Need Help! 2 toned kitchen cabinets or wood everywhere??
2 years ago
One panel covering the fridge is white and on the opposite side I have a white oak . My house is open concept so you see this view from the front door. Will it look weird to have one panel white and the other one wood? I’m trying to finalize and I can’t decide!!
Maybe I should do it all in that white oak but husband thinks it’ll be too heavy and is leaning towards white uppers.
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (26)
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Trying to narrow materials and tones for possible 2 toned kitchen
Comments (36)I was just googling around for rooms with little natural light, and I ended up looking at a lot of finished basement or basement apartment interiors and also high-end hotel rooms. The ones that were the most pleasant and inviting (where the lack of natural light was not a noticeable deficit) had kind of a lot going on. Not in an overwhelming way, but those rooms had curtains and wall treatments and knickknacks and area rugs and artwork -- millions of little decor pieces and several layers of decor interest in most areas of the room. In particular, there were a lot of different textures in most of the rooms. It makes sense now that I think about it -- basements and hotel rooms are very bland rooms -- usually no architectural interest of any kind, including lots of big windows and natural light and moldings and all that. Which means the room isn't really pretty on its own. To make it pleasant and charming anyway, you need to bring in a lot of things that are pretty by themselves. And you need enough of them that you don't really notice anymore that the room's bones are bad. So your home, being a house, is likely a lot better than the average basement, but it still suffers from the same lack of natural light. This leads me to the conclusion that, while I also generally prefer a clean, modern type of design in kitchens, I don't think it will suit your house. It will just be so quiet and minimal that your eye will have plenty of opportunity to notice how dark the room is. Like a plain person forgoing makeup and accessories and wearing a simple beige shift. That kind of simplicity works well for the great beauties of this world, but the rest of us look better wearing cute earrings and mascara. However, on the upside, with all the professionally-designed basement spaces I just looked at, it didn't seem to matter at all if the actual elements in the the design were dark. Usually, there was a mix of dark and light. The bigger thing seemed to be that ALL of those rooms had a lot of lighting EVERYWHERE. Pin lights all over the ceiling, lighting on top of cabinets/soffits that diffused on the ceiling, pendant lights, etc. So: 1) I'd mentally set aside a big part of your budget to add lots of lighting. Have under cabinet lights, above cabinet lights, cans, pendants, a chandelier, in-cabinet lights -- whatever. Go nuts. 2) I think you are on the right track with a walnut floor. Walnut has a really interesting grain. It is thoroughly beautiful in its own right and will layer beautifully with anything else you add. Natural materials in particular are great for adding interest without seeming overwhelming or busy. 3) I would not repeat the walnut on the cabinets because, again, I think the super-layered design approach works better in low-light rooms. Cabinets just another opportunity to add interest, and you should take it. Make them a different color or painted or whatever. Also, think about something other than slab. Your floor will be flat walnut. If the cabinets are also flat walnut, then then that is EXACTLY the same thing. Here is an example of a kitchen with a lot of interest (cool tile floor, two cabinet colors -- one that is interesting and bold, glass cabinets with unusual glass, open shelves, unusual cabinet pulls, feet) that still has clean lines and isn't crazy fussy/busy: That is the kind of thing that will hold its own and still look pretty and charming even in the dark months. Also, it would look great with walnut. :D...See MoreNeed help deciding between all white and two-tone kitchen cabinets
Comments (12)I love my two tone. I like stained wood but didn't want to feel surrounded by brown. I like things a bit mismatchy and seemed like a good fit in my older home. I did the tall cabinets white like the uppers so that everything at eye-level is the same color. Especially because the tall cabinets are right at the entrance to my kitchen (seemed like it would feel too "in-your-face" to have the wood there). I prefer two tone kitchens with the tall cabinets matched to the uppers rather than lowers, but I don't think it's terrible to match the lowers. You can find pics of kitchens done either way. Agree to do a little contrast with the wood floor so it doesn't all blend with the lower cabinets. My kitchen floor was stained to match the rest of the house (IMO it's more red than I'd like, trying to tone it down with the rug), so I did lighter cabinets. I think it would be too much for the floor and cabinets to blend together....See MoreHelp choosing kitchen cabinet color around fridge w/two tone cabinets
