I Want A White Kitchen
A white kitchen is a timeless aesthetic but doesn’t come without challenges. It can be sterile and uninviting if you do not take a curated approach to the design selections. Warmth can be challenging, and one can fall victim to a lack of character in a white kitchen. Wow, I opened that up as if I did not have my love for a white kitchen. Well, let me clarify- I loooove a white kitchen. My personal kitchen is all-white but with intentional elements to keep it interesting, warm, and layered. You can see a little more about my kitchen here: https://honeycombdesigncollective.com/oh-hey-new-range-hood/. However, the longer I have been blessed growing in my design business, the more I crave slightly unexpected and out of the ordinary. I also am always committing myself to following what is next in design trends and what will make it to the timeless design category.
When she did the initial consultation at this client’s home, she said, “I want to paint these cabinets white.” From experience, repainting cabinetry can be unpredictable. I have seen perfectly executed paint jobs and jobs so bad that homeowner considers replacing their cabinets entirely because of the number of runs or chips (defeating the whole reason you painted your cabinets to begin with). It is challenging for me to recommend painting nearly new cabinetry, such as what was in this client’s home.
If you love a white kitchen, I can see why this kitchen design would be nearly impossible to love in your home. If we dissect this design a bit to further understand what makes this design, then you can further appreciate the potential here. This design comes with a basic quartz selection that has fine veining and an overall neutral presence. There are stainless appliances with brushed nickel hardware. Not pictured are rustic leaning lantern-style pendants with chicken wire. My immediate attention went to the heaviness of this tile. Please let me specify this is not a bad design or kitchen. These are just the design elements that give its overall character and stylistic lean. And when your client loves a white kitchen, these are places where we can tailor the design to suit the client better. My first recommendation was- “please read this article” and consider this beautiful mushroom cabinetry that is being overshadowed by this dark tile. In recent years, I have grown such a fondness for a mushroom cabinet. https://plankandpillow.com/best-mushroom-paint-colors-for-cabinets/. I find mushroom cabinetry to have such warmth and elegance about it. Next, I encouraged the client to consider new hardware in a brass finish a lighter tile option. I began sourcing light fixtures that would less commit the kitchen to a single style like the farmhouse character of the existing fixtures.
Above, you can see how favorable the existing quartz countertop is. Some new “jewelry,” as I like to call it- meaning the plumbing fixtures and hardware warm the overall palate of the new design. Instead of white cabinetry, we used an artisan-style subway tile to brighten the entire space. The transformation of this less involved “restyle” is one of my favorites! It is less involved, meaning it is not a complete renovation. We spared the countertops and kitchen cabinetry.
As always my hope for you having stopped by is that you are inspired by this post. Please message me if you have an questions about the details of this project!