5 New Contemporary Kitchens With Wood Cabinets
See how various wood styles, stains and other elements create cabinetry that complements a clean-lined look
If the mention of wood cabinets brings to mind a basic 1990s-era honey-tone version, it’s time to discover what’s really out there. Contemporary wood cabinets are anything but basic. By playing with stains and grains, and drawer and door fronts, designers are able to create stylish wood — and wood-look — cabinetry that harks back to the past while firmly grounding a space in a sleek and stylish present. Here, five pros share the details of wood kitchen cabinets they brought into clients’ kitchens.
Other special features.”We used an Antique Oak water-based stain with a satin clear coat by General Finishes on all of the cabinets,” Murphree says. “This really took the edge off of the formerly orange hue of the original cabinets and created the much more earthy wood feel of the kitchen. Another special feature is the induction range by GE and the pullout hood by Zephyr.
“The home is all-electric, and the switch to induction cooking from electric burners is a huge upgrade. The Zephyr Pisa hood is built into the cabinets and could not be any more invisible or stylish. The steel stair railing has a gun-blue patina with a black wax coating and adds a touch of contemporary to the otherwise modern home.”
The refurbished ceiling is 1-by-6-inch V-groove rough-sawn cedar lap siding. The pendant light is original to the home.
Designer tip. “We love to do on-site mockups,” Murphree says. “We mocked up several versions and sizes of the kitchen island to allow the homeowner to get a real feel for where she might stand while cooking and hosting, how guests may occupy and move about the island, how much elbow and leg room each guest would have, and how to make the spices and wine highly accessible. For interactive parts of your home, a 1:1 mock up in situ is absolutely priceless.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowner was looking for a very sleek refrigerator to match the Euro frameless style of the cabinets,” Murphree says. “Upon searching for refrigerators, we found it quite hard to find one that was counter depth. Typical refrigerators are 30 inches deep, rather than the 24 to 27 inches [we needed] to match our cabinet depth against the wall.
“The counter-depth refrigerators are often extra wide and not so sleek. Eventually she settled for an extra-tall and narrow Bosch 800 Series. It’s only 24 inches wide and 24 inches deep, but nearly 80 inches tall. The capacity is a bit on the small side, but we added a wine fridge on the lower level of the home for backup.”
Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
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“The home is all-electric, and the switch to induction cooking from electric burners is a huge upgrade. The Zephyr Pisa hood is built into the cabinets and could not be any more invisible or stylish. The steel stair railing has a gun-blue patina with a black wax coating and adds a touch of contemporary to the otherwise modern home.”
The refurbished ceiling is 1-by-6-inch V-groove rough-sawn cedar lap siding. The pendant light is original to the home.
Designer tip. “We love to do on-site mockups,” Murphree says. “We mocked up several versions and sizes of the kitchen island to allow the homeowner to get a real feel for where she might stand while cooking and hosting, how guests may occupy and move about the island, how much elbow and leg room each guest would have, and how to make the spices and wine highly accessible. For interactive parts of your home, a 1:1 mock up in situ is absolutely priceless.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowner was looking for a very sleek refrigerator to match the Euro frameless style of the cabinets,” Murphree says. “Upon searching for refrigerators, we found it quite hard to find one that was counter depth. Typical refrigerators are 30 inches deep, rather than the 24 to 27 inches [we needed] to match our cabinet depth against the wall.
“The counter-depth refrigerators are often extra wide and not so sleek. Eventually she settled for an extra-tall and narrow Bosch 800 Series. It’s only 24 inches wide and 24 inches deep, but nearly 80 inches tall. The capacity is a bit on the small side, but we added a wine fridge on the lower level of the home for backup.”
Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
Shop for kitchen bar stools and counter stools
2. Wood-Look Thermofoil
Designer: Justin Cipriani of Cipriani Studios
General contractor: Crews Contracting
Location: Pittsburgh
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters); 15 by 18 feet
Homeowners’ request. “Balance the kitchen needs on the back side of the room and open it up to the forest beyond through picture windows on the front side of the room,” designer Justin Cipriani says.
