What’s Cooking in the Kitchen: Part Three
In this series, TMS has covered countertop materials and appliances and now turn our attention to trends in kitchen cabinets; colors, materials and built-in functionality. While white cabinets are still the leaders in popularity, according to design sources, “grey is the new white”.
Remember to take the size of your space into consideration when choosing gray cabinets as dark gray will make the space feel smaller whereas a lighter gray will bounce light back and brighten the room, Choosing the correct shade of gray is a complex a finding the right white color depending upon the undertones; blue undertones will result in a steely gray while reeds and yellows make the color appear warmer.
If you are so inclined to paint your kitchen cabinets, or add paint as a trim color in a kitchen, FreshHome just published a helpful article on this subject.
Wood cabinets continue to be very popular as well with choices running the gamut from red oak, white oak, hard maple, hickory, cherry, birch, ash or pine depending upon your budget and color choice. Below is an example of a TMS designed kitchen in a Maine lakeside cottage that uses cabinets made from fir which is a type of pine but has a tighter, vertical grain and is a bit harder than ordinary pine.
Lakeside Maine Cottage designed by TMS Architects with fir used for cabinets. The material is very suitable for its Maine woods location. Source: Karosis Photography
Sometimes is make a great deal of sense NOT to install any upper cabinets as was the case in this TMS-designed home, North Shore Estate. To have used upper cabinets in this kitchen would have completely blocked the dramatic ocean views so the under cabinets are doing all the work! This kitchen is also an example of a trend to “disguise” appliances as cabinets by using panels that fir over refrigerators, oven or dishwashers.
The lack of upper cabinets allow for an uninterrupted ocean view. Source: TMS Architects
Functionality is becoming increasingly important in kitchen design and cabinets are providing many more solutions for storage than the usual silverware drawer and lazy susan. Here are several examples of “smart” storage solutions.
Usefulness in this awkward kitchen corner is maximized with this custom-made corner cabinet. Source: TMS Architects/Karosis Photography
For other examples of kitchen cabinets, please visit TMS Architects. Stay tuned for the next installment; Kitchen Hardware.
