The One Ingredient That Will Transform Your Kitchen or Bath
See how different applications of wood warm up these spaces
Mitchell Parker
September 11, 2019
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Kitchen
Generous wood detailing. You won’t believe this kitchen transformation by Kristina Crestin Design and Covenant when you see it.
Generous wood detailing. You won’t believe this kitchen transformation by Kristina Crestin Design and Covenant when you see it.
One of my favorite design decisions is that the island and refrigerator surround have been wrapped in rich, amber-colored wood to bring some warmth to the blue cabinets and slate-colored floor tile.
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See this kitchen makeover
Find a kitchen designer in the Houzz pro directory
Wood wall niche. Sometimes while cooking, you have a few minutes while you’re waiting around for something. I love the idea of having a comfortable spot close by to get off your feet for a moment. And this wall niche smack dab in a Minnesota kitchen by Laura Bischoff of Metropolis Design Group seems like the perfect solution. Wrapping the area in wood brought some additional coziness to the niche and the mostly white kitchen.
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See more of this kitchen
Find colorful ranges in the Houzz Shop
Wood floor and furnishings. Weaving in wood accents is a relatively quick and easy way to add warmth to an already established kitchen, such as a rental unit in which you’re not allowed to extensively remodel. That was the case in this Oakland, California, studio loft. To warm up the stainless steel appliances, black cabinetry and concrete ceiling, the homeowner introduced a rich wood dining table, wood stools and a wood shelf unit to join the honey-colored wood flooring.
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See more of this home
Similarly, in this London project by Jo Townshend Architects, the light wood floor, stools and dining table take some of the coldness out of the gray laminate cabinets, blue backsplash and granite countertop.
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See more of this kitchen
Wood countertop. For an even subtler but still effective approach, take a cue from this light and airy Kansas City, Missouri, kitchen. Blond birch butcher block countertops soften the crisp white cabinets and subway tile.
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See more of this home
Wood all over. OK, moderation is sometimes overrated. That’s especially true when it comes to a gorgeous selection of wood like that in this Australian kitchen. The all-over approach establishes a light, soothing backdrop for more sumptuous materials, like the dark, graphic backsplash tile, charcoal-colored Caesarstone countertops and glossy jet-black cabinetry by SpaceCraft Joinery.
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See more of this kitchen
Bathroom
Wood storage components. Wood can bring warmth to bathrooms as well. In this design by Susan Ozipko, I love the decision to use wood just on the storage components. Hard surfaces and materials cover almost every inch of the rest of the space, yet the large blocks of flat-paneled maple cabinetry calm the eye.
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Wood storage components. Wood can bring warmth to bathrooms as well. In this design by Susan Ozipko, I love the decision to use wood just on the storage components. Hard surfaces and materials cover almost every inch of the rest of the space, yet the large blocks of flat-paneled maple cabinetry calm the eye.
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Find a bathroom designer on Houzz
Subtle wood accent. Entering this New York bathroom, part of a project by Andrew Mikhael, you will see nothing but white Corian countertops and waterfall edge and swaths of blue square tile. Yet if you use the shower or toilet, you’ll get a glimpse of a section of walnut on the vanity, creating a brief moment of visual warmth.
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Why Wood Works in the Bath
4 Dreamy White-and-Wood Kitchens to Learn From
Find kitchen and bathroom remodelers
See more of this home
More on Houzz
Why Wood Works in the Bath
4 Dreamy White-and-Wood Kitchens to Learn From
Find kitchen and bathroom remodelers
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I believe if you want a niche in your kitchen do it. If you want to put one figurine on a shelf do it. It is your kitchen to do with what you please. So many people have so much negative to say about other people's spaces. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. I am sure they would not like us to be picking their spaces apart.
@ghkitchens, do you understand why Houzz opens these articles to comments? it is so people can voice their opinions on what Houzz presents. Some will like what they see, some will not. If everyone posted “Gorgeous!’ On every single article, I would not bother reading comments. If you don’t have anything CONSTRUCTIVE or interesting to say, don’t say anything at all, GHkitchens.
These interior photos are basically staged, I would think, like you pare down your house when you want to sell it. The sparseness gives people room to imagine what they would put on the shelves. Once the publicity photos are taken, they probably will pile the cookbooks and the cookware in.