Wood cabinets. Gray wood-look thermofoil. “The site of the home is a sloped wooded lot, and a suspended-tree-house, contemporary cabin feel is the theme of the home,” Cipriani says. “The neutral wood cabinets, flooring and backsplash help create the backdrop for the wooded theme.”
Other special features. “Stacked-stone walls inside and out complement the wooded backdrop, and then accent colors of baby blues, turquoise and yellow help bring the house to life,” Cipriani says.
Designer tip. “Large fixed windows,” Cipriani says. “They’re inexpensive and can really open up your home to views and light.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “No ‘uh-oh’ moments with the kitchen itself, but grading the site at the beginning of the project turned into more of a National Geographic special on hillside logging and machine moving,” Cipriani says. “The site just felt larger and steeper with big machines hanging on it. Luckily the operators were brave, experienced, and we were fortunate that it all went smoothly.”
Stools: Fuji stackable counter stool in black and Espresso, LumiSource; paint: Olympus White (walls), Hinting Blue (ceiling), Sherwin-Williams
Designer: Justin Cipriani of Cipriani Studios
General contractor: Crews Contracting
Location: Pittsburgh
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters); 15 by 18 feet
Homeowners’ request. “Balance the kitchen needs on the back side of the room and open it up to the forest beyond through picture windows on the front side of the room,” designer Justin Cipriani says.
Wood cabinets. Gray wood-look thermofoil. “The site of the home is a sloped wooded lot, and a suspended-tree-house, contemporary cabin feel is the theme of the home,” Cipriani says. “The neutral wood cabinets, flooring and backsplash help create the backdrop for the wooded theme.”
Other special features. “Stacked-stone walls inside and out complement the wooded backdrop, and then accent colors of baby blues, turquoise and yellow help bring the house to life,” Cipriani says.
Designer tip. “Large fixed windows,” Cipriani says. “They’re inexpensive and can really open up your home to views and light.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “No ‘uh-oh’ moments with the kitchen itself, but grading the site at the beginning of the project turned into more of a National Geographic special on hillside logging and machine moving,” Cipriani says. “The site just felt larger and steeper with big machines hanging on it. Luckily the operators were brave, experienced, and we were fortunate that it all went smoothly.”
Stools: Fuji stackable counter stool in black and Espresso, LumiSource; paint: Olympus White (walls), Hinting Blue (ceiling), Sherwin-Williams
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3. Shaker-Style Quarter-Sawn White Oak
Designers: Ryan Michka, Bret Walters and John Lum of John Lum Architecture
Location: San Francisco
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters); 10 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “For the remodel, the kitchen was moved more centrally within the main living space to open it up and to allow the kitchen to act as an active, social space,” says architect Bret Walters, who shared Houzz photos with the homeowners to inspire design decisions. “The rear of the house overlooks a large heritage redwood tree. The goal was to tie the kitchen in with the tree, which can be seen from the kitchen through large sliding glass doors.”
Wood cabinets. Shaker-style quarter-sawn white oak. “The cabinets and floors provide a warm, natural palette, and the green picket tiles reflect an abstraction of leaves,” Walters says. “The Shaker-style cabinets reflect a more transitional cabinetry design, but the uniformity of the quarter-sawn oak adds a touch of modernity. White painted walls with a smooth finish contrast with the natural wood finishes and further enhance their beauty.”
Other special feature. Matte gray quartz countertops.
Designer tip. “Use a variety of high-quality materials to provide a subtle, layered look,” Walters says.
Backsplash tile: ceramic picket tiles in Kelp color, Fireclay Tile; pendant lights: Chroma in black, Kuzco Lighting; cabinet hardware: thin square pull in polished chrome, Atlas Homewares
Designers: Ryan Michka, Bret Walters and John Lum of John Lum Architecture
Location: San Francisco
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters); 10 by 15 feet
Homeowners’ request. “For the remodel, the kitchen was moved more centrally within the main living space to open it up and to allow the kitchen to act as an active, social space,” says architect Bret Walters, who shared Houzz photos with the homeowners to inspire design decisions. “The rear of the house overlooks a large heritage redwood tree. The goal was to tie the kitchen in with the tree, which can be seen from the kitchen through large sliding glass doors.”
