The 12 months was 2004. My dad and mom had been transforming the circa Nineties kitchen in my childhood house, full with honey oak cupboards and beige tile counter tops (initially a peach Formica). Many journeys by way of IKEA and unnamed kitchen showrooms later, my dad and mom declared my thought of going for a (gasp) white kitchen as unfit for his or her design aesthetic—”White kitchens won’t ever catch on,” stated my mother—and went the way in which of the penultimate in early aughts sophistication: cherry wooden Shaker fronts, black veined granite, 1-inch sq. multi-color glass tile backsplash. Absolutely, this might at all times be a traditional, yeah? Properly…everyone knows how that story unfolds (did somebody say “white kitchen”?). 

Quick-forward to 2023, the place I discover myself face-to-face with a blast from a not-so-welcomed design previous. You guessed it, of us (most likely since you learn this publish’s title): The cupboards in my new house’s kitchen are cherry. And whereas there’s nothing inherently mistaken with the house—it’s pretty giant, it has a superb structure for workflow, it will get good gentle and has a breakfast nook—it’s actually simply not my model. Largely, it’s fairly devoid of character, uninspiring, and fairly 2004. 

If any of this sounds acquainted and also you’ve been battling with what to do in your dated house, whether or not you hire or personal, I’m right here to carry your hand and stroll us each gently into the nice kitchen refresh all of us deserve. Whereas that is my journey, and the design concepts I’ve landed on could not give you the results you want particularly, I hope you could possibly pull some inspiration for your self if wanted from how I’m bringing the room nearer to “good” and “fashionable” and “charming”…all these issues all of us need our properties to be. 

At first, I considered doing by far the best and most cost-effective factor: That’s to do ::drum roll:: …………. nothing. Charles could be completely content material if we went this route. The truth is, I’m pretty sure he has no clue I’m even penning this publish or speaking about any initiatives on this house other than window therapies and discovering a desk and chairs. If he heard me even utter the phrases “peel-and-stick” flooring OR backsplash—or worst but…armoire/china cupboard—nicely, I’m undecided what the state of our marriage would appear to be. After which he’d ask how a lot it was all going to price (completely truthful). 

Whereas the $0-do-nothing plan is attractive, as quickly as I began envisioning what it may appear to be with only a small funding and some weekends’ price of labor, I obtained that little bouncing glow within me that occurs when a brand new design venture is afoot. And I merely can not ignore a bouncing glow, now can I? AND NEITHER CAN YOU!

So, let’s get began by having a look at my house, after which we are able to chat by way of some options for me, you, and the remainder of the stuck-with-cherry brigade on the market.

Right here we’re. Our little rental kitchen. It’s not unhealthy, I do know, nevertheless it may very well be higher. It says nothing concerning the individuals who dwell right here in addition to “There have to be a child with all these sippy cups” in addition to “My goodness, somebody right here wants to hunt assist for small equipment dependancy.” Nothing a little bit ingenuity and artistic reversible design planning can’t assist. Dare I say…I don’t really hate the wooden. Whereas I’d desire one thing a bit extra toned down and fewer purple, wooden cabinetry usually has a ton of fashion potential. 

After doing a superb quantity of analysis to see if there was a kitchen design I vibed with that had related cupboard coloring and discovering, nicely, little or no, I began getting artistic. I looked for images of rooms that had mahogany furnishings, cherry wood flooring, and even simply darker-toned wooden items and studied what they did to tone down the heat. All of the areas I used to be drawn to checked the identical 5 bins:

• Modernized the purple by including pure, impartial wooden tones
• Introduced down the distinction by going saturated with different colours
• Created a heat, inviting palette
• Modified the focus with an fascinating backsplash, ground, or furnishing
• Added heat with brass

Let’s discover these concepts a bit, and I can stroll you thru how I plan to execute them in my very own house.

However first…

The Inspiration

For my part, the under rooms work to make deeper cherries and mahogany woods really feel a bit extra traditional. Many of the designs are fairly “old-world” in really feel, which isn’t what I’m going for, personally, however there are nonetheless classes to be pulled from them. In my house, as a lot as I really like the look, it simply doesn’t make sense to stroll from the pretty modern eating room into an English cottage kitchen. It will be model whiplash, so I’ll must make sure to maintain a number of the components a bit extra trendy, like the form of the desk and chairs, and any gentle items. 

That is the closest illustration of what I believe will be executed in my kitchen by way of aesthetics. Clearly, I cannot be portray my uppers, however the designers at Meet West, who reimagined this house, did an incredible job of taking darkish stained woodworking and making it really feel timeless, impressed and charming.

Queen of modern-yet-charming eclectic English cottage (I made it up, however I believe that model applies), Heidi Caillier’s use of the impartial wooden tones towards the darkish stained wooden paneling is my muse for the breakfast nook furnishings. This marriage does an awesome job of honoring the richness of the darker wooden whereas modernizing it with blonder tones.

