White Kitchen Cabinets

My favourite kitchen is white. It's simply the most timeless look and the one you'd least tire of over the years.

In the hundred's of homes that I have been in over the last ten years the obvious giveaway on the age of the home is always the kitchen, and usually it's the colour of the wood cabinets that defines it even faster. If I walk into a kitchen that has dark brown cabinets, I know it was installed in the last 7 years. If it's an orangy, ginger coloured, shaker style cabinet, I know that it was installed in the late 90's early 2000, if the cabinets are oak (keep reading), well you get the picture!

One of the worst mistakes is when a homeowner installs an 80's kitchen (for example) in a turn-of-the-century character home. Especially those white melamine cabinets with the strip of oak on the bottom of each door. Please consider the era of your home when you are designing your kitchen!!

The most beautiful kitchen renovation in a 1905 home that I have ever seen was designed by Susan Dossetter and Andrew Skurman and featured in House Beautiful magazine. If you have a house circa 1905, this is the kitchen that should be in it!

The antique oak cabinet, originally made for a French store, is perfect for a collector. Susan Dossetter found the reproduction Windsor chairs in Nantucket and had the table made to work with the chairs and the cabinet. The floor is hand-rubbed wide-plank red oak.

The Farmhouse sinks and Julia faucets are from Waterworks. The countertop is made of two 3/4 inch slabs of Calacatta Oro marble put together, for extra thickness, then topped with a third layer in back.

The vintage French towel racks, which Susan Dossetter added to the antique baker's table, are hung with vintage towels that she has collected over the years. The baker's table came with a new sycamore top. Vintage and new cake plates hold treats for the children.

Archive beveled tile by Waterworks provides a clean backdrop for the La Cornue Chateau range, made to order in burnished stainless steel and brass. The floor surrounding the range is covered with hexagon tiles from Waterworks.

The cast-plaster motif on the ceiling is from Decorator's Supply. The hood over the range was part of the original kitchen. Quilted steel insulation panels, covering the Sub-Zero refrigerator, should be available at any sheet metal shop. The antique butcher block by the island is on casters, so it can go anywhere it's needed. Pot racks from Williams-Sonoma were powder-coated in white.

80's Oak Kitchen Cabinets

Here is a photo of a typical oak kitchen mostly installed in this era of kitchens. When I am standing in a kitchen that looks very much like this one, and I recommend that this kitchen be painted white or cream--as soon as the words out of my mouth--the wife's face lights up and the husband looks horrified at the prospect of painting THE WOOD! I'm not sure why most men have this reaction but it's pretty common. Men usually come around once they understand that it's not about the wood, it's about the fact that it's dated. And to be clear, I don't advocate painting ALL WOOD, just kitchens in this era. So for those of you with this kitchen, reading this right now, there's really just one thing you need to know: This kitchen IS NEVER COMING BACK. So the only way to extend the life of it is to prime it, paint it, and install new brushed nickel hardware. Period, end of conversation.

Here's a 'before' picture of a kitchen I did for a client in West Vancouver with another designer, Jan Romanuk. This client moved in with the cabinets already painted but you could still see the grain of the wood through the paint colour. They also wanted the cabinets above the peninsula removed, new lighting, flooring, colours, etc:

Before

Here's the after photo with 3 more coats of Benjamin Moore's OC-92 Mannequin Cream and all the updates.

After

I love kitchens with glass uppers like this one:

How about the absence of upper cabinets - this means you probably have space for a fabulous pantry!

Bobbie Burgers kitchen from House & Home

A post on white kitchen's would not be complete without the famous, most copied, kitchen from Something's Gotta Give!

This following image is from 'Maine Home & Design Magazine' and is a good copy of the movie kitchen:

Here is a modern kitchen incorporating the hottest new colour trend; gray.

For more advice on planning your kitchen read; 5 Steps to a Kitchen you will Love!

Related posts:

5 Questions to consider when selecting a new colour for your kitchen

Selecting your kitchen or bath backsplash; Accent tile or NOT?

The Best Trim Colours--NOT Cloud White

Happiness is. . . A Happy Wife (every man should read this one)

White Floors for Instant Happiness