse, traditional and midcentury styles, but any style is a good candidate for this classic palette. See for yourself below, then show us your own white-and-wood kitchen in the Comments.
“After” photos by Valerie Wilcox
1. Bright Farmhouse
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Midhurst, Ontario
Size: 252 square feet (23 square meters); 21 by 12 feet
Designer: Aniko Nicholson Design
Before: These Canadian homeowners loved wood finishes, but too much of one type of it — an orange-red cherry on the cabinets and flooring — made their kitchen feel busy and hemmed in despite the open-plan concept. They brought on interior designer Aniko Nicholson to approach the wood and the layout more strategically, and to create a better lighting plan and a focal point.
After: The charming new farmhouse-inspired design balances soft medium-tone white oak (including on the island base and paneled fridge), reclaimed barn beams (including over the range) and warm white finishes (including a shiplap-clad ceiling as well as cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee). Bright copper pendant lights enliven the look.
Nicholson also reconfigured the layout and some core elements. A floor-to-ceiling cabinet has taken the place of a jutting-out pantry, allowing for better flow and a longer island. Hefty bulkheads by the window are gone. And a wider opening on one side means the kitchen now has lovely views through the living room window, and the living room has better light.
Nicholson centered the range alcove on the new island and created this focal point backsplash. It and the island top are composed of a richly textured sintered stone surface called Dekton Arga XGloss.
“After” photos by Spacecrafting
2. New Take on Traditional
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Bill and Mary Maney and their Labrador retriever
Location: Maple Grove, Minnesota
Size: 275 square feet (26 square meters)
Designer: Mary Maney of Crystal Kitchen + Bath
Before: An abundance of honey-toned cabinets and a similar flooring gave this suburban Minnesota kitchen a bland look. It also had a crowded feel, due to low-hanging cabinets, cluttered countertops, a flow-impeding fridge and a plethora of items atop the upper cabinets. Homeowner Mary Maney, who happens to be an interior designer, got to work transforming the kitchen into a bright and inviting gathering place with a traditional feel.
After: Knocking the kitchen back to the studs allowed Maney to bring in new everything, including windows, and to switch up the layout a bit for better circulation. The fridge, now paneled, is now on the oven wall, and a cooktop on the back wall has replaced an electric cooktop in the island.
A walnut vent hood over the cooktop makes a statement, set off by generous amounts of white and beige. The cabinets now reach the ceiling for a more streamlined look, while wide-plank engineered white oak flooring grounds the room. A glass-front storage tower with interior lighting and walnut paneling turns dishware into decor.
Wall paint: Accessible Beige, Sherwin-Williams; trim paint: Super White, Benjamin Moore
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
Here’s a closer look at the walnut statement hood, which matches the island base, and at the eye-catching backsplash, which is composed of mosaic Calacatta marble tiles with brass, surrounded by 3-by-12-inch honed marble tiles.
“After” photos by Provoke Studios
3. Tidy Galley
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their four kids, two dogs and cat
Location: West Vancouver, British Columbia
Size: 117 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Lori Steeves of Simply Home Decorating
Before: At the back of a compact home in the Canadian province of British Columbia, this galley kitchen didn’t serve the homeowners and their four children well. With only 117 square feet to work with, designer Lori Steeves came on board to improve the storage, flow and look while keeping to the home’s midcentury design.
After: Steeves nixed the island, which housed the sink and an air vent, in favor of a peninsula with seating. She moved the sink under a newly placed window and scooched the fridge and range to the right to make room for a pantry cabinet. The clean lines and two-toned palette — white oak-look cabinetry and bright white — streamline the look.
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
Moving the window allowed the designer to extend the upper cabinets, and she also used pullouts, deep drawers and a lazy Susan to make the most of the storage space. Two other space-maximizing tricks: grooves instead of hardware on some of the cabinets, and LED lights on the bottom of the upper cabinets instead of ceiling fixtures.
4. Making Connections
Kitchen of the Week
Who lives here: A couple with two kids in middle school
Location: Melrose, Massachusetts
Size: 365 square feet (34 square meters)
Design team: Amy Tangorra (lead designer), Alex Scovell (space planning) and Paige Lewin (finish selections) of Our House Design+Build
Before: Disconnected from the breakfast bar and not in keeping with the homeowners’ love of nature and midcentury style, this New England kitchen was ready for a makeover — one that would include a bigger island to accommodate all four family members. The homeowners tapped a team with Amy Tangorra as the lead designer for the makeover.
After: Removing the wall opened up the kitchen to the breakfast area and made room for a bigger island. Note how the same white oak flooring spans the two spaces for a cohesive look, yet each area feels distinct.
Cotton-white walls, off-white backsplash tiles and white quartz countertops create a fresh counterpoint for custom-stained red birch cabinetry and a matching vent hood. Low-back wood stools fit the palette and midcentury vibe beautifully. The interior side of the island houses a microwave drawer and more storage, and open wood shelves to the left of the window (not seen) hold display items and everyday dishware.
Wall and trim paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore; backsplash tile: Halite, Fireclay; counters: Delgatie, Cambria; vent hood: Stanisci Design & Manufacturing
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