White and Wood Kitchen Reveal: Part 1, Cabinets

Looking for white and wood kitchen inspiration? Tour my parents’ new, beautiful, rustic-transitional kitchen with two toned kitchen cabinets!

white and wood kitchen with black and gold lanterns over kitchen island

This post is sponsored by KraftMaid.

It never gets old: the feeling of excitement when I get to reveal a new room to you all. Even better, I get to reveal my parents’ brand new rustic-meets-transitional kitchen. Complete with beautiful two-toned kitchen cabinets, quartzite countertops, marble backsplash, and all the details needed for a functional and beautiful space.

natural wood kitchen cabinets with open shelves coffee bar

If you want to watch the full transformation, you can catch the story from the beginning here. The short version is this, though: my parents were looking to retire in the Texas hill country (see here for the story all about why this place is so special to our family). And, providentially, the property two doors down from our little ranch went up for sale.

But it needed a lot of work. The kitchen, in particular, was pretty rough.

80s kitchen "before" - find out how to update!

In fact, my mom was skeptical that we could do anything with this house, but I kept telling her it would be amazing… Fortunately, my parents were willing to trust me. 😉

woman arranging flowers on kitchen island

Kitchen Design

Thoughtful kitchen design is SO important, especially when the homeowner uses her kitchen as much as my mom will. She’s the type to home cook every meal, snack, and dessert. And nothing makes her happier than gathering her grandkids in the kitchen to help. It was such a joy to partner with KraftMaid again to make this dream come true for my parents.

You can read more about the process of working with a KraftMaid designer to create this space here. Since we opened the wall that used to house the fridge, it took some rearranging to fit all we wanted… but I simply love how it came together.

light wood lower cabinets with white upper cabinets

Kitchen Cabinet Layout

The location of the windows in this kitchen created an asymmetrical space from the beginning, and the removal of the wall between the kitchen and dining room further complicated things.

To create a focal point, we centered the range and hood on the island. And to create a sense of symmetry, we used matching cabinets on either side and dramatic pendant lights to draw the eye. The far left white cabinet will hold the microwave, but until it arrives (shipping delays are just part of remodeling right now), I couldn’t resist displaying some of my parents’ beautiful pottery.

white and wood kitchen cabinets with quartzite counters

To keep costs down, we left the sink by the windows and used a panel-front dishwasher to continue the beautiful cabinetry.

large farm corner sink with modern pendant light

And since an efficient kitchen layout is super important to my mom, we moved the fridge to the wall beside the windows to complete the kitchen triangle.

kitchen with island and white and wood cabinets

We made the most of the spaces beside the windows by using open shelving. It’s pretty, functional, and allows more light into the room than full, closed cabinets would.

modern pendant above farm sink in white and wood kitchen

To balance out the tall fridge cabinet, we put in a floor-to-ceiling decorative cabinet with beveled glass. I’m especially excited about this cabinet.

floor to ceiling decorative cabinet in kitchen

Since that end of the kitchen now leads into the dining room, this 24″ deep cabinet can hold much of my mother’s beautiful serving dishes.

And the side door access makes reaching everything in this deep cabinet easy.

side access to deep decorative cabinet in kitchen - brilliant storage solution!

The other side of the kitchen (which used to have a closet-style pantry that was half filled by a hot water heater) got a full wall of cabinetry as well as a little coffee bar.

rustic natural wood cabinets in modern kitchen with quartzite countertops

The coffee bar and open shelving might just be my favorite spot. The breakfast table will be on this side of the kitchen, under the long black iron lantern, so the coffee bar’s location is just perfect. And I love the look of these floating shelves.

coffee bar with open shelves and marble backsplash

Kitchen Cabinet Finishes

Two tone cabinets are one of the kitchen design trends of the last few years that I hope stays around for a long time. I love how it allows you to get the best of both worlds: white and wood kitchen cabinets are a beautiful combination.

I took a risk in this space, though, by mixing up the white and wood kitchen cabinets. Instead of upper cabinets vs lower cabinets like I did here, or even island vs perimeter like we did at our ranch house, we simply used Dove White cabinets for the fridge and uppers above the range.

white and wood kitchen cabinets with large island

KraftMaid’s Dove White is such a lovely white: not too warm and not too cool. It pairs well with Carrara marble (both here and in our kitchen) and with warmer stone (at our ranch house). Since the ceilings (which are 8′) are lower than my parents’ previous kitchen, I wanted to make sure that the space didn’t feel too heavy. The white kitchen cabinets help to brighten and lighten up the space.

white cabinets and vent hood above range

The natural wood kitchen cabinets are my favorite, though. We chose a rustic maple cabinet with a Husk stain. Maple is naturally a very light-colored wood, so the Husk stain gives it a subtle light brown color that blends beautifully with their white oak flooring.

