Kitchen of the Week: Contemporary Style in Warm Wood and White
Streamlined and inviting, this versatile design fits right in to a cohesive open-plan space
“Whenever I start generating ideas, I use Houzz as a source for inspiration,” the designer says. She came up with a palette of white paint, matte black, wood with warm gray undertones, and quartz with marblelike veining that picks up on those tones. And she created a layered lighting scheme that could provide different atmospheres.
Pleasing Symmetry and a Ceiling Strategy
The kitchen is centered around the range on the back wall. White cabinets flank a custom hood in engineered silvered oak. “The white cabinet doors add contrast to the wood-veneer cabinets. Keeping the custom range hood, crown and side gables in the wood veneer created a more integrated appearance for the white doors,” she says. And Gervais intentionally worked with ceiling heights to subtly delineate the different rooms in the open plan. She tucked the range wall in a niche underneath an 8-foot-high ceiling. The ceilings in the kitchen and dining areas are 10 feet high, and the rest of the space has 12-foot ceilings.
Pleasing Symmetry and a Ceiling Strategy
The kitchen is centered around the range on the back wall. White cabinets flank a custom hood in engineered silvered oak. “The white cabinet doors add contrast to the wood-veneer cabinets. Keeping the custom range hood, crown and side gables in the wood veneer created a more integrated appearance for the white doors,” she says. And Gervais intentionally worked with ceiling heights to subtly delineate the different rooms in the open plan. She tucked the range wall in a niche underneath an 8-foot-high ceiling. The ceilings in the kitchen and dining areas are 10 feet high, and the rest of the space has 12-foot ceilings.
A Cohesive Open Floor Plan
This photo shows how the kitchen relates to the living room. Gervais chose a wide-plank white oak floor with a warm gray wash because it works with a range of styles, from traditional to contemporary. The cabinetry has a minimalist flat, or slab, profile and features the same engineered silvered oak that she used on the range hood. Using an engineered wood meant that the cabinetry grain would be consistent. This oak continues on the living room built-ins.
Just out of view is a fireplace covered in a tile that looks like blackened hot-rolled steel. Throughout the house, Gervais contrasted the light wood and white hues with matte black accents. This includes matte black cabinet and door hardware, stair railings, light fixtures and faucets.
Shop for black kitchen faucets on Houzz
This photo shows how the kitchen relates to the living room. Gervais chose a wide-plank white oak floor with a warm gray wash because it works with a range of styles, from traditional to contemporary. The cabinetry has a minimalist flat, or slab, profile and features the same engineered silvered oak that she used on the range hood. Using an engineered wood meant that the cabinetry grain would be consistent. This oak continues on the living room built-ins.
Just out of view is a fireplace covered in a tile that looks like blackened hot-rolled steel. Throughout the house, Gervais contrasted the light wood and white hues with matte black accents. This includes matte black cabinet and door hardware, stair railings, light fixtures and faucets.
Shop for black kitchen faucets on Houzz
Here is the view across the kitchen toward the dining room, located under the light fixture on the right. “I located the refrigerator close to the range and sink for a practical work triangle, and its placement allows circulation around it when the doors are open,” Gervais says.
A bar to the right of the refrigerator contains a wine fridge and is easy to set up for entertaining. It’s out of the way of the working area in the kitchen and convenient to the dining area.
A bar to the right of the refrigerator contains a wine fridge and is easy to set up for entertaining. It’s out of the way of the working area in the kitchen and convenient to the dining area.
The dining table runs parallel to the island. Gervais chose a simple matte black five-light Vineyard light fixture from Artcraft Lighting; it goes with a variety of dining furniture so future homeowners could imagine their own pieces in here.
Streamlined Style
The view of the upper cabinets is streamlined and clear because of their lack of hardware. Gervais extended the cabinet doors below the cabinet boxes so they can be opened with ease without leaving visible fingerprints. She chose linear glazed ceramic tiles from the Handmade series by Tierra Sol, installed in a 70-30 offset pattern. “The tile color reflects the warm gray tones found in the Cambria Brittanicca Warm countertops, and the installation pattern provides a subtle texture to the space,” she says.
Another factor that keeps everything streamlined is the use of drawers instead of cabinet doors on the lower cabinetry. The way the lines and pulls of the drawers line up across the lower cabinetry contributes to the minimalist aesthetic. “Drawers are great and are so much easier for people to access. Even when I use doors on lower cabinetry, I outfit them with rollout drawers,” the designer says.
The view of the upper cabinets is streamlined and clear because of their lack of hardware. Gervais extended the cabinet doors below the cabinet boxes so they can be opened with ease without leaving visible fingerprints. She chose linear glazed ceramic tiles from the Handmade series by Tierra Sol, installed in a 70-30 offset pattern. “The tile color reflects the warm gray tones found in the Cambria Brittanicca Warm countertops, and the installation pattern provides a subtle texture to the space,” she says.
Another factor that keeps everything streamlined is the use of drawers instead of cabinet doors on the lower cabinetry. The way the lines and pulls of the drawers line up across the lower cabinetry contributes to the minimalist aesthetic. “Drawers are great and are so much easier for people to access. Even when I use doors on lower cabinetry, I outfit them with rollout drawers,” the designer says.
