Kitchen Update: Ordering KraftMaid Cabinets

Considering a kitchen remodel? Learn about the process of designing kitchen cabinets and ordering KraftMaid cabinets for a rustic modern kitchen.

10 different cabinet finish samples ranging from medium wood to white

This post is sponsored by KraftMaid; all opinions are my own.

Remember when we bought a new little project house? And then I shared my big dreams for the kitchen/living/dining space? Well, fast forward a few months and we finally have permits and sledgehammers in hand 😉 (note: construction timelines never go according to plan, so we expected some delays… just not quite that many). Demo started a few weeks ago (you can see the progress in my Instagram stories if you’d like), and – even more exciting – I just ordered all my kitchen cabinets!

So today I want both to update you on the progress in the house and to tell you exactly why I’m so excited about our cabinet choices.

cabinet wood samples, oil rubbed bronze and brass hardware samples, and rustic wide planked oak wood flooring sample

KraftMaid cabinets

First, though, I’m thrilled to say that this current kitchen planning project is my second to tackle alongside KraftMaid. Our first experience with KraftMaid was just three years ago when we purchased a home that already had KraftMaid cabinets. The quality was amazing, but the style wasn’t really “us,” so we met with a local KraftMaid designer and were able to completely change the look of our kitchen for an incredibly reasonable price by simply ordering new doors to fit our cabinets. That project was not sponsored; we just loved the look, quality, and convenience of KraftMaid’s cabinetry. So you can imagine how thrilled I am to be partnering this time with KraftMaid directly to bring you another incredible space!

Here was my original design inspiration mock up:

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Design Ideas: Get 8 tips for a gorgeous modern farmhouse look. Plus see before pictures and plans for a rustic modern kitchen makeover. #modernfarmhouse #farmhousekitchen #kitchendesign #kitchen #modernfarmhousekitchen #rusticmodern

Design considerations for a rustic modern kitchen

We knew that we wanted a highly functional, modern kitchen with an open floorplan with the living and dining… but we wanted it to feel appropriately rustic and charming for our Texas hill country acreage (in case you missed it, this tiny house is also on the property!).

tiny black and white house in the country with a gorgeous sunrise overhead

Additionally, we knew that to achieve that, we needed to open up the space so that the rather small living room that was on one side of the kitchen and former bedroom on the other side became one large living/kitchen/dining space. With 8 foot ceilings and not a very large footprint, it was important to us that the full space feel like one giant room – a gathering point for family and friends.

And after lots of deliberation, we’ve finally landed on our choices.

medium wood cabinet samples, light wood cabinet samples, and white cabinet samples all laid out

Planning kitchen cabinet finishes

You know I love two-toned kitchens, and we decided to go that route again here. This time, though, the giant island will be our accent color (along with a little twist that you’ll see when the time comes… I’ve got to reserve some secrets! 😉 ). For the majority of the cabinetry, I’ve chosen a 3” shaker style door in Dove White (which is actually almost the same door I chose for my current kitchen, but it will have a chunkier edge). And for the island, I’ve chose a 3” shaker style door in a natural wood tone. The wood color was the hardest part! I compared lots of options (and psst… there’s a sneak peek of the floors we’ve chosen!)…

distressed maple praline cabinet door sample from KraftMaid, rustic alder ginger, rustic alder natural, and maple ginger laid side by side

But in the end, we wanted something on the lighter end with rustic wood grain, and I love all the variations that the natural rustic alder has and the way it contrasts with the white oak floors without darkening the space. So here are our final decisions: white dove on main cabinetry, natural rustic alder on the island.

white and rustic alder natural cabinet samples from KraftMaid

We’re still debating hardware (I’m open to your suggestions!!), but I think we really can’t go wrong. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together.

oil rubbed bronze and brass hardware samples laid out with rustic alder and white cabinet samples on wide plank oak flooring

Planning kitchen cabinet layout

Oddly enough, the floor plan design was the easy part. I spent time identifying a list of things I knew I wanted in the space (farm sink, dishwasher, trash pull out, spice holder, etc.) and we worked the puzzle to fit it all in. The KraftMaid designer was even able to put the exact plans into a software that gave me a full 3-D view of our choices! It makes big decisions like this much easier to swallow.

