New This Week: 3 Stunning White-and-Gray Kitchens
See how the classic color palette works wonders in spaces in a variety of styles
Mitchell Parker
January 6, 2017
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
Gray and white is a timeless color combination that has the ability to shape-shift to suit a variety of styles. It’s cool, crisp and elegant in one space, and warm, casual and cozy in another. The following three kitchens show the versatility of the palette.
1. Warm and industrial
Designer: Kristin Winn Weinrich of Four Brothers
Location: Washington, D.C.
Size: 216 square feet (20 square meters); 13½ by 16 feet (4.1 by 4.8 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Expand a small, cut-off galley kitchen into a big, warm space that would feel more connected to the surrounding dining and living areas.
Gray and white: Medium gray custom cabinets (Stonedust, Elmwood Fine Custom Cabinetry) help highlight and balance out the warm golden wood tones. Gray wall paint (London Fog, Benjamin Moore). White quartz countertop with subtle gray veining. White subway tile (Arctic White, Daltile). Painted white shiplap (Super White, Benjamin Moore). “I think almost every kitchen should have a clean, white element,” designer Kristin Winn Weinrich says.
Other special features: Three-inch-thick maple butcher block island countertop. BlueStar range in vibrant Signal Yellow. Tall pantry with roll-outs. Panel-ready freezer drawers in island. Appliance garage. Island cabinets with hidden touch latches. Cast iron shelving brackets. Raw steel stools. Matte black cabinet pulls. Glossy black pendants.
Designer: Kristin Winn Weinrich of Four Brothers
Location: Washington, D.C.
Size: 216 square feet (20 square meters); 13½ by 16 feet (4.1 by 4.8 meters)
Homeowners’ request: Expand a small, cut-off galley kitchen into a big, warm space that would feel more connected to the surrounding dining and living areas.
Gray and white: Medium gray custom cabinets (Stonedust, Elmwood Fine Custom Cabinetry) help highlight and balance out the warm golden wood tones. Gray wall paint (London Fog, Benjamin Moore). White quartz countertop with subtle gray veining. White subway tile (Arctic White, Daltile). Painted white shiplap (Super White, Benjamin Moore). “I think almost every kitchen should have a clean, white element,” designer Kristin Winn Weinrich says.
Other special features: Three-inch-thick maple butcher block island countertop. BlueStar range in vibrant Signal Yellow. Tall pantry with roll-outs. Panel-ready freezer drawers in island. Appliance garage. Island cabinets with hidden touch latches. Cast iron shelving brackets. Raw steel stools. Matte black cabinet pulls. Glossy black pendants.
Designer secret: “I love wrapping overhead structural beams,” Weinrich says. Laminated veneer lumber beams “aren’t pretty, and most clients aren’t crazy about soffits, and they certainly don’t want to lose any of their ceiling height by dropping everything below the beam, so wrapping the beams in a material besides drywall is a great solution. I called for a rough, skip-planed lumber in this kitchen, but you can definitely go a more polished route with something sanded and stained, or lower contrast with a soft, whitewashed wood. Not only does this maintain the ceiling height, it adds another texture, which worked really well in this space.”
“Uh-oh” moment: “Three of the four kitchen walls were load-bearing,” Weinrich says. “In an effort to keep the costs of the project down, our original plan was to remove only one of these walls. We tried to incorporate a pass-through, a textured column and decorative pillars, but all these elements in model just left the space feeling divided and less functional.
“After reviewing the various layouts with the homeowners, they decided removing both walls was well worth the added construction cost. We pocketed one structural beam into another, which allowed the former rear sunroom to truly be incorporated into the new space.
“This architectural modification made all the difference in the flow and function of the new kitchen layout. In D.C., we come across a lot of previously renovated work that feels like an afterthought. When the homeowners can’t remember their old space because the new space feels as though it has always been there, I consider the project a success.”