The dusty, French blue right here pairs so fantastically with the purple tones. I noticed this colour duo quite a bit in my hunt for design muses, in addition to peacock bluish-green, and, on the other spectrum, dusty pinks or peach.

Whereas not precisely “cherry” (okay, not cherry by any means) it’s nonetheless a reasonably heat cupboard shade and I’m drawn to how the moss inexperienced and slate blue makes every little thing really feel grounded, comfortable, but timeless.

Okay, lastly, let’s get into the plan!

Restrict Distinction With A Daring Use Of Coloration

I don’t even have a ton of uncovered wall house in my kitchen, however leaving them stark white steals the potential allure of heat wooden cabinetry. As talked about, the blueish-greenish-grayish partitions of the inspiration areas (not dissimilar to my previous eating room’s Inchyra Blue that I beloved a lot) may be the ticket to including some curiosity and homeyness right here.

As well as, bringing the sage inexperienced of the counter tops as much as fill the house between high and backside cupboards will visually simplify issues. To me, this right here feels so uneven. Your eyes have to absorb the colour of the cabinetry, the colour of the backsplash, and the colour of the wall in between. At first, I had the concept of simply color-matching the counters and portray the white an identical inexperienced however now I’ve a unique thought to make use of peel-and-stick tiles as a result of I believe I nonetheless wouldn’t have been totally pleased with the orange peel texture of the wall juxtaposed with the sleek counter tops. 

Change The Focal Level

Cherry cupboards are just like the protagonist of a play in group theater: it desires all the eye. However right here’s a trick to unfold the visible love a bit: demote it from the kitchen lead. There are just a few methods to do that: make your flooring fascinating, make your backsplash or partitions fascinating, make your furnishings fascinating. In my case, I’m going the ground route as a result of I HATE these tiles. They’ve a really unusual anti-slip texture that I used to be satisfied was powdery residue from the owner portray the partitions with a sprig gun. I confidently introduced within the ground steamer once we moved in to rid the room of the sensory problem for my toes and, nicely…I used to be mistaken. It’s simply the tile.

As a lot as I attempt to keep away from bandwagoning on a design pattern, I can’t assist however suppose the checkerboard therapy right here is a good possibility. It’ll add a ton of curiosity underfoot, it’s low-cost, and it might work completely with my current tile dimension (11.75″x11.75″). I’m undecided on colour, however there are such a lot of choices today, so I’m positive I’ll discover the correct mixture.

Add Heat With Brass {Hardware}

Look, there’s nothing mistaken with brushed nickel {hardware}, as a lot as Instagram-famous kitchens would possibly make you suppose in any other case. However in my explicit house, I believe some brass cupboard pulls in a extra trendy model will do wonders for updating issues. I additionally love the allure and performance that brass rails add, and anytime I see them, my coronary heart pitter-patters a bit.

As a result of my counter tops are at the moment being eaten by *issues*, I additionally suppose a rail system will assist to deliver utensils, produce and prep gadgets up off the floor degree to unlock extra working house. I discovered a really inexpensive possibility at IKEA I’m fairly pumped about (see moodboard on the finish of the publish).

Modernize The Pink By Including Pure, Impartial Wooden Tones

I’ve lengthy beloved the concept of a little bit eat-in kitchen. A spot to take a seat and sip my espresso within the morning and even plop myself all the way down to work in. From a sensible place, I’d actually desire to have my daughter’s excessive chair right here quite than within the eating room for meal instances since the place she is now is just not seen once I’m within the kitchen. So, our plan is to really have this perform as a breakfast (and lunch, and a few dinners) nook, which lends the proper alternative to herald another wooden tones.

Whereas I quickly have my previous banquette in right here (I used to be curious if it might match and look good…it doesn’t, and it doesn’t), I’ll be on the hunt for a lighter-toned wooden desk and chairs. Probably one thing white oak or pine, however the bottom line is to maintain the wooden tone from going overly orange or purple, just like the instance I discovered from Heidi Callier. Additionally, sticking to a extra monochrome wooden look between each desk and chairs will simplify the palette.

And since we’re on the subject of simplifying the palette, I’m aiming to seek out curtains to match the brand new wall colour that can substitute the folding doorways at the moment concealing our washer and dryer. That can make it simpler to work round furnishings since we gained’t must account for the house it takes to open them.

Don’t Let Your Cupboards Be Your Solely Contact of Pink

This final tip is a bit much less apparent than a number of the others, however I believe it’s pretty vital. Since design is all about steadiness, including in a contact of purple (both in a brighter hue or barely completely different tone) elsewhere in your kitchen will go an extended option to finishing your colour palette. It doesn’t must be a lot: possibly some upholstery in a bar stool or the again of a glass cupboard and even just a few fairly ceramics. For my house, I plan on attaining this by way of a burgundy piece I discovered that may even remedy the issue of storing most of my small home equipment which might be at the moment scattered throughout.