Comments (46)I like both but do favor the lighter for now. I thought about herringbone but decided on brick lay as you see from my pic. I chose that bc I also picked a tonal tile with 3 shades for texture & interest wo being too busy (see pic) & chose grout to match tile not counter. My tile is 2 1/2” x 5”, Ztile Melange, Green Tea color. Looks gray! My advice to pass along on picking BS is to ”wait until the countertops are installed”! I’m so glad I did. I .read that over & over from Houzz Pros too. I took the advice to heart bc the person at countertop company told me to just wait! I had narrowed my choice down to 2, which it looks like you have done. Once tops were in I did a 180 change on BS tile I’d decided on & went with my second choice. And I was looking at multiple pieces of the 2 tiles to get a better idea. A surprise to me for sure that I changed. All of those whose opinions I’d solicited also seemed amazed at difference in look sitting on top of new counter. And, I solicited opinions from every trades person in my kitchen as well as friends & neighbors! 99% of them changed their pick after counters in too. Reason is that until counter is in, you’re looking at a small sample and a huge vertical slab. Light hits the counter very differently on the horizontal & in your home light. The BS tile as well. So, make sure both of your picks are available on quick turnaround & just wait. BTW, at this point, my pick for you is lighter tile Bc I Like it better with darker cabinets & tile will be right next to cabinet color next to frig. When I look at BS my eye goes down not up so I see base cabs more. Love your counter & cab together....See More2 tone cabinets? Backsplash input needed!
Comments (11)That backsplash that combines both cabinet colors will not age well. I have 2 tone and my backsplash is white like my uppers. I didn't want to create another stripe by using a pattern BS. In my case, the dark uppers ground a pretty large space, yet the couple of white cabinets almost disappear and let the black windows shine. You are not showing your layout or the size of your kitchen. I like more than 1 cabinet color when the space is large...small kitchens have a cohesive feel with 1 color, and then maybe a pattern splash....See MoreRelated Professionals
Madison Heights Architects & Building Designers · Hershey Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Millburn Furniture & Accessories · Galena Park General Contractors · Brownsville General Contractors · Corsicana General Contractors · Erlanger General Contractors · Fort Lee General Contractors · Groveton General Contractors · Jacinto City General Contractors · Seguin General Contractors · Toledo General Contractors · Winton General Contractors · Woodlawn Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Prospect Heights Cabinets & Cabinetry
2 years ago
2 years ago- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
2 years ago- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
The sink in the corner which I couldn’t move!! We kept it but enlarged the windows
2 years ago- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
- 2 years ago
2 years ago- 2 years ago
- last year
- last year
PRO9 months ago
Related Stories
KITCHEN OF THE WEEKTwo-Tone Cabinets and an Open Wood Island in a Sunny Kitchen
Expanding this Boston condo kitchen up and out creates a functional space for entertaining and cooking with friends
Full Story
KITCHEN OF THE WEEKKitchen of the Week: Cherry Cabinets and 2 Islands Wow in Indiana
Warm wood cabinets, a reconfigured layout and wave-pattern countertops complement the home’s wooded surroundings
Full Story
KITCHEN CABINETSNew This Week: 3 Modern Kitchens That Rock Warm Wood Cabinets
Looking for an alternative to bright white? Walnut cabinetry offers the perfect tone to warm things up
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNA Kitchen Lightens Up With Two-Tone Cabinets
Newly stained wood floors, cabinetry painted gray and a custom wine closet transform this California kitchen
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNBleached White Oak Cabinets Star in This Two-Tone Kitchen
The cabinets and a new layout transform a once-dark New Jersey kitchen into a light and bright space
Full Story
NEW THIS WEEK4 Kitchens With White Cabinets and a Wood Island
Try this classic kitchen combination for a design that’s warm and inviting
Full Story
NEW THIS WEEK12 Kitchens That Wow With Wood Cabinets
Consider one of these dynamic kitchen cabinet designs to add warmth, texture and nuance
Full Story
KITCHEN CABINETSNew This Week: 3 Cheery Kitchens That Rock Wood Cabinets
Yes, you can get a bright and open kitchen without white cabinetry
Full Story
NEW THIS WEEKNew This Week: 4 Contemporary Kitchens With Wood Cabinets
See how different woods and wood grains create warmth and visual interest
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNNew This Week: 4 Inviting Kitchens With Light Wood Cabinets
See how natural wood cabinets give various kitchen styles warmth and flair
Full Story
Katie TranOriginal Author