Also on the team: Drew Armetta of Four Brothers (draftsperson); Valentine Lordache of ICI Structures (structural engineer); Stuart Pumpelly of Four Brothers (project lead); Alfred Johnson of Four Brothers (lead carpenter); Morgan Howarth (photographer)
Wall paint: London Fog in eggshell finish, Benjamin Moore; cabinets: Mission door style in Stonedust Gray, Elmwood Fine Custom Cabinetry; countertops: 3-centimeter Zodiaq quartz in Coarse Carrara, fabricated by Norwood Marble & Granite; island countertop: 3-inch hard maple butcher block, fabricated by Exotic Lumber; backsplash: 3-by-6-inch subway tile in Arctic White, Daltile; 16-inch Ivanhoe Union Warehouse porcelain pendant in black, Barn Light Electric; Whitehaven 35½ -inch double-basin undermount sink in white enameled cast iron with apron front, Kohler (K-6425); Industrial floating shelves with pipe brackets: Henry Lewis Home; Classic swivel stool in natural pine: Hammered in Time; double-hung windows: ProLine Architect series in black, Pella; flooring: 4-inch white oak stained in Provincial and walnut (50-50 mix) by Minwax, via 5th Avenue Flooring
See more of this kitchen
“Uh-oh” moment: “Three of the four kitchen walls were load-bearing,” Weinrich says. “In an effort to keep the costs of the project down, our original plan was to remove only one of these walls. We tried to incorporate a pass-through, a textured column and decorative pillars, but all these elements in model just left the space feeling divided and less functional.
“After reviewing the various layouts with the homeowners, they decided removing both walls was well worth the added construction cost. We pocketed one structural beam into another, which allowed the former rear sunroom to truly be incorporated into the new space.
“This architectural modification made all the difference in the flow and function of the new kitchen layout. In D.C., we come across a lot of previously renovated work that feels like an afterthought. When the homeowners can’t remember their old space because the new space feels as though it has always been there, I consider the project a success.”
Also on the team: Drew Armetta of Four Brothers (draftsperson); Valentine Lordache of ICI Structures (structural engineer); Stuart Pumpelly of Four Brothers (project lead); Alfred Johnson of Four Brothers (lead carpenter); Morgan Howarth (photographer)
Wall paint: London Fog in eggshell finish, Benjamin Moore; cabinets: Mission door style in Stonedust Gray, Elmwood Fine Custom Cabinetry; countertops: 3-centimeter Zodiaq quartz in Coarse Carrara, fabricated by Norwood Marble & Granite; island countertop: 3-inch hard maple butcher block, fabricated by Exotic Lumber; backsplash: 3-by-6-inch subway tile in Arctic White, Daltile; 16-inch Ivanhoe Union Warehouse porcelain pendant in black, Barn Light Electric; Whitehaven 35½ -inch double-basin undermount sink in white enameled cast iron with apron front, Kohler (K-6425); Industrial floating shelves with pipe brackets: Henry Lewis Home; Classic swivel stool in natural pine: Hammered in Time; double-hung windows: ProLine Architect series in black, Pella; flooring: 4-inch white oak stained in Provincial and walnut (50-50 mix) by Minwax, via 5th Avenue Flooring
See more of this kitchen
2. Cool and Casual
Designer: David Coulson
Location: Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Homeowners’ request: Remove walls to create a more open concept with affordable, durable materials, in lakeside cottage style.
Gray and white: Ikea Grimslöv white Shaker kitchen cabinets. Glass subway tiles in Silver Cloud (gray). The curved-edge retro-feeling laminate countertop, in a design called Tangle Smoke, was chosen to reflect the shimmering water pattern of the lake outside the window. The walls are painted in Gray Cloud and the ceiling and trim are in Chantilly Lace, both by Benjamin Moore.
Other special features: A hidden lockable storage cupboard located within the back of the peninsula and covered with painted beadboard paneling allows the homeowners to easily lock away any private items when the cottage is being rented out. LED pot lights. Chrome pendants. Infrared ceiling heating panels.
Designer: David Coulson
Location: Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Homeowners’ request: Remove walls to create a more open concept with affordable, durable materials, in lakeside cottage style.
Gray and white: Ikea Grimslöv white Shaker kitchen cabinets. Glass subway tiles in Silver Cloud (gray). The curved-edge retro-feeling laminate countertop, in a design called Tangle Smoke, was chosen to reflect the shimmering water pattern of the lake outside the window. The walls are painted in Gray Cloud and the ceiling and trim are in Chantilly Lace, both by Benjamin Moore.
Other special features: A hidden lockable storage cupboard located within the back of the peninsula and covered with painted beadboard paneling allows the homeowners to easily lock away any private items when the cottage is being rented out. LED pot lights. Chrome pendants. Infrared ceiling heating panels.
