You should check out remodelfla's kitchen with quartersawn oak cabs, About 80% done... many many pics... reveal. It's gorgeous and modern and other than having soapstone counters, her kitchen sounds close to your vision.

Her cabs are IKEA with fronts made by someone else (Sherr's maybe, can't recall). They ran the grain side to side, not top to bottom.

Rift cut white oak shows straight vertical grain. Douglas fir would give you the same effect. You probably want to stay away from red oak, if you want a kitchen consistent with the period of your house. Birch and maple would also work well. Keep the color natural or a very light was to bring out the grain.

Thanks everyone. Maybe we should look at birch as an option. I think a few years back, white oak was perhaps more economical, but now it seems to come at a premium. To make matters worse, whatever we do, we probably need to grain-match, and I'm not sure Barker offers that. It's too bad.

Gorgeous cabinets, bob_cville!

Those are beautiful. We're a bit worried that the red oak will be too - red. :-) Are we being too picky?

Depends on the stain. If you use a chestnut stain, for example, QS red oak doesn't look red at all.

Bob, that is the very wood I would choose for my next kitchen. It's really gorgeous. I actually prefer quarter-sawn over rift.

Quatersawn oak is not the right look for a modern or MCM house. Too busy and is almost always done is shaker door style which is also not the right door style. You are right to look at rifted white oak slab doors. European rifted white oak is even nicer. Not as yellow when a finish is applied. Laminate with exposed multi-ply edge also works with a MCM house. I used both in an office kitchen recently doing a take on a "Henrybuilt" kitchen.

I completely agree with jdesign. It can be a nice look, but it's not modern. Especially with a door design that's anything related to shaker. Not minimal enough.

Thanks. Ok, this affirms that my favorite is the rift cut white oak. If that ends up being out of our budget, anyone have thoughts on clear-finish maple slab doors?

Look at the comparison that LWO just did between Barker's and Omega Frameless. Buying already assembled and finished quartersawn with hundreds more choices was only $700 more than hassling with RTA.

Jdesign, is that Colorcore laminate? Nice work!

Kistlerfamily, I'd urge you to talk to several local KD's. You may find that your original vision can be more affordable than you think.

Yes, that was color core laminate but not totally necessary as the dark line from the backer on the regular laminate kinda gets lost in the lines of the multi-ply. I had the handles cut out of aluminum sheet stock on a water-jet machine.

IKEA has an oak kitchen in Europe.
IKEA Norje

That's obvioisly laminate. Not a bad choice for a modern kitchen though. LOTS of laminate choices available that could be appropriate over actual rift oak if you need budget.

It's not laminate, actually, it's oak veneer. American Ikea never gets the good doors :/

Look at the pattern repeats. Consistent, exact, pattern repeats. That's not found in Mother Nature. Perhaps their site is mistaken in their listing.

I hadn't actually looked it up again, I just remembered that it was wood veneer from stalking Ikea UK before Sektion was released. But no, not laminate, unless ikea is deliberately lying through their teeth and customers in the rest of the world haven't noticed
Hyttan Door

Hyttan Kitchen

Product description
Basematerial: Particleboard
Front side/ Backside: Oak veneer, Clear acrylic lacquer
Edge: Solid oak, Clear acrylic lacquer

"When we designed HYTTAN our idea was to make a door in a craftsmanlike
way. We chose rough-cut oak veneer with a matte lacquer finish to bring
out the texture in the wood and complemented it with a hardwearing frame
of solid wood that can withstand everyday life in a kitchen. Because we
used a natural material for the frames and intentionally want to bring
out the variations in the wood grain, every door is unique. That gives
your kitchen a look that's warm and alive - and makes it feel like
you've brought nature into your home."

Ikea digitally composes a lot of their catalog photos - that might explain the repeats.

