New This Week: 3 Gorgeous White-and-Gray Kitchens
Look to this cool palette for a bright yet serene atmosphere
When it comes to your kitchen color palette, it’s important to have a game plan. Sticking to just two or three colors is a good jumping-off point to establish a cohesive style. If you’re looking for something bright, crisp, clean and airy, consider going with a palette of whites and grays, such as silver, chrome and steel, grounded by a warm wood floor. Here are three modern kitchens that show how to do it right.
2. Crisp and Cool in Canada
Designer: Karen Birer of Casa Perfecta
Location: Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters); 24 by 12 feet
Homeowners’ request: Replace a 30-year-old cream-and-green-toned kitchen with a fresh, clean, crisp and open-concept white kitchen.
White: White perimeter cabinets (painted in Benjamin Moore’s Oxford) and a slightly warmer white island (Benjamin Moore’s Upper West). Crisp white countertops are a mix of Caesarstone: Blizzard on part of the island and perimeter counters, and Cosmopolitan White for the raised waterfall bar.
Gray: Smoky gray hand-blown glass pendants from Elte were the jumping-off point for this kitchen. Smoky gray glass subway tiles. Stainless steel appliances and small appliance garage. Polished chrome hardware.
Designer: Karen Birer of Casa Perfecta
Location: Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters); 24 by 12 feet
Homeowners’ request: Replace a 30-year-old cream-and-green-toned kitchen with a fresh, clean, crisp and open-concept white kitchen.
White: White perimeter cabinets (painted in Benjamin Moore’s Oxford) and a slightly warmer white island (Benjamin Moore’s Upper West). Crisp white countertops are a mix of Caesarstone: Blizzard on part of the island and perimeter counters, and Cosmopolitan White for the raised waterfall bar.
Gray: Smoky gray hand-blown glass pendants from Elte were the jumping-off point for this kitchen. Smoky gray glass subway tiles. Stainless steel appliances and small appliance garage. Polished chrome hardware.
Floor: White oak engineered hardwood, 5-inch width, hand-scraped and polyurethane finish. “The slightly rustic feel of this hardwood flooring offers just the right amount of contrast to the sleek, clean crisp cabinetry and tones in the kitchen,” designer Karen Birer says.
Designer secrets: “Add warmth and contrast through the introduction of contrasting materials,” Birer says. “The warm hand-scraped hardwood flooring [and] the crisp white cabinetry and sleek cool glass accents complement one another, creating an inviting space.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Our greatest challenge in this space was addressing the potlights,” Birer says. “We had to eventually remove the entire ceiling in order to come to a conclusion. For some unknown reason this home was built with numerous structural beams stretching across the kitchen space. Together with ductwork and numerous other elements, we had a really challenging time creating the perfectly spaced grid of light.”
Cabinets: California Kitchens; contractor: Johnvale Contractors; hardwood flooring: White Oak engineered hardwood, Darmaga; backsplash tile: Stone Tile; window treatments: Boho Grove in Owl Feather, Hunter Douglas, via A Select Interiors; kitchen table, chairs and bench: Woodcraft; fabric on kitchen chairs: custom, Cadence vinyl, Threadcount; pendants: Elte; hardware: Ginger’s; appliances: Jenn-Air, via Best Brand Appliance
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Designer secrets: “Add warmth and contrast through the introduction of contrasting materials,” Birer says. “The warm hand-scraped hardwood flooring [and] the crisp white cabinetry and sleek cool glass accents complement one another, creating an inviting space.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Our greatest challenge in this space was addressing the potlights,” Birer says. “We had to eventually remove the entire ceiling in order to come to a conclusion. For some unknown reason this home was built with numerous structural beams stretching across the kitchen space. Together with ductwork and numerous other elements, we had a really challenging time creating the perfectly spaced grid of light.”
Cabinets: California Kitchens; contractor: Johnvale Contractors; hardwood flooring: White Oak engineered hardwood, Darmaga; backsplash tile: Stone Tile; window treatments: Boho Grove in Owl Feather, Hunter Douglas, via A Select Interiors; kitchen table, chairs and bench: Woodcraft; fabric on kitchen chairs: custom, Cadence vinyl, Threadcount; pendants: Elte; hardware: Ginger’s; appliances: Jenn-Air, via Best Brand Appliance
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3. Modern and Marvelous in Michigan
Designer: Jennifer Butler Interior Design; Paradigm Renovation (cabinet installation, tiling and trim carpentry)
Location: East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Size: 216 square feet (20 square meters); 12 by 18 feet (3.6 by 5.4 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Update an outdated 1956 home to include an open kitchen with a calming white-and-gray palette.
White: All-white kitchen cabinets. White window trim (painted in Extra White in satin finish by Sherwin-Williams).
Gray: Dark gray quartz countertops. Light gray backsplash tile. Gray wall paint (Passive by Sherwin-Williams). Stainless steel bar pulls, appliances and appliance garage door. Chrome fixtures, faucet and pendant lights.
Floor: Original; solid red oak from the 1950s.
Cabinet layout, cabinets and countertop installation: TruKitchens; cabinets: thermally fused laminate in Pearl White with Metropolitan doors, Eclipse by Shiloh; countertops: quartz in Storm, Colorquartz; backsplash tile: Kite, Equipe; cabinet hardware: square bar pulls in glossy stainless steel, Celeste Designs; faucet: Trinsic touch in chrome, Delta; pendants: West Elm
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Designer: Jennifer Butler Interior Design; Paradigm Renovation (cabinet installation, tiling and trim carpentry)
Location: East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Size: 216 square feet (20 square meters); 12 by 18 feet (3.6 by 5.4 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Update an outdated 1956 home to include an open kitchen with a calming white-and-gray palette.
White: All-white kitchen cabinets. White window trim (painted in Extra White in satin finish by Sherwin-Williams).
Gray: Dark gray quartz countertops. Light gray backsplash tile. Gray wall paint (Passive by Sherwin-Williams). Stainless steel bar pulls, appliances and appliance garage door. Chrome fixtures, faucet and pendant lights.
Floor: Original; solid red oak from the 1950s.
Cabinet layout, cabinets and countertop installation: TruKitchens; cabinets: thermally fused laminate in Pearl White with Metropolitan doors, Eclipse by Shiloh; countertops: quartz in Storm, Colorquartz; backsplash tile: Kite, Equipe; cabinet hardware: square bar pulls in glossy stainless steel, Celeste Designs; faucet: Trinsic touch in chrome, Delta; pendants: West Elm
See more of this home
More
Your New Kitchen: 7 Tricky Questions You Didn’t Know You’d Ask
From the Pros: 8 Reasons Kitchen Renovations Go Over Budget
4 Kitchen Design Decisions to Spend a Little Extra Time On
Other Resources on Houzz
Search for kitchen products
Find a pro near you
Designer: Dominic Rinaldi of Riverhead Building Supply
Location: East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York
Size: 379½ square feet (35.2 square meters); 23 by 16½ feet (7 by 5 meters)
Homeowners’ request: This was a spec home built by Tom Schaub of Bluefin General Contracting. He wanted to keep the exterior of the home traditional while giving the interior a clean, modern feel with a crisp minimalist kitchen.
White: Framed white acrylic cabinets. White perimeter countertop. Large white subway tile backsplash in stacked pattern.
Gray: Frosted glass and aluminum lift-up doors on upper cabinets. Brushed-aluminum cabinet pulls. White island countertop with gray veining. Stainless steel appliances.
Floor: Wide-plank white oak with a natural finish.
Cabinets: Gibson acrylic in Gardenia finish, Design-Craft by Elkay
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