Given that two of the current three kitchen walls are being demolished, it was important that we maximize storage in the island and along other walls in the kitchen/dining space. So we added a serving bar at the end of the dining room and maximized our pantry with incredibly efficient storage.

Kitchen cabinet organization

Speaking of the pantry, I’m absolutely giddy (warning: serious nerd alert!) with the organization options that KraftMaid has: drawer dividers, pull outs, rolling shelves, auto-open drawers, and even partnerships with OXO and other container brands allowing for a perfectly organized fit. Seriously, I felt like a kid in a candy store while choosing the specific drawer inserts and cabinet types!

And now it’s more demo, new framing, floors, and so many other fun things at the property while the cabinets are made and shipped… I can’t wait until they arrive for installation!

Tell me, do you have any questions on our choices? The process? The options? I’d love to know! And I can’t wait to show you how it all comes together.

wood and white cabinet samples, black and brass hardware samples, rustic oak flooring sample, and overlay that reads "designing kitchen cabinets"

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31 Comments

  1. Ahhhh it’s going to be so dreamy! I love that you went in a different direction than in your primary home but still with your impeccable taste and amazing style! I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

    ~Abby =)

  2. Can’t wait to see the final product, Rachel! I love your choices so far. We have got to do some cabinet upgrades soon, so thanks so much for all the detailed info! And my hardware pick would be brass! 🙂 But you’re right, you can’t go wrong.

  3. Oooh, I love the direction you’re going with this, Rachel! I cannot wait to see the magic you create in this house.
    Hugs, Jamie

  4. This is going to be one amazing-looking kitchen! And YAAAASSSS to an organized pantry! Can’t wait to see all of this unfold!

  5. This is going to look gorgeous! I love the black hardware best but the magpie in me is also loving the brass! Bet you can’t wait – a new slate is always so exciting.☺

  6. It sounds like it’s going to be amazing! Can’t wait to see it. My vote is the black hardware because it’s timeless.

  7. Hi friend,
    Your plans looks great. I especially love your reflection in the gold knob..😜 So excited for y’all with this new venture.
    XOXO

  8. Love the direction you’re going and I’m leaning towards the dark hardware. I’d vote for drawers over the pull out trays. Sooo much easier to access everything!

  9. Rachel, this is going to be awesome! I can’t wait to see the final results! I love your original kitchen and pretty much everything you touch! This tiny house kitchen is no ex exception!

  10. Hey Rachel,
    can’t wait to see final result😊 In this moment I’m renovating my whole apartment-picking kitchen cabinets, tiles and floors. You’re posts are extremely helpful.
    Also, I was wondering is that a hardwood floor on which you took photos of all choices? I absolutely love the color, Can you tell me more about it?
    Thank you 😊

    1. Thank you so much! We are getting so excited. 🙂 The floors are actually the same as what we used in our current home but in a different color. The color is called Rivera, and it’s a 7.5″ engineered white oak (which means real wood over plywood) with a UV oil finish. I hope this helps!

  11. Hi Rachel, I was trying to look up your previous kitchen with the subway marble backsplash when I realized you moved and that now you have a beautiful new kitchen that you designed! Bravo! I just purchased a detached house with 8 foot ceilings but with a backyard and basement. A total upgrade and luxury for me since I was living in a townhouse before which had albeit 9 foot ceilings. But the benefits of the detached house definitely outweigh so much more the lost in ceiling height!! Thank you for showing that you can create a gorgeous home even with 8 foot ceilings! I am so looking forward to renovating mine.

    1. Actually, you might be seeing our Texas Hill Country home (the wood rustic kitchen). We also have a white marble gray kitchen.

  12. Hi Rachel, this was such a beautiful post! Could you share the other samples that you ordered but chose not to go with? Those wood tones all look so beautiful and I would love to know more 🙂

    1. Thank you so much! I’m afraid I don’t actually remember what the other ones were… 🙁 I pretty much looked at all the light-medium natural wood options they offered.

  13. Hi Rachel, did you do your white shaker cabinets in a paint grade wood or did you chose Kraftmaids Evercore for the painted cabinets? Whichever you chose, how are they holding up to weather changes?

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