floor to ceiling glass front kitchen cabinet

Natural wood kitchens have a rustic leaning that is perfect for the Texas hill country… But by including some crisp white cabinets and marble, I feel we achieved a beautiful transitional effect.

black kitchen pendant lights over white quartzite island

Kitchen Cabinet Organization

This tour of the kitchen wouldn’t be complete without pointing out the incredible storage options we have. First of all, my family of six could definitely use a pantry like this. 😉

floor to ceiling wood pantry cabinets

Especially since these floor-to-ceiling natural wood cabinets have some incredibly efficient storage solutions, like a multi-storage pantry section and large pull outs.

pantry organization tools: multi storage pantry section
pull out pantry organizer: tall pull out with shelves

I also love the hidden counter for appliances you might want to tuck away. There are also shelves to go above (we are just waiting until my parents move in to decide the spacing).

hidden appliance cabinet in floor to ceiling pantry cabinets

The spice pull outs in the kitchen island are so convenient. And we can’t forget about the toe kick drawers.

spice pull out in kitchen island
hidden toe kick drawers under kitchen cabinets

I can’t imagine needing anything more!

Kitchen Remodeling Sources

I will share the rest of the sources for the kitchen soon, but for now…
See here for more about the design process and working with KraftMaid.

White cabinets:
Wood Species: Maple | Paint Colors: Dove White
Finish: Suede (which is KraftMaid’s most matte finish) | Door Style: Raised Panel

Wood cabinets:
Wood Species: Rustic Maple | Stain Color: Husk | Finish: Suede
Door Style: Raised Panel

Brainstorming these kitchen ideas with my parents and then seeing them actually come to life with KraftMaid has been so very rewarding.

natural wood cabinets with marble backsplash

I cannot wait for them to get to fully enjoy this beautiful space (and for me to fully enjoy the free babysitting 😉)! If you have any more questions, please comment below so I can answer them in part 2.

white and wood kitchen reveal

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101 Comments

  1. Wow, spectacular. You really have a talent for design. It is laid out beautifully and color choices are so nice. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Can you tell me what kind of floor that is (hardwood, engineered hardwood, luxury vinyl)? Who is the manufacturer and what is the color? The whole kitchen is beautiful!

  2. WOW!! This kitchen is stunning! I too love the combination of white, wood and marble. Your parents must be very proud of the work you did and the final result. And of course to keep them close buy is a bonus. Oh, and I’m loving the white stove also.

    1. You are so sweet, Linda. Thank you! We are loving all the combinations, as well, and are so excited to have them close by!

    2. I was hoping you could tell me the brand of that beautiful stove. I’m looking for a white one like this. Thank you so much!

    3. This is absolutely stunning! Can you tell me what the brand name is for the stain? My mother wants to do basically everything you just did! Beautiful job!

      1. Hi Heather! The cabinets we chose are from Kraftmaid, and they are the rustic maple cabinets with a Husk stain.
        Hope that helps!

  3. Every single detail is stunning! You did an excellent job combining the wood and white. Where did you get the cabinet handles from? So pretty!!!

  4. Rachel, I love the kitchen. Great job! I love the light fixtures over the island. Where did you find them?

  5. Rachel, I must echo what the two ladies above said…what a beautiful kitchen! I applaud all your choices. Love the cabinets and floors…and countertops and backsplash…and, and, and! What fun it is going to be to work and cook and bake in that kitchen.

  6. I want to pin this post but can’t find the link to do that. This kitchen is gorgeous! Beautiful design – you are very talented.

    1. Thank you, Patty! If you hover over any of the images, you should see a little red Pin button in the top left corner to be able to pin that image. I hope this helps!

      1. I tried this several times before posting a comment and again just now but Pin never appeared. But…thank you for responding.

        1. I’m so sorry it’s not working, Patty! Technology just doesn’t cooperate sometimes, does it? Here are two pin links if you’d like to pin directly: option 1 and option 2. I hope this helps!

  7. I love the wood cabinets the color looks so neutral. The floors blend nicely. Tell us all about the color etc. You did a beautiful job.

  8. This is such a beautiful transformation! The details are stunning – and it’s nice you have your parents so close too! Can you please share the link to the bar stools – I’m in love with them! Thanks much.

  9. Just stunning! Those cabinets truly are as functional as BEAUTIFUL! Love the light fixtures too- great job!!

  10. Rachel, you are so talented at kitchen design that I can see you doing consulting work! We are hoping to remodel our little kitchen in a few months and I got so many good ideas from your post today. For example, I was troubled by the limited amount of space that I would have beside my windows, but I love how you utilized that space with the open shelving. Love seeing how the two toned cabinetry works together. And I didn’t even know that Hunter fan had such beautiful lighting options!

