Bleached 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
For more than 16 years, a New Jersey couple had wanted to change the look of their aging kitchen, with its dark-stained wood cabinets and dysfunctional layout. Finally, with two daughters off to college and one in high school, they were ready to tackle a renovation. They hired designer Amy Brown to help them create better flow and a more breezy look with hand-bleached white oak cabinets.
Before: This photo shows the former dark cabinets, which the homeowners felt made the kitchen look dreary. The ornate wood hood above the cooktop added a heavy feel. A pair of wall ovens and the family’s stainless steel refrigerator sat awkwardly outside of the main work triangle. “The appliances were scattered, and there was no organization,” Brown says.
Find a kitchen designer in your area
Find a kitchen designer in your area
After: In addition to the lighter cabinetry, upper cabinets with floating shelves on either side of the range helped transform the look and feel of the kitchen. “We always came back to wanting a light, open space, but here by the range it was about a relaxed and welcome feeling with open shelves,” Brown says.
A glazed white brick backsplash replaced beige tile, while soft neutral gray walls with a touch of green (Bone by Farrow & Ball) provide an attractive backdrop. “We didn’t want plain subway tile,” Brown says. “We went with the glazed brick to bring as much texture inside the kitchen as we could.”
The homeowners, who donated their old cabinets and appliances to the nonprofit group Renovation Angel, kept the existing wood floor and pendants above the island but replaced the beige granite countertops with durable light gray quartz on both the island and perimeter counters.
A glazed white brick backsplash replaced beige tile, while soft neutral gray walls with a touch of green (Bone by Farrow & Ball) provide an attractive backdrop. “We didn’t want plain subway tile,” Brown says. “We went with the glazed brick to bring as much texture inside the kitchen as we could.”
The homeowners, who donated their old cabinets and appliances to the nonprofit group Renovation Angel, kept the existing wood floor and pendants above the island but replaced the beige granite countertops with durable light gray quartz on both the island and perimeter counters.
A metal pot rack added above the floating shelf to the right of the range keeps pots and pans within easy reach of the cooktop. “We priced a fully custom one out of unlacquered brass, but that came in more than we were willing to spend,” Brown says. “We shopped around and found this great alternative.”
The paneled refrigerator with brass handles and the tall and lean pantry cabinets with brass latches coordinate with the brass hardware chosen for the painted maple cabinets and drawers. “We loved how the brass played off the white oak,” Brown says. “Using knobs, handles and latches allowed us to bring some interest and excitement to the kitchen.”
Custom cabinets: Miterbox
Custom cabinets: Miterbox
To the left of the fridge, Brown added this work area, which includes an off-white built-in desk with drawers and a large cabinet above. “It was unused space because of the layout of the old kitchen,” she says. “This gives them a home hub for their schedules and lets her feel connected to the family space.”
A more streamlined island with an undermount farmhouse sink, deck-mounted bridge faucet and light gray quartz countertops replaced the former island and its raised bar. The family’s existing stainless steel dishwasher sits conveniently to the right of the sink.
To the left of the sink are drawers for cutlery and pullout garbage and recycling bins.
Shop for farmhouse-style sinks
To the left of the sink are drawers for cutlery and pullout garbage and recycling bins.
Shop for farmhouse-style sinks
The glass door seen on the left leads to a deck. The solid door around the corner from the range opens to a walk-in pantry. The butler’s pantry area (at the back right of the photo) sits just off the main work zone of the kitchen. A large custom off-white storage unit is visible at right.
The expansive off-white custom storage unit does double duty as an entertaining center and includes a built-in coffee maker, wine refrigerator, two refrigerator drawers for beverages, a microwave and a two-sided glass hutch for displaying serveware and decorative items. “I felt it was something that would give us a unique take on a traditional china cabinet, and it was part of our goal of making this space feel open and airy,” Brown says.
This close-up view of the updated butler’s pantry area highlights its luminous marble mosaic backsplash. The slate gray (Downpipe by Farrow & Ball) cabinets and drawers feature more brass hardware.
The upper cabinets have a rift-cut white oak interior that coordinates with the paneled refrigerator and freezer columns and the base of the island.
The upper cabinets have a rift-cut white oak interior that coordinates with the paneled refrigerator and freezer columns and the base of the island.
After: The updated kitchen now offers a more efficient layout, easy-access storage and a desk area. “It creates a space they want to be in that’s both comfortable and beautiful, instead of a place just for cooking,” Brown says.
More on Houzz
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Get more kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
More on Houzz
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Get more kitchen design ideas
Find a kitchen designer near you
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: Ridgewood, New Jersey
Who lives here: A couple with three daughters, two in college and one in high school
Size: About 360 square feet (33 square meters)
Designer: Amy Brown of Z+ Interiors
Hand-bleached white oak cabinets for the paneled fridge on the left and the island base pair with maple cabinets painted an off-white with gray undertones (Strong White by Farrow & Ball) to create a light and airy feel in the renovated kitchen.
Instead of removing walls, which would have required costly changes, Brown kept the general footprint of the open kitchen. But she created a more efficient layout with 4 more linear feet of cabinets by keeping the range and sink in the same spot while relocating the refrigerator (now paneled, seen at the left in this photo). “Moving the refrigerator was a really important thing to us,” Brown says. “Before, it felt completely removed from the whole space altogether.”
Hicks 2 pendants: Visual Comfort