Warm Walnut and Soothing Gray Balance a North Carolina Kitchen
Fresh materials and colors play up the room’s newfound symmetry and horizontal lines
Before: A built-in cooktop on the granite island ate up countertop space, while the vent hood made the homeowners feel closed in when cooking.
The microwave and oven stack was the focal point, and the design team, which included Caroline Shilito, knew they wanted to get it off the back wall and tucked next to the refrigerator.
The microwave and oven stack was the focal point, and the design team, which included Caroline Shilito, knew they wanted to get it off the back wall and tucked next to the refrigerator.
After: Putting the cooktop and hood against the back wall allowed for a wider island with a prep sink. The room gets a bright glow thanks to a sweeping backsplash of honed Bianco Carrara marble tile.
Backsplash: The Tile Shop
The Case for 2 Kitchen Sinks
Backsplash: The Tile Shop
The Case for 2 Kitchen Sinks
Wood detail: Walnut kickers give visual interest to the island, which is topped with white quartz that pulls a modern edge into the room.
Countertop: Cambria
Countertop: Cambria
Cabinet-shelf mix: In ditching the original cabinetry, the design team opted for a combination of cabinets and floating walnut shelves custom made by a woodworker in collaboration with an electrician to tie in recessed LED task lighting.
Walnut floating shelves: Aeris Hardwood Creations and Mike Sanfilippo of Creative Electric of North Carolina
Walnut floating shelves: Aeris Hardwood Creations and Mike Sanfilippo of Creative Electric of North Carolina
Trim tie-in: Using walnut trim between the perimeter cabinets ties into the island detail, keeping a horizontal thread in the kitchen design.
Kitchen Confidential: The Pros and Cons of Double Stacked Cabinets
Kitchen Confidential: The Pros and Cons of Double Stacked Cabinets
After: To clean up the room in a linear way, the designer installed a new sink under the window.
The storage: A mix of storage includes deep drawers for pots, utensil slots with dividers, and U- shaped pullouts under the sink for cleaning products.
“There is a double-decker spice drawer unit for overflow spices in one of the deeper drawers near the range,” Shillito says. “This creates a large space for more-often-used items on the top, with refill and bulk spice storage below.”
The storage: A mix of storage includes deep drawers for pots, utensil slots with dividers, and U- shaped pullouts under the sink for cleaning products.
“There is a double-decker spice drawer unit for overflow spices in one of the deeper drawers near the range,” Shillito says. “This creates a large space for more-often-used items on the top, with refill and bulk spice storage below.”
Straight lines: Linear hardware complements the new symmetrical, horizontal look.
Hardware: Top Knobs
Hardware: Top Knobs
Warm corner: The combination of wood and black comes up in the breakfast nook, where natural light pours in and highlights the homeowner’s walnut furniture.
Kitchen set: Lyndon Furniture
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Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
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Kitchen set: Lyndon Furniture
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Find a kitchen designer
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Size: 315 square feet (29.3 square meters)
Designer: Caroline Shillito at Emma Delon
The plan: The homeowners wanted to replace the cabinets, widen a narrow island and remove the island range, and establish more visual symmetry.
Color combo: Walnut found elsewhere in the home influenced the new accent material, which shows up as cabinet trim, open shelves, bar stools and backing for the new island. Perimeter cabinets in pale gray (March Wind by Sherwin-Williams) are a softer alternative to white.
Cabinetry: Aeris Hardwood Creations; paint on walls: Sand Dollar, Sherwin-Williams; bar stools: Nuevo