Wood cabinets. Shaker-style quarter-sawn white oak. “The cabinets and floors provide a warm, natural palette, and the green picket tiles reflect an abstraction of leaves,” Walters says. “The Shaker-style cabinets reflect a more transitional cabinetry design, but the uniformity of the quarter-sawn oak adds a touch of modernity. White painted walls with a smooth finish contrast with the natural wood finishes and further enhance their beauty.”
Other special feature. Matte gray quartz countertops.
Designer tip. “Use a variety of high-quality materials to provide a subtle, layered look,” Walters says.
Backsplash tile: ceramic picket tiles in Kelp color, Fireclay Tile; pendant lights: Chroma in black, Kuzco Lighting; cabinet hardware: thin square pull in polished chrome, Atlas Homewares
4. Maple
Designer: Anna Butler Designs
Location: Downers Grove, Illinois
Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters); 14 by 20 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The vision for this kitchen was to create a light, streamlined and modern open-floor concept space with touches of natural warmth brought in by wood flooring and wood cabinetry,” designer Anna Butler says. “The client wanted more light in the space, which was achieved by knocking down the wall separating the kitchen and dining area and by adding in the large picture windows.”
Wood cabinets. Flat-panel maple. “We decided to go with all-wood cabinets because of the warmth that wood brings to the space,” Butler says. “We wanted the wood to add a nice natural contrast to the minimal and modern aesthetic and layout of the kitchen, and to tie into the natural wood floors. In keeping with natural materials, we selected a beautiful white quartzite with light gray-and-gold veining. Additionally, matte black metal was used in the hardware, appliances and faucet to add a contrast against the wood that was still in keeping with the modern aesthetic.”
The 10 Most Popular Kitchens of Summer 2021
Designer: Anna Butler Designs
Location: Downers Grove, Illinois
Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters); 14 by 20 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The vision for this kitchen was to create a light, streamlined and modern open-floor concept space with touches of natural warmth brought in by wood flooring and wood cabinetry,” designer Anna Butler says. “The client wanted more light in the space, which was achieved by knocking down the wall separating the kitchen and dining area and by adding in the large picture windows.”
Wood cabinets. Flat-panel maple. “We decided to go with all-wood cabinets because of the warmth that wood brings to the space,” Butler says. “We wanted the wood to add a nice natural contrast to the minimal and modern aesthetic and layout of the kitchen, and to tie into the natural wood floors. In keeping with natural materials, we selected a beautiful white quartzite with light gray-and-gold veining. Additionally, matte black metal was used in the hardware, appliances and faucet to add a contrast against the wood that was still in keeping with the modern aesthetic.”
The 10 Most Popular Kitchens of Summer 2021
Other special features. “I love the honed cement light-gray wall tile used and installed in a horizontal stacked bond, tying in with the natural textures and modern design,” Butler says. “We used black-and-gold globe pendants above the peninsula and wall-mount sconces above the floating shelves to add accent lighting.”
Designer tip. “It was tricky to create an open floor plan while also including all of the elements of the kitchen, and to keep the kitchen cooking triangle in place, so I decided to put the oven and stovetop with a downdraft vent in the large island,” Butler says. “This made it possible to have no visual obstructions in the space, as well as have ample storage space.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We were told by the prior homeowner that the floors were white oak,” Butler says. “However, when the contractor sanded them down, we realized that they were red oak. Because we had already selected the cabinets, which are a warm honey color, we had envisioned the floors to be a light and neutral natural white oak color. We were concerned that the red oak wouldn’t work with the maple cabinets.
“We tried out different stains, but they were all too dark. We just continued with the vision of natural wood floors, hoping that maple and red oak would go together. Luckily, it turned out great.”
Faucet: Trinsic single-handle pull-down in matte black, Delta; wall paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball
Designer tip. “It was tricky to create an open floor plan while also including all of the elements of the kitchen, and to keep the kitchen cooking triangle in place, so I decided to put the oven and stovetop with a downdraft vent in the large island,” Butler says. “This made it possible to have no visual obstructions in the space, as well as have ample storage space.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We were told by the prior homeowner that the floors were white oak,” Butler says. “However, when the contractor sanded them down, we realized that they were red oak. Because we had already selected the cabinets, which are a warm honey color, we had envisioned the floors to be a light and neutral natural white oak color. We were concerned that the red oak wouldn’t work with the maple cabinets.
