White kitchens remain the number one choice for kitchen renovations and new homes. They are clean, crisp and striking in many decor.  They can be styled with interesting amenities to add color and show our various personalities. Traditional, transitional or modern in design they are selected many times because they are considered a “safe” choice. We’d prefer to say that a white kitchen is a great foundation for some very savvy design choices.   Let’s take a look at this kitchen.

White walls and same color wood moldings make this kitchen current yet timeless. The cabinets feature the hinges…on no, haven’t we been brainwashed that this is “bad”?  The movement in the white-gray veining of the stone for counters and full splash is striking. Larger size fixtures over the island give balance to the space. Choosing a warm, neutral flooring works nicely with the Scandinavian finishes of the furniture. Could also work with rich, darker traditional wood furnishing pieces.  Love the mix of modern art with the traditional  cabinetry which introduces a little edge!

Next lets look at a kitchen that has many of the same elements as the white kitchen but ventures out to use a dark finish with the cabinets.   Both designs use inset cabinet doors, a large vein counter stone and splash, and an island with large pendant lighting. Here are thoughts about this design.

This kitchen takes a few more, appreciated, chances with the rich pained cabinets. There are a number of color hues that could be used for this effect. When choosing cabinet colors complement the rest of the homes decor.  The contrast of the dark color on the window trim adds to the overall impact of this space.  Although the walls remain painted white with a similar color in the moldings, there is an immediate feeling of invitation in this space.  It does not “feel” dark.  And the lighting…oh my!  You see that we have a warm gold metal on the lighting and the cool metals of the stainless and faucets.  This is a perfect way to mix metal finishes.  The chef’s shelf in the same marble as the counter offers a large-scale blending of materials and usable interest. I want to cook in here!

The subtle point we’d like to make in this post is that nationally “safe” decor can be wonderful.   So can stretching outside the norm a bit.  Kitchen planning and cabinet companies can do a good job helping you select cabinets, counters, hardware and plumbing fixtures.  Using an independent designer can help you be confident making decisions that will take your project to the next level…simply perfect for you!

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