    1. Jane, you are too kind! I’m so glad you like the space, and I wish you the best on your remodel!!

  11. Wow! What a kitchen this is! All your selections are spot on. I have existing wood cabinetry and I was toying with the idea of mixing a painted pantry on one wall. This seals the deal for me. I love this mixture of painted cabinets and wood! You did an excellent job and I am certain your mother is in love with it!

    1. You are so kind, Paula! I’m so glad you like how it turned out, and yes, my mom is so excited about it!!

  12. Beautiful! You are one of my favorite bloggers! Just one question? In one place you call counters quartzite and in another you call it marble? Which is it. I’m looking at counters for my new kitchen remodel now and really like these. Please share what they are😊

    1. You are so kind, Gayle. Thank you! The countertops are polished Statuario Quartzite, but the backsplash is honed Carrara marble. Sorry for the confusion!

      1. Rachel.. All you have chosen is stunning! Can you tell me which cabinet hardware you actually used, I think the same choice could be great in my kitchen!❤️

  13. This is gorgeous! Who wouldn’t love working in this space? I love how easy everything is to access and the colours work beautifully together – that marble worktop is to die for!

    1. This kitchen is gorgeous! I am using this design with the two toned cabinets in my kitchen. I am working with Lowes using Kraft maid cabinets and the rep couldn’t order the open shelving to match the cabinets. Can you tell me where you got your shelves to match?

      1. Sorry for the slow reply. At the time we ordered, KraftMaid didn’t have open shelves in rustic maple, so we just did open shelves in Maple with a Husk stain. I hope this helps!

  14. Outstanding! I adore every inch of my kitchen, but this just makes me want to rip it out and add wood, so gorgeous. You have a true talent for design…lucky parents! 😉

  15. Thank you very much for sharing interesting posts. The tips you have shared are
    very useful for designing our Kitchen

  16. I LOVE your parent’s kitchen.
    I went to Kraftmaid’s website.
    Rustic Maple and Husk stain seem to be an unavailable combination.
    Are more options available at the store versus their website?

    1. Thank you, Kathi! Rustic Maple is actually only available in two door styles: a simple shaker and the raised panel that we used in my parents’ kitchen (see them both here). Both of those are available in husk stain. If you’re not finding those options on the website, perhaps you have selected a doorstyle that is not available in the rustic maple? I hope this helps!

  17. Gorgeous! Can you tell me about the backsplash and countertops? Name Brands? Thank you, Joanne

  18. Hello,
    The paint color used on the cabinets (dove white). Where would I purchase this color? Is it similar to another brand’s color?

    Also, the stain (husk) which brand? Or does it matter?

    Your work is stunning by the way.

    1. Thank you so much, Adrienne! Both are factory colors by KraftMaid. I think they may sell quarts of their paints and stains, but I don’t think they sell them in larger quantities. You could order a sample from KraftMaid and have it matched somewhere if you are looking to paint existing cabinetry. I hope this helps!

  19. Hello! I absolutely love your design style. This kitchen is amazing and I’m thrilled that you have links to the products that you used. We are planning on building a new home within the next couple of years and are going to use your choices as a guide for our new kitchen. I may have missed it in your blog but what are the dimensions of your parents kitchen?

    1. Thank you so much, Lisa! The original kitchen was roughly 15×15. The fridge wall is roughly 11 feet long (plus the walkway and then the coffee bar adds up to the ~15″). The range wall now runs into the dining room without a break, so the current cabinetry actually extends 18 feet from the corner with the sink. The last 3 feet of that cabinetry is more of a dining room hutch to display china. I hope that helps!

  20. Absolutely love! I am looking to do a wood and white kitchen and this definitely helps! Does the rustic maple go with a shaker style cabinet? Also I didn’t see that husk was available in rustic maple on kraftsmaid website. Would the natural color work just as well?

    Thank you

    1. I’m so glad you like it, Debbie! The rustic maple only comes in two door styles: a thin shaker and the raised panel that you see in my parents’ kitchen. The rustic maple should be available in husk; the natural will have a very different look. More rustic, I think. A KraftMaid designer should be able to help you see some samples of these options. I hope this helps!

  21. What is the paint color of the walls next to the wood grained cabinets? I love how it pairs well with the natural wood.

  22. What size is your corner cabinet to fit that wide of an apron sink? We are doing a corner window just like this layout!! Thanks for the inspiration.

    1. Hi Amanda, I believe we used a 36″ sink cabinet (and installed a 33″ sink), but we pulled it out from the wall a bit to fit together with the cabinets beside it. I hope that helps!

  23. Hi Rachel – I’ve been looking for some kitchen inspiration for a while and really love the look you created here. I’ve investigated (Kraftmaid online and at a big box store here) the KraftMaid bottom cabinets and the ‘Husk’ stain seems to be a gray color now. Yours look like more of a natural color. I wonder if they’ve changed something? I was really trying to duplicate your look but now I’m uncertain. Thank you!

