My FAVORITE kitchen look right now is a two-toned kitchen using a combination of wood base cabinets & painted wall cabinets. When you’re exploring this design strategy in a new kitchen design, you should consider a few things.
Wood cabinet, where?
Consider if you want just a wood island or wood island AND wood base cabinets (like the picture above)? Wood base cabinets have quickly become a homeowner favorite because of the wood can hide dirt, grease and food without effort while white base cabinets tend to show our mess very easily! Wood also has a better perceived value than painted cabinets.
Cabinet Paint Color
Think about what painted color you’d like to use for your wall cabinets. White or black is most commonly used as the secondary cabinet color on the wall cabinets. Also think about if you have enough natural light to accommodate the dark color or if you’re seeking to keep this space bright. Black cabinets are a MOOD and more tips on designing a black kitchen can be found here- What Happens After White? Moody. Lastly, consider what color you’d like to paint the walls because if you’re plan is for white walls and white uppers, make them match! There’s nothing worse in kitchen aesthetics than mismatched whites at eye level.
The Hood in a two-tone kitchen
Let’s talk about your hood situation- its important to consider the hood when trying to achieve a two- tone kitchen. Not all kitchens have a “decorative” hood vent and some will just have a microwave hood or and undercabinet hood vent. But if you have the opportunity for a decorative hood, ask yourself- Are you using a wood hood to tie everything together or do you prefer to keep all the uppers white? One of the latest trends in kitchen world is the plaster hood. A hood blower insert is wrapped in 2x4s and drywall, finished with a plaster technique and classic white paint. I do not recommend a stainless hood in this scenario only because it feels cold & random.
Floating Shelves
I love seeing wooden floating shelves mixed in with all the white uppers, it helps to make the two-tone combination feel intentional instead of as if you ran out of materials. It’s that subtle reminder that this space was carefully curated with intention.
The Perfect Wood Cabinet
The most common look I’ve been seeing for wood bases is a light, natural wood in either quartersawn natural white oak or more budget friendly, maple. White oak in general is a more expensive option and moreover the technique of “quartersawn” white oak is even more of an upgrade. Quartersawn is a cutting technique that exposes a different perspective of the grains than a traditionally cut piece of oak. If quartersawn white oak is not in the budget, you can achieve the same “overall” look by getting a maple cabinet with a light stain.
The Perfect Wood Floors
The type of wood you use for the cabinets will also depend on the floor color you use if you plan to have hardwood floors. If your hardwood floors expand a massive area in your home, pick this color first!! Then pick out your cabinets to have some contrast- you don’t want them to match. The ideal scenario is a medium shade of brown hardwood floors with highlights of grain that match your base cabinets.
Statement Cabinet Hardware
One more suggestion! Black hardware on wood looks MUCH better than brushed nickel or polished nickel so if you’re not a fan of black hardware, consider using white cabinets all around. The contrast of the black on the wood is so sharp and a real designer’s touch. This collection from Hardware Resources is my personal favorite Boswell Collection in Matte Black
This concludes all my tips on designing a two-toned kitchen successfully! If you’re still shopping for the perfect white quartz countertop to compliment your cabinets, read my blog about here.
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