A Hardworking Island
The 5-by-10-foot island separates the kitchen from the rest of the space. It contains the sink, dishwasher and microwave drawer. The island is a great place to sit and keep the cook company, prep food, do homework, gather with friends and set up a buffet.
The 5-by-10-foot island separates the kitchen from the rest of the space. It contains the sink, dishwasher and microwave drawer. The island is a great place to sit and keep the cook company, prep food, do homework, gather with friends and set up a buffet.
Layers of Light
“The space has layered lighting levels, on dimmers, for various tasks and to create different moods,” Gervais says. “Pot lights add general lighting to the space and are great for tasks like cleaning. Suspended linear LED pendants are above the island for task and ambient illumination, and there are recessed LED puck lights under the upper cabinets to provide task and ambient lighting.” The puck lights are hidden by the extended cabinet doors, which is a good trick to note. And think of sitting at the dining table or watching a movie in the living room — pendant lights dimmed way down provide enough light to navigate the kitchen well enough to grab some water or popcorn without ruining the atmosphere with bright light.
Find black pendant lights
“The space has layered lighting levels, on dimmers, for various tasks and to create different moods,” Gervais says. “Pot lights add general lighting to the space and are great for tasks like cleaning. Suspended linear LED pendants are above the island for task and ambient illumination, and there are recessed LED puck lights under the upper cabinets to provide task and ambient lighting.” The puck lights are hidden by the extended cabinet doors, which is a good trick to note. And think of sitting at the dining table or watching a movie in the living room — pendant lights dimmed way down provide enough light to navigate the kitchen well enough to grab some water or popcorn without ruining the atmosphere with bright light.
Find black pendant lights
A Place for Small Appliances
To the left of the fridge is a large walk-in pantry, which helps keep countertop clutter at bay. It features the same backsplash and countertops as the kitchen. And there’s plenty of countertop space for the juicer, coffee maker, standing mixer, toaster and other small appliances inside.
To the left of the fridge is a large walk-in pantry, which helps keep countertop clutter at bay. It features the same backsplash and countertops as the kitchen. And there’s plenty of countertop space for the juicer, coffee maker, standing mixer, toaster and other small appliances inside.
Everything is easy to access without interfering with the cook in the work triangle. You could walk past the bar to get an English muffin from the fridge and toast it in the pantry while brewing coffee and grabbing the cream on the way out — all while someone else scrambles eggs at the range. It makes for an easy traffic flow, which is often an issue in a galley kitchen.
Check out more photos of pantries on Houzz
Check out more photos of pantries on Houzz
One last architectural element that helps create a cohesive space is this stair railing, next to the kitchen and the living room. The handrails and newel posts are white oak, and the balusters have a black matte finish. Gervais kept this architectural feature minimalist and simple for its timelessness and versatility — this stair railing can serve as a nice backdrop for all sorts of styles.
Artcraft Lighting’s eight-light Organic chandelier illuminates the space.
Takeaways
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Artcraft Lighting’s eight-light Organic chandelier illuminates the space.
Takeaways
- A kitchen in an open floor plan should be designed with surrounding spaces in mind. Create cohesiveness by repeating materials and colors, and consider the views from room to room.
- Varying the ceiling heights is a good way to delineate spaces in an open plan.
- Symmetry around a focal point makes for a pleasing view into a kitchen.
- A wide-plank wood floor will go with almost any style.
- Extending the upper cabinet doors down past the cabinet boxes provides a place to hide puck lights and a way of opening the cabinets without leaving visible fingerprints or requiring hardware.
- Think about the lighting you’ll need for specific tasks like cleaning, cooking and entertaining, especially in an open plan. Installing the lighting on dimmers will help you switch up the mood with ease.
- A beverage bar out of the way of the work triangle is always a good move. People in this kitchen can access the beverage bar, fridge and pantry without getting in the cook’s way.
- Streamlined, neutral, minimalist style can provide a versatile backdrop.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: This is new construction designed for a range of buyers.
Location: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Size: 215 square feet (20 square meters)
Designer: Rachelle Gervais of RG Design Studio
Minimalist and homey — these two terms aren’t seen together often, but they both describe this wood-and-white Vancouver Island kitchen. By going with a streamlined contemporary look and carefully choosing each element with warmth in mind, interior designer Rachelle Gervais created a kitchen that’s versatile, classic and well integrated in an open floor plan. “As the house is brand-new spec construction, I designed the kitchen so that a range of homeowners could envision their own furniture here as well as all kinds of activities and gatherings,” she says. “And the architecture of the home is contemporary, so I wanted to honor that with the style of the kitchen.” Gervais designed the interiors throughout the home so that the spaces would work well together.
Although a few young families have moved into the development, most residents are couples who are retired or approaching retirement, and Gervais kept retirees particularly in mind while executing the design. It is comfy for a couple but can serve as a welcoming hub for a large crowd of adults, kids and their friends. She designed a large island and put a beverage bar, a refrigerator and small appliances in an accessible spot to make cooking, entertaining and gathering easy.
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