The Unmatched Kitchen: Mixing Finishes With Style

soesoe says:

I love the mixing and am going to do this in the house I'm building.

Paul Anater says:

Are you mixing wood stains or are you combining a paint color with a wood tone?

midmodfan says:

That Koning Eizenberg kitchen is beautiful. Also love those bright colored ones but I'm lacking the guts for pink and red on any large surface.

I do already mix finishes in my current kitchen (same surface, but base cabinets are white and high cabinets are light gray) and will do so in my next (long dark gray island and a full wall of white high cabinets mixed with wooden open shelves).

D.Jae says:

That last one just knocks my socks off! Gorgeous.

Paul Anater says:

Midmodfan: Here here! It is a stunner. The more I look at that kitchen the more I like it. It does take a cue from MCM and that's driven home further by the Eames chairs. But more than anything, I love how the design serves that view.

Vintagevamp: There a lot right with that last kitchen. For me it's all about the full-height marble backsplash on the back wall. That plasterwork doesn't hurt either!

Natasha says:

I've just mixed up finishes on my kitchen with white laminex cupboards with aluminium edging around the outside walls and then chalked oak and stainless steel on the island bench. I really love how its come out.

Paul Anater says:

I'd love to see a photo Natcus. Making visual connections in a design, such as what you did with the aluminum edging that the stainless steel counter is the key.

MFAMB aka Jenny says:

i LOVE mixed finishes in any room...that second kitchen is pretty doggone spectacular.

Paul Anater says:

It is a stunner Fismom. The architect on that one, Mueller-Nicholls, had that cabinetry made for that job. The lighter colored cabinets are veneered in rift-cut oak. Rift-cut oak gets me over whatever reservations I have about oak, that's for sure!

UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES says:

Paul,
love this blog. I mixed & matched, fitting a old kitchen cupboard, between my new cupboards & having lighter cupboards on top, darker on bottom.

Reno was done almost 2 years ago and I still love everything about it.

Paul Anater says:

Upstaging: Brava! That's a REAL cupboard in the original sense of that word. I love the idea of integrating an heirloom piece into a new kitchen. Your cupboard is a perfect bridge between old and new. It's looks like a well-loved and well-used space. Clearly, a very happy cook lives in that kitchen. Again, brava!

The Thomas Bearden Co says:

Creating interest with a "furniture -like" that is different from the cabinetry and focal point piece is wonderful! However, a couple of things are happening with this trend. First, because it is now showing up in most new kitchens and remodels, its uniqueness and interest is greatly diminished. Moreover simply selecting a different style of cabinet in a different color or with a different countertop is not what creates interest and appeal; that approach too often looks more like a cabinet ordering error or the homeowner went with whatever was in stock or leftover from another project. The most beautiful and interesting kitchens add/incorporate truly "unique" pieces...like an antique hutch as a section of cabinetry or a farm table modified underneath to serve as an island. Other interesting island ideas come from other antiques and industrial relics. The timeless charm of "mismatched" is created by the incorporation (and adapted use) of a truly interesting piece. Although there are a few exceptions, simply selecting 2 styles of cabinets and/or in 2 different colors misses the objective. 99% of the time at best it looks contrived or like leftovers. And this contrived version is a trend that is already looking dated. Better to go with full set of cabinetry unless a special or unique element is puporsefully being incorporated. If you later "find" that interesting piece it can always be incorporated later.

dawnwinds58 says:

That last photo also caught my eye. Had the center been the same as the rest of the kitchen, the detail of the bar stools would have been visually completely lost. With the contrast, they draw the eye upwards, to the light fixtures, and then to the gorgeous detail above the range.

Paul Anater says:

Bluesapphire: I agree on all points. There has to be a reason to change around the finishes. If there's not an actual job to do the whole thing looks lost. But the same holds true for cabinetry that's all the same color. Detail and ornament for the sake of detail and ornament is a waste of energy and money. That's why it's important to interview designers before engaging one.

Dawnwind: You got it!

Decor Adventures says:

Good topic. We have an island that doesn't match the cabinets, its laminate top nor bottom bead board. It seems like a money saver when the kitchen was redone (not by us) where the countertops are granite. So my debate is to get a slab that matches or do something fun like a butcher block on the island? But what if the granite isn't carried anymore and we have a forever unmatched kitchen? Big deal, not really, most people don't even notice. But I do :-)

Paul Anater says:

Granite is a moment in time. By that I mean that granite patterns change, sometimes radically, over time. This makes exact matches almost impossible in a case such as yours.

Since you'll never match the granite that's already in your kitchen, go in another direction all together and don't try. Use a different material and you'll get a better result.

poonam_aasi says:

Thanks Paul,very nice & helpful idea book.I am also working on my kitchen cabinet ,and you really helped me get some good ideas.Thanks again.

dandkcope says:

Is it ok to use 2 different granites in a kitchen...one for the island and a different one for the surrounding countertops?