Designer secret: “As the materials used in the kitchen were to be more affordably priced, we put the splash and sparkle into the beveled glass subway tiles on the kitchen backsplash, which are lit by undercabinet LED pucks,” designer David Coulson says.
Also on the team: Rose Wagner (interior designer), Donna Burdulea (millwork designer) and Daryl Cahill (millwork construction), all with David Coulson Design; Roger Bertrand (lead carpenter and foreman); Trudy McAdam (draftsperson); Tony Colangelo (photographer)
Glass subway tile and laminate flooring: End of the Roll; countertops: Colonial Countertops; light fixtures: McLaren Electric; infrared ceiling heating panels: Red5 Innovations; kitchen cabinets: Ikea: door pulls: Richelieu; paint by Benjamin Moore: Gray Cloud (walls) and Chantilly Lace (ceiling and trim)
See more of this home
Also on the team: Rose Wagner (interior designer), Donna Burdulea (millwork designer) and Daryl Cahill (millwork construction), all with David Coulson Design; Roger Bertrand (lead carpenter and foreman); Trudy McAdam (draftsperson); Tony Colangelo (photographer)
Glass subway tile and laminate flooring: End of the Roll; countertops: Colonial Countertops; light fixtures: McLaren Electric; infrared ceiling heating panels: Red5 Innovations; kitchen cabinets: Ikea: door pulls: Richelieu; paint by Benjamin Moore: Gray Cloud (walls) and Chantilly Lace (ceiling and trim)
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3. Elegant and Classic
Designers: Sisters Julie and Lisa Nemrow of Un-Gyve
Location: New York City
Size: 400 square feet (37.1 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: Gustavian-inspired, simple, elegant and classic style with custom storage
Gray and white: Gustavian gray limewood cabinets in a custom paint blend (by Bis Bis). Enamel-glazed lava stone countertops with craquelé finish. Lava stone backsplash tiles with matte glaze. Split-joint mosaic tile floor.
Designers: Sisters Julie and Lisa Nemrow of Un-Gyve
Location: New York City
Size: 400 square feet (37.1 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: Gustavian-inspired, simple, elegant and classic style with custom storage
Gray and white: Gustavian gray limewood cabinets in a custom paint blend (by Bis Bis). Enamel-glazed lava stone countertops with craquelé finish. Lava stone backsplash tiles with matte glaze. Split-joint mosaic tile floor.
Other special features: Solid wood details. Dovetail drawers. Adjustable shelving. Custom cutting boards that nest in the farmhouse-style sink. Wooden lazy Susans, utensil trays and pantry bins.
Also on the team: Bis Bis (architectural product, art and accessories, custom design and fabrication, finishes and flooring, furniture, lighting, metalwork, millwork, stone, textiles); Domus Design + Development (some specialty installation and construction, project management, logistics); Isole Gallery of Art + Industrial Design (styling); finish work and some specialty installation: Giovanni Ranieri, Domenico Tafuri and Luigi; Patti Seidman of Mullman Seidman Architects; Jennifer Drain of ArchiPlicity; Andrew Watermeyer of Creo Projects (general construction); Brett Beyer Photography
Millwork, cabinets and furniture: custom; faucet: Barber Wilsons & Co.; countertops: enameled lava stone
See more of this kitchen
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Also on the team: Bis Bis (architectural product, art and accessories, custom design and fabrication, finishes and flooring, furniture, lighting, metalwork, millwork, stone, textiles); Domus Design + Development (some specialty installation and construction, project management, logistics); Isole Gallery of Art + Industrial Design (styling); finish work and some specialty installation: Giovanni Ranieri, Domenico Tafuri and Luigi; Patti Seidman of Mullman Seidman Architects; Jennifer Drain of ArchiPlicity; Andrew Watermeyer of Creo Projects (general construction); Brett Beyer Photography
Millwork, cabinets and furniture: custom; faucet: Barber Wilsons & Co.; countertops: enameled lava stone
See more of this kitchen
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I have always loved gray as a neutral. Even before it was popular. I remember back in 1990 when we built our 2ND home everone thought i was crazy when I said I was using gray. But when they seen it they liked it. My current kitchen is grays, whites and black. There is some wood elements to add the warmth. I pulled all the colors from my counter tops which was my inspiration piece. Go with what you love, not with what some TV show tells you to love.
Good question though. I'd hate to be asked to get the milk lol.