Decorating & Design
20 Times Wood Warmed Up A Kitchen
Updated on June 25, 2024
There is a universal appeal to the warmth of a wood kitchen. Dark wood adds richness, walnut gives a mid-century quality and white oak has a Cali breeziness. The natural grain brings an organic, heritage-inspired look to stainless appliances and hard counters. Long before all-white kitchens became the norm, all-wood kitchens reigned supreme. In the ’60s and ’70s, knotty cabinets with avocado and harvest gold appliances were a reflection of a return to nature, while the 1980s welcomed dark cabinets and granite counters. Today’s wood kitchens pull inspiration from a variety of styles, including the clean combo of white and blond seen in Scandi-inspired spaces, or the warm cedar or walnut often seen in modern farmhouse or mid-century modern style kitchens.
Scroll through to see how wood is making a statement in the kitchen!
Dark woods instantly impart richness and a sense of history to a century home in Lévis, Quebec. “The homeowner embraces the antique, so she didn’t want a space with a clinical feel,” says designer Mélanie Cherrier. This custom red oak island is designed to look like an apothecary cabinet but isn’t an exact match for the mid-tone oak floors. A wood beam installed over the range bears chisel marks for an authentic farmhouse feel.
This Ottawa kitchen shows how mixing wood tones can be incredibly effective, and highlights the unique beauty of each variety. Here, white oak tongue-and-groove panelling turns the wall into a feature, while the walnut island offers an appealing mix. “We’re getting back to wood being a real feature in the kitchen,” says designer Sonya Kinkade. “We seem to be stepping way from painted islands and grey or all-white cabinets.”
Blonde woods give a beachy effect when paired with crisp white cabinets in this Muskoka retreat. Inset herringbone panels in the ceiling draw the eye up and are an unexpected way to layer in the beauty of wood. A reeded detail inside the island adds further texture and plays up the versatility of wood.
Pale wood is a natural complement for handmade Zellige tiles in this modern farmhouse in Quebec. Warm oak cabinets and glossy tiles play up an artisanal, handmade look.
In this sophisticated Toronto condo, the open-concept kitchen needed to be sleek and warm. Flat-face cabinets are subtly set apart from the rich wall panelling and have a clean, mid-century modern vibe.
Designer Tommy Smythe combined an oak island and vent hood cladding with painted uppers and lowers in contrasting shades, for an eclectic mix in this Victorian home. “Large kitchens can feel like an airport terminal if everything is white,” says Tommy.
Wood doesn’t just boost the warmth of the cabinetry, the beams in this West Coast kitchen were purposefully chosen to mimic an Italian farmhouse.
By keeping this millwork coffee bar (with a sliding drawer) unpainted, it creates the feeling of a standalone piece of furniture, yet it is completely integrated.
To make the island look more antique in this suburban Toronto home, shiplap detailing was installed on the ends and the oak was stained a rich walnut tone. Exposed beams aren’t common in older suburban homes, but they can be added (along with a wood trim on the panelled vent hood) to create a country feel. Engineered oak floors have a rustic look with knot details.
The cabinets are white oak and custom lacquered to complement the floors in this Canmore, Alberta mid-century home, and color-matched to the stretcher brick backsplash and range hood. The wood-grain is visible through the low-sheen colored lacquer.
In this sleek penthouse kitchen, a dramatic wood frame makes the white cabinetry pop. The vent hood, with its brass inlay, is a focal point.
Playful kitchen island legs with a ball finial detail turn this custom oak island into a major moment for this mid-century inspired kitchen.
Using grasscloth panels on the cabinet doors and wallpaper on the interior makes this cabinetry look like an antique hutch.
To create this English-style kitchen, designer and homeowner Olivia Botrie contrasted olive cabinets with a dark island with fluted details. “I love the look of medium brown floors and the brass… Like it had been here forever,” she says.
Designer Cory DeFrancisco skipped the hardware on the light wood pencil moulding cabinets in this L.A. kitchen to create a clean, neutral backdrop that epitomizes Cali breeziness.
White oak millwork, natural floors and stained cedar cladding on the ceiling keep the envelope in this modern lakefront home clean and simple.
This kitchen is a perfect blend of wood and painted cabinets. One double island is a sinuous curved design, while the other is painted. This island matches the oak panel-ready fridge finish for continuity.
White oak beams and cabinets in this countryside home in Saint-Lazare, Quebec set the casual tone. A glimpse into the pantry’s wood cabinets pop through the arch. Rustic wood beams embellish the lofty, 15-foot-high ceilings. “The natural white oak cabinets, moulding, hutch, elite tile and traditional faucets give the space a rustic, comforting feel,” says designer Marie-Pierre Gauthier.
This guest house in Magog has a breezy, rustic kitchen. Mélanie adds: “We wanted that vintage look, so we stained the white oak counter three times with a special treatment to add a tactile, textured effect.” A second wood island (which operates as a bar) is topped by airy metal shelves to act as an airy partition that doesn’t close off the kitchen.
This kitchen was designed to have a modern Italian farmhouse look. The island’s modern, flat-front cabinetry was topped with a dark stain to show off the woodgrain, and balances the heavily veined backsplash.
The owners of this circa-2000 family home didn’t want an all-white kitchen. Injecting white oak elements, like the freestanding table, cabinets and wood floor, creates soul and texture. Glass panels making the wood cabinets even more distinct.
Mixing woods played an important role in adding character to this Toronto loft kitchen. Details like reeded wood drawers elevate the space, says designer Nicci Harrison. In this converted church loft, she combines oak cabinets with pencil-frame cabinet doors painted Toque White (SW 7003) Sherwin Williams.