Warm White Kitchen with Wood Island

This warm white kitchen with wood island was designed with entertaining in mind! Open to the dining and living room, the beautiful dark wood island adds sophistication and counter space, while the cabinets designed in collaboration with Benchmark ATX maximize storage, function, and beauty.

I had the privilege of working with a family to design this beautiful new build recently, and I’m excited to share the finished project with you!

The open concept design…

of this home contributed significantly to the choices. The u-shaped kitchen extends from the open dining and living spaces, so easy traffic flow was a priority. For a family of 6, this kitchen layout needed to function smoothly.

We fit a couple of counter stools at the short end of the island closest to the dining table. And we left the sides of the island clear as walkways. The stove and cook space is oriented at the opposite end from the island seating, while the sides of the kitchen provide plenty of extra workspace for prep. We also used a simple, neutral color palette to align the three spaces.

The neutral color palette…

begins with a white color scheme with lots of textures. We used SW 7005 Pure White paint in a satin finish on the white cabinetry (to match the white walls in the rest of the house). We opted for white countertops and a white backsplash tile, as well.

The backsplash tile is a glazed white thin brick, almost like a white subway tile but with so much more interest and texture. We took all the way to the ceiling around the cabinets and range hood, which acts as a focal point.

We brought in wood accents, too, to add warmth. The warm wood floors are white oak, and the wood kitchen island is walnut wood tone with a beautiful, dark stain. We even used this gorgeous hemlock for the ceilings, which helps create a warm and cozy feeling in the space.

We finished the look with black and gold accents: gold lighting and hardware with black counter stools and faucet.

Cabinet Design…

A clean look inset cabinet design with cove moldings gave us a warm yet polished look. We used a simple shaker with a small bead on our doors and carried that style to the exposed sides of the white cabinets, as well. Crisp, subtle, transitional design. For a more modern look, we went with flat panel drawers for some.

The island got the same door styles and hardware.

The White Quartz Countertops…

We chose a quartz with subtle veining from Caesarstone called Calacatta Nuvo to complement the white kitchen cabinets in the space. Getting the look of a marble countertop without the maintenance was important to the client, and the white counters help lighten the space which doesn’t always have a ton of natural light.

Kitchen Appliances…

My client was Matt Risinger of The Build Show, so you know he knows his appliance options for modern kitchens. 😉 It was fun to work with top of the line products with beautiful, panel-ready options for the dishwasher and refrigerator. We chose stainless steel appliances for the ones that don’t come panel ready.

Kitchen Accessories

Brass Lighting…

is like the jewelry in this space. The light fixtures are all a hand-rubbed antique brass finish, lending an elegance and sophistication to the space. The pendants have a glass cone so as to keep the line of site into the dining and living open and light.

The Cabinet Hardware…

The client preferred something lower maintenance than unlacquered brass, so we chose a variety of knobs and pulls in a satin brass finish. Mixing hardware provides a collected, old-world feel. While the satin finish and globe knobs create a more contemporary effect.

Pretty + Functional Kitchen Accents

Although we designed a largely white space for a clean look, the client loves color. So we brought in a few little accents, like a painting above the stove and a hand-knotted rug, for a little extra charm.

More White and Wood Kitchen Ideas…

I love mixing white and wood in the kitchen like this! See this project for another white kitchen with a wood island, or this project for a kitchen that uses white uppers and wood lower cabinets. I particularly love the contrasting color of the dark walnut in this space, though.

It was such a joy, as always, to help a client achieve a beautiful and functional space.