Alright, now that we went by way of that “the right way to make cherry trendy” lesson, I’m keen to point out you the moodboard I’ve put collectively for my kitchen. It is going to contain a handful of initiatives and duties, which I’ve outlined under:

• Swap out {hardware}
• Paint partitions a blueish-greenish grey to assist with distinction
• Set up kitchen rail system into new “backsplash” to carry utensils, meals prep gadgets, and a few produce
• Add peel-and-stick “zellige” tile backsplash
• Swap laundry closet doorways for curtains that match the wall colour for visible cohesion
• Improve ground with reversible peel-and-stick tile
• Herald cupboard or storage answer for the breakfast nook space to accommodate issues I don’t seize consistently however nonetheless need common entry to clear counters
• Discover gentle wooden desk and chairs which might be sufficiently small to stroll round to entry the washer and dryer, however large enough to seat 2 adults and a excessive chair

The Moodboard & Coloration Palette

I do know my design right here gained’t work for everybody, however this mix of colours and supplies will go an extended option to creating an inspiring, extra up-to-date kitchen house for my house. Let’s speak by way of just a few issues:

Brass Cup Deal with | Brass Bar Cupboard Pull | Inexperienced Tile Backsplash | Paint | Curtains | Pinstripe Cloth | Checkerboard Flooring | Brass Rail | Brass Hooks | Wicker Hanging Baskets | Rug | Eating Chair | Eating Desk | Burgundy Cupboard

The tile: Consider it or not, these are peel-and-stick made to appear to be Zellige tiles. They’re a bit glossier than I like, however maybe I may discover a matting spray (or simply depart them shiny). I’m undecided if it’s a bit an excessive amount of square-on-square with a checkerboard ground, so I’m nonetheless looking round for one thing else. I did discover a extra vertical “tile” however the colour was probably too yellow. I’ll must order a pattern to actually know. 

The textiles: The window within the nook is crying out to me to rid it of the damaged vertical blinds. If I had shot the house with them closed, you’d see 4 of the blinds are lacking. The window appears like a 3rd grader with 1 / 4 of their entrance enamel gone. I considered doing common material right here, however I felt it might be too heavy with the laundry closet panels. Plus, I can already see peanut butter palms grabbing on the cloth any probability my tiny human will get. A Roman shade goes to price a literal fortune to buy as a result of the window is 70”x75”, so I could strive my hand at stitching one with a fairly impartial striped linen. Pray for me. 

The cupboard: As talked about, I would like this to interchange the wire shelving but in addition to hold the purple by way of to the opposite finish of the kitchen. Whether or not I find yourself with this particular piece or simply one thing I paint, it’ll be a workhorse for much-needed storage.

The desk and chairs: The impartial wooden second. I’d love a stripped-back classic desk, however I do know that’ll make the house really feel overly conventional. It wants a contemporary silhouette to talk the identical language as my eating room. The one pictured right here is available in a ~32” diameter (in addition to 39”) which is simply large enough for what we’d like for each day use, however sufficiently small to stroll round and nonetheless have the ability to do laundry. I’ve thought of additionally making this desk as a result of I believe it may very well be fairly simple, however then I do not forget that I’ve a 15-month-old that requires fixed bubble blowing, and suppose my time could be higher spent simply throwing cash on the drawback. 

So…that’s what I’m planning to resolve my cherry cabinetry woes. I welcome the problem and hopefully you do now, as nicely. I’m really very enthusiastic about how this might all look.

Jess, clear your schedule as a result of I’m going to wish your assist… 🙂 

BUT WAIT! Earlier than I’m going, I simply wish to say one thing. For anybody studying this who additionally learn my piece about whether or not investing in rental properties is a waste of cash, I’m nonetheless of the mindset that this isn’t for everybody. To be sincere, if I didn’t pitch the concept right here to remodel my house for instance to anybody on the lookout for options to an identical kitchen, I would suppose twice concerning the money and time I’ll be placing into this room. However the factor is, I spend a lot time in right here. I need/want it to perform higher for me, and whereas I’m at it, look thrilling. Every thing is very reversible and principally damage-free (although if anybody right here has had unhealthy experiences with peel-and-stick flooring or tiles, may you let me know?). There can be moments within the in-between of beginning and ending that I’ll 100% remorse the choice to do any of this, however when it’s full, I do know I’ll simply wish to stand within the room and take all of it in each single day. I need my daughter to see me making our house our personal and placing my passions to work. Watching my mother tinker round my childhood house formed me significantly.

Keep tuned. 

Your good friend in design, Arlyn