Yes, that is real textured (cross-cut pattern) oak veneer. And most likley or definatly photo shopped in that image. While not common I do have a source for this veneer. I've done a few jobs within the last year with it. Ikea uses a very low grade of this on their doors. The grain pattern is all over the place. Not a pleasing effect. Even with matched grain the plain slice reads a bit rustic. I've only use the rifted version for a contemporary look.

Thanks ProSource Memphis. We talked with some local KDs several months back. We're in the Washington, DC area and most of the KDs here deal in traditional or transitional styles, and work with cabinet makers who deal in framed cabinets. We want frameless. Someone on this thread mentioned Omega - the place near us that deals in Omega is not a place I'd work with (not the best rep), but I suppose it won't hurt to ask them for a quote. We just wouldn't want them to touch the install with a 10 foot pole.

Diverting here, but here are more pics of actual IKEA kitchens.

Kistlerfamily, were you able to find a door style you like? I feel like our tastes are very similar and I am struggling to find a door style that is modern yet with a bit of warmth. My home is not midcentury (was built in ' 79) but has some elements that lean in that direction (wood beams, reclaimed orange brick fireplace) along with some more traditional ones (six panel doors, crown molding). My furniture is a mix of modern (German sofa) and American mid century finds (Paul McCobb credenza, walnut dining table). I love finding vintage and eclectic flea market finds (old typewriters, tools, etc.). We are about to start on a kitchen remodel and I also can't decide between slab or a very narrow shaker door.

mobuddy89 - all of these months later and we're still working on it. We did get sample slab doors from both Barker (quarter sawn white oak) and Scherr's (quarter sawn and rift cut white oak). We like all three, and so got price quotes for all three. Barker is the most economical, but they won't grain match and we're concerned about that. Will the combination of variations in the grain, without grain matching, and drawer-fronts running one way with door-fronts running the other way, just be to much for our kitchen look? If we can afford it, we'll go with Scherr's rift cut that is grain-matched. Our second choice is Scherr's quarter sawn grain-matched. I really wish we could make this decision because it will drive other material choices! We have general ideas for the backsplash (white tile), counter (white quartz), appliances (we've actually picked these - in stainless), and a sheet linoleum floor in a cement / gray color. Then we also have some vintage pottery in aquas, blues, greens that we'll display. Did you decide on anything for cabinets?

I am too in love with rift cut-but I have found QSO to be the closest for the budget.
I love that tight grain! I found Dura Supreme offers the QSO in sesame stain which I am in love with but I can’t choose a floor with this wood?!??....any suggestions?
We want solid floors. I had picked out 2 floors that I really liked, but now bringing the QSO samples back to look at I don’t think they go well or even what type of floor to start shopping for.
Both pictures are oak floors with QSO door slabs HELP!!:) (inside and outside pics for lighting)

Undecided if they go together

where are those white oak cabinet door from? We have looked at some from Barker but those are really beautiful! do you have a picture of your finished proeuct (if you are done!!!)

Both samples are Dura Supreme Quarter Sawn Oak. the Light one i know is in Sesame stain. the dark one i think is praline, but not ceratin. we got these from a local building supply in our area.
i absolutely live quarter sawn oak but didnt gonwith them, i couldnt decide on a floor that would go well as the floor shown is what we love more 🙂

Thank you alkollmann54! It's so hard. Maybe I should find my flooring first and then try to match the cabinets vs vice versa. ANd maybe I can get the same look with something other than white oak. I see so many beautiful white oak cabinets but am having a hard time recreating that look!!

Sometimes a very light taupe stain on your floor can differentiate the two wood materials enough to not have them compete with each other ;-) Are you doing engineered flooring? If so, the factory finishes are really nice and not grey or brown, just neutral on European White Oak and then your cabinets can be more natural in color. I think the super rustic knotty floors seem less timeless. The color shift can help give you some balance so that you can have the same species of wood with rift sawn on cabinets, quarter sawn on wide plank floors. Sorry if I am jumping in here sorta out of the blue, I just happen to be working on several projects where we struggle with modern v. traditional, types of woods and cuts....these decisions feel very huge!

Kimberly Rider ;-)