“We tried out different stains, but they were all too dark. We just continued with the vision of natural wood floors, hoping that maple and red oak would go together. Luckily, it turned out great.”
Faucet: Trinsic single-handle pull-down in matte black, Delta; wall paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball
5. Custom-Stained Oak
Designers: Cori Wojdak and Leonardo d’Anconia of Chelsea Design + Construction
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 385 square feet (36 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A kitchen that would be more visually connected to the outdoors, and that wouldn’t feel like a kitchen.
Wood cabinets. “The house is a midcentury, minimalist home,” designer Cori Wojdak says. “The kitchen needed to match the essence in its simplicity and the warmth found throughout midcentury homes. The wood species is a custom-stained oak, and it is used in the whole kitchen and pantry.
“We used simple and clean colors — Italian limestone on the floor, local manmade countertops for durability and matte black for the plumbing and lighting — to let the wood do the talking. All those materials fell to the background and allowed the wood to come to the foreground.”
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Designers: Cori Wojdak and Leonardo d’Anconia of Chelsea Design + Construction
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 385 square feet (36 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. A kitchen that would be more visually connected to the outdoors, and that wouldn’t feel like a kitchen.
Wood cabinets. “The house is a midcentury, minimalist home,” designer Cori Wojdak says. “The kitchen needed to match the essence in its simplicity and the warmth found throughout midcentury homes. The wood species is a custom-stained oak, and it is used in the whole kitchen and pantry.
“We used simple and clean colors — Italian limestone on the floor, local manmade countertops for durability and matte black for the plumbing and lighting — to let the wood do the talking. All those materials fell to the background and allowed the wood to come to the foreground.”
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Other special features. The island countertop is matte black quartz; the perimeter material is marble-look quartz. “The black sink made for an unusual statement piece instead of a traditional white sink,” designer Leonardo d’Anconia says. “It allowed us to continue the black-and-white tonality of the kitchen that let the wood stand out even more. There are no other colors in the kitchen other than black, white and natural wood tones.”
Designer tip. “Drawers within drawers,” Wojdak says. “To keep lines clean and elegant, we designed oversized drawers with custom routed handles. However, since these could be large and heavy, we provided drawers within the drawers, for items such as cutlery and Tupperware. This leaves the exterior to follow the simplicity of the home design without losing functionality.
“Additionally, we wanted to hide the vent hood to keep the kitchen bright and open. Since we added three large windows to the exterior, we did not want anything dropping in the space that could cause shadows. Because of this, we opted for an in-ceiling hood to keep uninterrupted sightlines across the space.”
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Designer tip. “Drawers within drawers,” Wojdak says. “To keep lines clean and elegant, we designed oversized drawers with custom routed handles. However, since these could be large and heavy, we provided drawers within the drawers, for items such as cutlery and Tupperware. This leaves the exterior to follow the simplicity of the home design without losing functionality.
“Additionally, we wanted to hide the vent hood to keep the kitchen bright and open. Since we added three large windows to the exterior, we did not want anything dropping in the space that could cause shadows. Because of this, we opted for an in-ceiling hood to keep uninterrupted sightlines across the space.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Design-build pros: Ashley Murphree and Spencer Dobrovolny of Good Bones Design Build
Architect: Devin Donner of Rudin Donner Design
Location: Mill Valley, California
Homeowner’s request. “This home was built by the homeowner’s father, so every square inch had sentimental value,” design-build pro Ashley Murphree says. “The original cabinets were also handmade by her father. The original kitchen had a drop ceiling covering the beautiful cedar roof planks, and the cabinets looked a bit tired and retro, despite their sentimental value. She wanted something clean and modern, but mindful of the history.”
Wood cabinets. “Our solution was to disassemble the old meranti cabinet faces built in the ’60s by the client’s father, piece by piece, and repurpose all of the faces into what is now the new, custom island,” Murphree says. “We then matched new white oak plywood to the old meranti plywood to build all of the cabinets on the wall. Last, we demolished the drop ceiling and restored the cedar planks, and we poured and polished custom concrete countertops on-site. The result is a fresh mix of old and new cabinets with a bright, new, modern face.”
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