    1. Hi Wendy, thanks for your comment! Husk does have gray undertones, for sure, but it reads entirely differently on different kinds of wood. Maple is such a light, warm wood to start that the husk balances out those colors and ends up more of a cool-leaning natural color. The Rustic Maple tended even more that way since it had mixtures of light and dark, rather than large areas of just stain. That said, real wood can certainly vary from piece to piece, and lighting can affect wood tones, as well. I would try to find and/or order a sample of husk on rustic maple to see in person. I Hope this helps!

  24. Hello,

    When looking at the kraftmaid website, the husk on rustic maple looks way darker than your pictures. Are you by chance using filters or any other picture touch ups? Trying to duplicate the beautiful look. PS – what’s the paint color you used in the kitchen?

    1. Hi Emily! I do use Lightroom to edit my photos and brighten a space. In this home, the cabinets are a warm medium tone. The paint color is Snowbound.
      I hope that helps!

  25. Hi Rachel!
    This kitchen is exquisite! This has become my inspiration we are basing my kitchen remodel on, so thank you for creating such a beautiful space. Can you tell me what the spacing is from your counters to your island? Also, are the toe kick draws you installed something, in your opinion, that are highly functional? I love the idea but not sure if it’s something I would really use. TIA for your response!

    1. I apologize for the delay! The distance between the island countertop and the other countertop in this kitchen is 43.75″. The cabinets were spaced a bit father (since the countertop overhangs). It is a very generous spacing. Minimum recommended spacing is 36″ apart, but I actually have less than that in this kitchen, and while it’s not ideal, we do fine. So take “recommended” measurements as just that, a recommendation. 😉 As for the toe kick drawers, I find them useful if storage is short. My girls keep coloring books in one, and I have a few extra platters in another. But they are not as convenient as regular drawers, and we are fortunate to have lots of other storage in this kitchen and elsewhere in the house, so they aren’t as useful as they would be if storage were tight. I hope that helps!

  26. I love when I am randomly searching Pinterest for a design idea and I land on your site! 🙂 Gorgeous wood cabinets. Exactly what I am looking for! Hugs to you and your family!

  27. Hi Rachel. We love how your kitchen looks in these photos and have designed ours based on it. We were shocked at the sample of rustic maple with a husk stain that we received that didn’t match your photos. Are you willing to post photos without a filter?

    1. Apologies for the delay! I don’t use filters on my images, but I do use Lightroom to edit the photos and brighten them to remove shadows. I always use only natural light for my pictures because overhead lighting gives a yellow cast and other strange shadows, but this kitchen is admittedly a tricky one to capture on camera because the only direct natural light comes in right above the sink. So the unedited images (example here) feel dark since no direct light is shining on the face of the cabinets. To the naked eye, though, the cabinets feel very similar to the edited images. Stain on natural wood, though, can vary so greatly depending on the piece of wood and the application of the stain. There are sections much lighter/darker and grayer/warmer than others throughout the kitchen. I hope this helps in some way!

  28. Hi Rachel, I’m so in love with this kitchen! Your parents must love it! Could you pls tell me where you got the hood? I’m also wondering where you got the floating shelves? Did kitchenaid provide those too?
    Thanks,
    Rebecca

    1. Thank you so much, Rebecca! The floating shelves are from KraftMaid. The shelves didn’t come (at least at the time, but I’m not sure now?) in Rustic Maple, so we just got regular Maple with the same Husk stain. The hood is also from KraftMaid, but we had our contractor alter it a bit so that it protrudes out from the cabinets about an inch at the top (the original design has it sitting flush with the cabinets at the top and only protruding out at the bottom). We wanted to have the crown molding come out around it, though, so we bumped it out a bit. I hope that makes sense and helps!

  29. Thank you for the beautiful and informative post. I’m at the stage of updating my cabinets and I was imagining lower wood and upper white. Now that I see it in the post, I love it even more! I’m having difficulty finding the husk stain. Since the post, do you know of another color that is similar to that? Thank you again I will be following you from now on!

  30. I love everything about this gorgeous kitchen! What color refrigerator would you replace the black refrigerator with? My choices are white, stainless or cabinet panel ready. Thank you

  31. I love this rustic look, is the stain husk from Kraftmaid or is that a regular stain color like from Shermin Williams.?

    1. Hi! I personally have had a great experience. We have used them in three kitchens- 2 of mine and my parents. We worked directly with Kraftmaid to acquire them.

  32. Hi. I love the cabinets and kitchen Al of it is gorgeous. Can you tell me what floors you did? I’m looking for the light natural floor ❤️

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